Solatube solution

If you've got a dark corner of your house somewhere, a place you'd like to brighten up, then I've got some experiences to share. It's all about a relatively new technology that allows light to be piped down into various areas of your house from the roof. Now available under several brand names like Solatube, Sunpipe and Tubular Skylight, all these technologies operate like a big fibre optic cable. They funnel light downwards from the roof surface and direct it to a focused location anywhere up to 15 feet below the shingles. It's a terrific retrofit concept, though many homeowners remain skeptical.

The first modern tubular skylight was called Solatube, originally developed in Australia during the 1980s and brought to North America in 1992. It's since gained a permanent place in the building and renovation trades here in Canada. I chose a 14" diameter Solatube (with supplemental internal electric lights for nighttime use) to correct a too-dark area over my kitchen sink. For years we'd put up with a dimmer-than-ideal dishwashing situation, until my father-in-law announced he wouldn't be doing dishes anymore when he came to visit because the low light made his eyes hurt.

There are three (sometimes four) parts to a complete tubular skylight job: installing the rooftop dome; connecting the reflective light tube; fitting an optional electric lighting kit; and fastening the translucent ceiling dome. Besides the hands-on tool challenge, a successful tubular skylight installation depends on clear thinking and good planning. Even if you intend to have a professional put your unit in, it pays to be in charge of the planning work ahead of time.

The first part of any successful installation depends on thought about exactly where everything should go. Or perhaps the phrase "can go" is more accurate. You've got three factors to juggle: roof top location of the clear dome to maximize lighting potential; the travel rout of the reflective tube downwards (it doesn't have to be straight down); and the location of the circular ceiling lens relative to existing light fixtures, ceiling joists and interior walls.

In my case, I started with the ceiling lens. Mine fit between exposed white pine beams, so there was no trouble arriving at a preliminary location immediately. For more typical situations involving hidden ceiling joists, use a stud sensor to steer you clear of buried frame members.

The key at this early stage is to remember that nothing has been permanently decided yet. That's why it's important not to cut the ceiling hole immediately. You might have to tweak it's final location depending on what you find as you work up. Keep your options open.

Continue work by transferring the centre of your proposed ceiling lens upwards by driving something small and metal to mark the spot you've determined into the attic or second floor above. You could use a screw that penetrates the drywall and appears in the attic underneath the insulation, or something longer, like a metal coat hanger. In my case, since the Solatube had to travel through a finished storage area before going outside, I used a long, small-diameter spade bit to transfer the mark from the ceiling up to and through the second story floor. After that it's time to take a look at the attic sheathing above.

Here you'll find restrictions on possible roof dome location because of trusses or rafters. The dome has to fit between them. Using a plumb bob, extend the centre of the ceiling lens location upwards, to determine the ideal spot for your roof dome. The sheet metal light pipe in the Solatube system is angle-adjustable to an extent, so you can tweak the pipe location from side to side as needed to find your way between roof frame members. With this basic groundwork in place, you can either begin the installation yourself or call in a tradesperson, confident that you won't be surprised by the layout or your new tunnel of light.

Would I install one again? Yes. It's introduced lots of natural light in a way that couldn't have happened with any other kind of hardware. And it also gets me out of doing the dishes now and then. A good deal all around.