5 Reasons to Consider Skylights and Solar Tubes for a Healthier, Happier Home

Home, where we have found ourselves more often than ever before, has become the place where we not only live but also work, go to school, and do pretty much everything else. Through this adjustment to our regular daily rhythms and routines we have adjusted to being home more. Many of us have rediscovered the small joys like a walk around the neighborhood. A healthy dose of Vitamin D and fresh air is a boost to our well-being, but poses the question; What is going on inside our homes?

I think you would agree that spending the day at your kitchen table doesn’t quite feel like a day spent at the beach with the warm sun and fresh salty air. With sunlight acting as a natural disinfectant and ventilation acting as a key factor in reducing the presence of mold and reducing contaminants like dust, you should be asking yourself, “Is my home getting enough natural light and good air flow?”.  Thankfully with a few changes in ventilation, air quality, and natural light you can make significant, cost-effective, and energy-efficient improvements to your home and your well-being.

At Diamond Roofing San Diego, we’re leading experts in solar tube and skylight installation. We wanted to take the time to walk through some of the benefits and help you decide if these upgrades are right for your home and your family.

1. Natural light and ventilation saves energy and money

Well placed natural lighting, like that provided by a skylight or solar tube, can lower energy costs by brightening and heating up your space without the use of electricity. This lowers energy costs by reducing the need for lighting and by using the heat of the sun to warm your home in the morning. If you have a south facing home, you may worry about the house getting too hot. Skylights with blinds will give you the ability to filter the light and reduce radiant heat depending on the time of day and time of year.

There is also an option available for a federal tax credit with form 5695 to help you offset costs on solar projects for your home. More natural light in, less money out!

2. Natural light increases focus

Studies have shown that increased natural light and windows can improve academic performance and mood! Students with increased natural light in classrooms progressed faster on math and reading tests according to one study. The same is true for adults, workspaces that provide natural light improve productivity, increase creativity, and enhance your mood, creating a healthier more productive workplace. With most of us spending hours a day working on our computers it is imperative we are getting enough natural light. What’s good for the classroom and workplace is equally as good for the home.

3. Natural light can boost your immune system

We all know that when exposed to sunlight our skin naturally absorbs Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D helps ward off seasonal depression, can improve sleep, and aid your body in the absorption of Calcium. Sunshine is medicine and getting natural light into your home is equally beneficial. Now more than ever as we are focused on our health and wellness, natural light is an amazing benefit we can all get our hands on.

4. Natural light can increase the value of your home

Increased natural light makes your home feel bigger, more open, and inviting which translates to people being willing to pay more for a home. With the additional bonus of making your home more energy-efficient natural light in the form of skylights and solar tubes can be one more perk your house needs to stand out among the rest.
At Diamond Roofing we love the opportunity to install skylights and solar tubes. When properly installed and placed they can be a game-changer for any home. The benefits of natural light and solar heating to your space as well as fresh air, better ventilation, and savings on energy/heating costs make them hard to beat when it comes to improving your home. Solar tubes are a cost-effective alternative to the skylight, with similar benefits but versatile enough to carry natural light into interior spaces where skylights and windows can’t reach.

5. Better Ventilation Means Better Health

It’s no secret that better ventilation and fresh air leads to better health outcomes. This isn’t just a common belief, the science backs it up! Generally speaking, when there are no outdoor contaminants that you need to keep out of your home, studies showed that higher ventilation rates in many cases will reduce health outcomes. There are a vast numbers of ways that fresh air help keep your home happy and healthy.  According to the National Center for Healthy Housing benefits from increased ventilation include reducing moisture problems, mitigating mold growth (keep your relative humidity levels below 30-60%), allowing harmful gasses like carbon monoxide to escape, and even reduce long term effects of gasses like radon. While a proper HVAC system is a good solution, it’s also expensive. Properly placed Fresh Air Skylights can be operated manually or electrically and can provide wind effect ventilation to effectively increase your homes rate of “air change per hour”.

Skylight Installation Considerations

There are a few major considerations that you’ll want to keep in mind. Not all roofing companies are going to have the level of experience needed to make sure you are thrilled with your plan. Making the right decision for skylight and solar tube placement is essential and will also play into your choice of style and options that you choose.  You will need to take into account the airflow, direction of the home, the latest technology and materials and ensure that you’re working with an installer that knows the finite details that ensure you have a water tight roof over your head.

For more information or to schedule a free consultation with our skylight installation experts in San Diego and Southern California, reach out to Diamond Roofing today and see what makes us “A Cut Above The Rest”!