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Brighten Up

Let the Sun Shine In
Sunlit rooms are invariably more beautiful, spacious and uplifting to our spirits than darker electrically light spaces. Daylight is an essential element that transforms conventional rooms into inviting spaces that add value and quality to your home and your life.

Skylights are a great way to bring the best of the outdoors into your home.  They can be installed in windowless rooms or as a supplement for darker areas.  Bathrooms are especially well suited because a skylight can provide daylight and fresh air, help to control humidity and it can do all that without compromising your privacy.

What Makes It Green?
Letting in natural light cuts down on the amount of energy you need to light your home.  Skylight sunscreening options allow you to control the amount of light and heat that you let into your house, which helps to further reduce your energy usage.

Conserving energy certainly saves you money and it can now more than ever because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).  The law extends federal income tax credits for homeowners who make energy efficiency home improvements in 2009 and 2010.  You can get an income tax credit of up to $1,500 for installing efficient new ENERGY STAR certified windows and skylights.   

Energy efficiency is not just about saving money on our utility bills - it is also about reducing global warming gas emissions and conserving the natural resources used to provide the energy.  

What You Can Do
Bring more sunshine into your home by installing skylights, roof windows and/or sun tunnels.  Here's a quick reference to help you decide which products will work best for your house:
  • Roof Windows - a good choice if emergency access is necessary. These windows operate like standard windows except they are installed on the roof instead of in a wall system. Examples of areas where these windows might work are attics, above garage bonus rooms and lofts.
  • Skylights - available in static or venting options and can be for either out of reach (automated) or in reach (manual) locations. Oftentimes skylights are a nice addition to rooms with existing windows that just need a little "brightening" up. Dens, kitchens and bonus rooms are all excellent candidates.
  • Sun Tunnels - these are great for areas where you can't use glass skylights (in small spaces like a closet, laundry room or second bath). The tunnels are flexible and can bring natural light through the attic space to the desired "target" location where skylights have to be installed directly at the location itself.
didyouknow
Residential energy efficiency is particularly important because houses consume nearly 21% of the total U.S. energy production.

handson
The Velux Sun Tunnel skylights are a fantastic product.  We have them in interior bathrooms and closets.  They bring in such a bright light; I thought they were overhead lights at first glance.  Installed in only a few hours, this is a great do-it-yourself project.  If you aren't "handy" there is a list of professional installers on their website (www.veluxusa.com).



 
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