Solar Tube Skylights
A Flexible Daylighting Option for Homeowners

"Solar tube skylights are a great way to provide
natural light to rooms that don't have windows."

Tubular Daylighting Device by Solatube
Photo: Courtesy Solatube

Also known as tubular skylights, these devices are used to light a room with natural sunlight. You may also see these devices referred to as solar pipes, or light tubes, but officially, they're known as tubular daylighting devices (TDD).

A basic TDD consists of four primary components...

Dome
Flashing
Tube
Diffuser

Sunlight enters the device through the dome. The light is channeled through a highly reflective tube to an interior room of your home. But before it enters your room, it is "scattered" through a diffuser to create a soft light effect. The flashing is between the dome and the roof to prevent water from leaking into your home.

A Tubular skylights differs from a traditional skylight in several ways...

Entering sunlight is diffused - no harsh, direct sunlight
Since the light is diffused, it provides for uniform lighting throughout the room
Low summer heat gain
Low winter heat loss
Quick and easy installation - only 2 to 4 hours needed
No view of the sky

A TDD offers homeowners looking for daylighting solutions a lot of flexibility. For rooms that don't have direct access to windows or the roof, a tubular daylight device is your best solution for bringing in natural light. Adjustable tubing and angle adapters allow the TDD to be efficiently routed to these interior rooms.

Tubular skylights are also great for smaller rooms where a traditional skylight may not be appropriate. Due to their compact size, they are an easy fit for these smaller rooms.

There are also several great options you can include with your TDD...