WWQP Bulletin Board

Thursday, March 6, 2008

oops, wrong board

I posted more about the Solar tube on the other board.
Sara in Fla.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

SOLAR TUBE VS. SKY LIGHT

I'll respond to the comment for everyone's benefit. A sky light is nice but it's just a hole in the roof which from the roof to the ceiling is walled and painted to match the ceiling or at least it is wall board which is painted possibly lighter than the ceiling. A solar tube is a hole in the roof which has a lens curved outward toward the sky designed to gather as much light as possible and the tube from there to the ceiling is lined with a super highly polished metal which makes the light intensify as it passes down the tube reflected back and forth and around the tube. There is a diffuser at the ceiling level. There is much more pure white natural light coming in a cone shape into the room. The sky light is bright and cheery but has far less light energy entering the room. The mat finish and any pigment in the paint on the lining of the sky light absorbs a lot of the light energy. Neither of them is much help when there is snow on the roof or it's just plain very cloudy. On days like that you really appreciate how wonderful the tubes are in fair weather. Since it's natural full spectrum light there is no color distortion with your fabrics either. I have several of them including one in a small bathroom that has no window. Poeple keep trying to turn the light out in there.

Jane

I can see the light

Today I had the solar tube installed in the quilt room. Oh, my! What a difference it makes. I wish I'd done it 5 years ago.
Now all I have to do is re-do everything I moved for the worker to get into the room. At least I have a comfortable chair in there now so I can sit and do a quilt binding or some such.
Another chamber of commerce day today.
I will be complaining about the heat in August, so those of you in Canada can tell me how wonderful it is then.
Sara in Florida