Tubular Skylights for Dark Hallways and Closets in Arizona

Some rooms in an Arizona home are dark for a simple reason: they are too far from an exterior wall for a useful window. Hallways and walk in closets are common examples.

A tubular skylight offers another way to bring daylight into these interior areas. Instead of opening a large section of the roof and ceiling, the system captures sunlight at the roof, carries it through reflective tubing and spreads it through a diffuser in the ceiling below. Elite Solar Systems manufactures tubular skylights for residential and commercial applications from its Chandler facility.

Why Hallways Are Good Candidates for Tubular Daylighting

Hallways are often surrounded by bedrooms, bathrooms, closets or other rooms with exterior walls. That makes a conventional window impractical. A tubular skylight can bring daylight from the roof into the center of the home without requiring the hallway itself to touch an outside wall.

The United States Department of Energy identifies tubular daylighting as one way to provide more daylight to spaces with little natural light. Solatube also specifically markets tubular skylights for hallways and other interior areas where windows are limited.

During daylight hours, a normally dim passage can become easier to use without relying on electric lighting every time someone walks through it.

Walk In Closets Benefit From Better Color Visibility

Closets present a different problem. Artificial lighting can make similar colors harder to distinguish, particularly when the fixture is small or poorly positioned.

Natural daylight gives the space a more familiar view of clothing and finishes. Solatube specifically highlights closets as an application for tubular daylighting because natural light can improve color visibility in a compact interior space.

A tubular unit also uses ceiling space rather than valuable wall space.

A Tubular Skylight Is Different From a Traditional Skylight

A conventional skylight creates a glazed opening directly through the roof and ceiling. A tubular skylight uses a smaller rooftop collector connected to reflective tubing. Elite explains that its clear dome captures sunlight and redirects it through reflective tubing to the room below.

That design gives installers more flexibility when the room is not directly beneath the ideal roof location. The tubing still needs a practical route through the attic, so roof framing, ductwork, electrical components and other obstructions have to be considered before installation.

Elite manufactures residential tubular skylights in several sizes and offers diffusers and lighting options for different applications.

Arizona Heat Makes Product Design Important

Natural light is welcome in Arizona, but unwanted heat is not. Elite states that its tubular skylights are designed to deliver daylight without the uncomfortable heat and harmful ultraviolet exposure associated with direct sunlight entering the space.

The finished result also depends on correct sizing and placement. A small closet and a long central hallway do not necessarily need the same unit or installation plan.

Look at the Roof and the Room Together

Before choosing a location, consider both ends of the system. Inside, decide where daylight would be most useful. Above, make sure there is a workable route between the roof and ceiling.

Roof type also matters. Elite says its tubular skylights are designed for different roof types and provides installation guides and technical resources for contractors and homeowners researching the system.

That planning is worth doing before any openings are made. A well placed tubular skylight should feel like part of the home rather than an afterthought.

Bring Natural Daylight Into Dark Interior Spaces

Elite Solar Systems has manufactured tubular skylights and solar powered fans in Chandler, Arizona since 2001 and backs its tubular skylights with a 25 year warranty. If a dark hallway, walk in closet, bathroom or other interior space could benefit from natural daylight, call Elite Solar Systems at 866 772 5418 for product information and a free estimate. The team can help you choose the right tubular skylight for the space and explain installation options for homes throughout the Phoenix area.