There was a time when my family and I treasured our wood-burning stove. The gray winter days evolved into cozy nights sitting by the wood-burning stove. But these fixtures aren’t exactly environmentally friendly, so we decided to get rid of it.

Spurred on by the giant gaping chasm left in our ceiling from the stovepipe, we decided to install a sun tunnel from Velux. (This is the fixture we chose for our family room.)

Installing a sun tunnel is easier than you think

Some benefits of a sun tunnel (also called a solar tube or tubular skylight) include:

• Easy installation: They fit easily between rafters in the attic. On average, it takes less than two hours to install one, and it’s definitely a DIY-friendly job.
• Versatility: Sun tunnels can fit where standard skylights can’t, and they’re about a third of the cost of your typical skylight. They’re also designed for shingle or shake roofs with pitches from 15 to 60 degrees.
• Eco-friendly: Thorough testing tells us there’s no identifiable heat gain or loss with the sun tunnel.
• Burglar proof: When that rail-thin, would-be intruder scampers onto your roof to try to burgle your home by dropping down through the sun tunnel, you’ll still be safe.

Skylights can make a kitchen more dramatic

Placed in any hallway, kitchen, or walk-in closet (or a family room!) where light can be scarce, a sun tunnel or skylight eliminates the need to turn on a light by providing indirect, diffused sunlight.

Soaking up the sun can have many positive effects

Natural light lessens the amount of artificial light in a room, while helping to boost energy levels. And who doesn’t love natural light bathing a living space? It lifts your mood, eases eye strain, illuminates the room and saves money on your energy bill.

With natural light streaming steadily into our family room, we use our lighting much less than we used to, and the type of light is much easier on the eyes and spirit. The sun tunnel adds an open and airy feel and we don’t miss that wood burning stove one bit.

Until next time, Happy Home Improving!

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