To take advantage of the many benefits of natural lighting, more and more homeowners are choosing to add skylights to their new home plans or older home renovations. From a single skylight in an isolated room to dramatic skylighting in a larger living space, the options are nearly endless. Looking at the multiple benefits of skylights in your home, we can see why this trend is growing and why you too might be interested in bringing the outdoors indoors.
The Benefits
There are obvious economic benefits to using natural lighting in your home. Using skylights to allow natural light into a living room, kitchen, bedroom or hallway means lower energy bills. Some estimates suggest that you can also reduce up to 10% of your artificial lighting bills by using skylights and panels that take advantage of daytime light, reducing your dependence on electrical lighting. It’s easy to see how that initial cost of installation can be offset over time with these serious energy savings.
Another important benefit to skylights in your home is the positive effect light has on the human body. Sunlight is naturally more pleasing and relaxing than artificial light, and creates less glare and eye strain. It is also a source of Vitamin D, an important factor in our sense of well-being. Providing your family with natural light can have a marked effect on their attitude, which goes a long way to making them happier and healthier. Many studies show that workers and students who benefit from natural lighting in their office or school environments can maintain focus longer and feel more alert and attentive, and feel less stress. This extends to the home, where the sense of ‘connection’ with the outdoors keeps us in a state of relaxation while we go about our regular home activities.
If you’re designing a new home or addition, including skylights is simple. Your architects and designers can plan your rooms and hallways to include large skylights for maximum sunlight. They can also include various shades and panels to allow for dimming if required, in bedrooms or TV rooms, for example. Lighting for nighttime can be included, as well as spot lighting for specific uses (such as dining areas and study areas).
Having an older home that that doesn’t currently have any skylighting isn’t a problem, however. There are many solutions for existing structures that allow us to bring natural light in. They include roof skylights and panels that can be added to any type of existing roof, or light wells that can bring light down a floor below the roof. Many of our customers find that when installing skylights, they’re encouraged to remove walls and partitions and create a more open, harmonious home. The idea of letting more light in goes hand in hand with opening up your home for a more flowing, inviting space, instead of the small, dark rooms many older homes feature.
Whether you’re building a new home or looking to revitalize your older home, we can help shed some light on the subject! Contact Garner Roofing today and we’ll sit down and discuss your home skylighting project with you. Together we can find the perfect solution that incorporates skylights in the right locations to maximize the amount of natural light getting in, allowing you to enjoy the economical and well-being benefits natural lighting provides.
