Modern skylights fill your home with natural light and fresh air

by | Feb 6, 2014 | 2, 3, 5, 8, Articles

<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">Modern skylights fill your home with natural light and fresh air</font></h2><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">(ARA) – When it comes to brightening and freshening your home, it’s smart to use natural light and passive ventilation.<span>  </span>Unlike earlier plastic bubble skylights that faded and leaked, modern glass skylights are dependable and offer nearly endless options for functional decorating.</span></p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">According to Roger LeBrun, product certification engineer with VELUX America, today’s skylights, properly installed, don’t leak. "Matched flashing systems and other improvements have done away with the number one fear of people who are considering cutting a hole in a perfectly good roof," LeBrun says.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Skylights are useful in all areas of the home but are particularly popular in bathrooms and kitchens. According to an American Standard survey, American homeowners say if they had a choice of accessories for the ultimate dream bathroom, the number one option would be a skylight to bathe the room with more natural light. Add the privacy factor of light from above, plus the passive ventilation available with venting skylights, and you’ve dramatically upgraded one of the most used rooms in the home at a very reasonable price.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Aside from the aesthetic benefits of balanced natural light, there are health-related considerations. Studies show that 20 percent of our population suffers varying degrees of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Individuals with SAD may experience depression, lower energy, increased appetite and a need for more sleep. SAD is directly linked to insufficient daylight.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">There are also other light-related health considerations, particularly for older adults. To accommodate the adaptation of the aging eye, the amount of light required for visual acuity doubles for each 13 years after the age of 20, according to research by Ross A. McFarland, Ph.D., and M. Bruce Fisher, Ph.D., in a Harvard School of Public Health publication. More natural light equals better sight, especially for seniors.<span>    </span></p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Youngsters also benefit. Students perform significantly better in environments that are lit with natural rather than artificial light. A study directed by Heschong Mahone Group in California tracked test scores for 21,000 students in California, Colorado and Washington and found that learning rates were 26 percent higher in reading and 20 percent higher in math in rooms with the most natural light.<span>  </span></p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Low-E energy-efficient glass in modern, ENERGY STAR-qualified units, is durable, reduces external noises and won’t discolor as did older plastic bubble skylights.<span>  </span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/8c.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/8c.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div></span></p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">And skylights no longer just sit there. Light and heat gain or loss through skylights can be controlled as never before. Electric venting models are available with remote control, blinds, shades, awnings, insect screening and automatic rain sensors.<span>  </span></p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">For simple, quick installation in areas where traditional skylights may not be the best solution, VELUX Sun Tunnel tubular skylights may be the answer. They admit passive light through highly reflective rigid or flexible tubing to go around obstructions between the roof and ceiling and provide abundant natural light through diffusers for hallways, bathrooms, pantries, walk-in closets or other smaller, confined areas.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">For free information on the benefits of natural light and skylight selection, or for free house plans incorporating skylights, call (800) 283-2831 or visit <a href="http://veluxusa.com/" target="_blank">veluxusa.com</a>. <span> </span>For government information on window and skylight energy efficiency, visit <a href="http://www.energystar.gov/" target="_blank">energystar.gov</a>, and for independent agency information visit <a href="http://nfrc.org/" target="_blank">nfrc.org</a> or <a href="http://efficientwindows.org/" target="_blank">efficientwindows.org</a>.</p>  <p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">Courtesy of ARAcontent</span></p></span>