What is a sun tunnel?
Sun tunnels are an economical method to get light into a house when there is limited room for a roof light. They include a panel that fits discreetly on the roof’s exterior, a highly reflective tube guiding sunlight into the room, and a diffuser that disperses light naturally.
This product can pay for itself! Sun tunnels may be constructed on flat and pitched roofs, giving a superb all-around solution for gloomy bathrooms, loft areas or tiny home offices. They are also excellent in hallways and corridors, cutting power expenditures by bringing natural sunshine.
How is a sun tunnel installed?
It just takes one or two people to construct a solar tunnel. When constructing a sun tunnel, a hole must be cut from your roof to your ceiling, the tube must be inserted into the hole, an acrylic dome must be placed on the roof side of the tube, and a light diffuser must be installed on the ceiling end of the tube.
The Installation Procedure
- Choose the finest location for the solar tunnel. The installer will enter the attic and mark the location of the tunnel.
- Make a hole in both the ceiling and the roof where the tube will be inserted.
- Install the frame on the ceiling and the tunnel flashing on the roof according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Seal the tunnel’s flashing to the roof with high-quality ice and water barrier, then finish with new shingles.
- Connect the tube from the roof to the ceiling. Everything in the attic should be sealed up.
- Spray foam insulation should always be installed from the attic’s interior at the tunnel’s base. This will prevent condensation and seal any air openings in the tube.
- Install the completed lense and the ring that connects to the ceiling/interior frame. Clean up all of the trash and waste.
Will a sun tunnel provide the same amount of natural light as a skylight?
Remember that a sun tunnel captures light, magnifies it, and sends it down the tube into the light diffuser through an acrylic dome. A sun tunnel will not allow in as much light as a regular skylight since it is not a direct window to the outside. However, this does not imply that a sun tunnel does not supply enough natural light. Sun tunnels are ideal for gloomy areas in the centre of your home that don’t get enough natural light (such as hallways, laundry rooms, utility rooms, dark kitchens, bathrooms, large closets, etc.).
3 Advantages of Sun Tunnel
Placement Flexibility
Sun tunnels might be the ideal solution when alternative skylights are not feasible. Sun tunnels, which have a tube form rather than a flat window, may send a splash of natural light into rooms or regions that would be difficult or impossible to reach with a standard skylight. This implies that you may use sun tunnels to provide natural light to a closet, attic, hallway, bathroom, or even a laundry room.
Rigid solar tunnels are ideal for direct roof-to-room applications or installations with no obstacles. Flexible sun tunnels enable you to work around any obstacles while still getting light where you need it. The polished, reflecting inside of the tubes guarantees that the light remains bright and reaches the intended places.
- Reduced Footprint
Sun tunnels are often simpler to build than other types of skylights. They are smaller than window-type skylights and need less area to install owing to their tubular design. They don’t open to allow for air, so they don’t need as much room as a skylight does, reducing the amount of space they take up on your roof.
Because of their smaller size, sun tunnels, also known as sun tubes or tubular skylights, are ideal for “green” construction projects. When you move over numerous stories, installation becomes a bit more difficult and costly. However, an expert contractor may simply guide you through the process.
- Energy Conservation
Allowing natural light into your house means using less electrical lighting, which reduces your total energy consumption. Sun tunnels emit less heat than electric lights, so they do not affect the temperature inside your house and do not need your heating and cooling system to work harder. Even though it is an addition to your roof, a sun tunnel is designed to reduce heating and cooling loss throughout the seasons. You won’t have to worry about air leaks if the system is fitted appropriately.
