If you're in the business of installing skylights, you've probably already realized people either love, love, love them...or hate, hate, hate them. Take this guest blog for Green Building Advisor (GBA) for example. While the post is a bit dated, the complaints about skylights in it are still very common today.
So, to help you sell more skylights to your wariest of customers, here are a few responses to some of the most common complaints about skylights that allow you to illustrate their benefits instead.
Most homeowners probably aren't going to know the term R-value, but they may complain that a skylight will disrupt their home's insulation and mess with the energy efficiency levels in their home. While Eric North accurately points out in his GBA blog that a skylight's R-value will be a fraction of the existing roof's R-value, with VELUX's patented 3 layers of sealant and our expert light shaft design, our skylights' R-values aren't that far off from a traditional window.
Additionally, with accessories like blackout blinds and VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO, a skylight can actually work to make the home more energy efficient.
North's next complaint are skylights in bathrooms. Although bathrooms are one of the most common rooms to install a skylight, it makes sense to be concerned about moisture problems - especially if the skylight ends up replacing the exhaust fan. But there's an easy solution to that: install a venting skylight instead of a fixed one! One push of a button, and a venting skylight will open just enough to let steamy, humid air out and fresh, cool air flow in.
Also mentioned in the blog is the issue skylights can cause for roof ventilation. Again, a venting skylight or a roof window can quell this complaint and help air flow more freely around the skylight. This complaint does, however, bring up another big worry for snow-prone areas...
Logistically, ice dams have been a problem for skylights in the past. Ice dams occur when the air around a skylight warms up faster than the air surrounding the roof, causing the snow to melt and flow to the bottom of the skylight where it re-freezes.
While this can cause moisture issues on a roof, ice dams, for the most part, can be avoided with regular homeowner maintenance. Cleaning the flashing of leaves and other debris before snow falls will help make sure water has a path to drain off from the roof and surrounding gutters.
Advances in the way we build skylights have also helped prevent ice dams. The VELUX SkyMax, for example, incorporates a condensation channel to prevent leaking. This eliminates the need for weep holes and provides a smoother channel for water to flow through and away from the skylight.
Much as we try, we can't convince everyone to install a skylight in their home. But these counterpoints to common complaints should help convince many of your naysayers to give skylights a try.
Getting questions about other skylight misconceptions? Check out our posts on busting the myths about skylights and skylight glass.