Originally Posted by
AZ Jane
LOL, I was going to google what a solar tube was!! Some new fangled do-dad!! LOL A sky light I understand. Am I getting old????
Yes & no. It is a circle shaped skylight, but typically skylights are installed in a narrow space between the ceiling & roof or sometimes with a straight "chase" running in a straight line from roof to top floor ceiling. Solar tubes can be installed up on the roof (circle shaped prismatic "skylight") and then a reflective tube is run down through the attic to the ceiling of virtually any room in the house.
Skylights serve as a beautiful decorative feature to a home, but solar tubes typically provide about the same amount of light & offer much more flexibility in placement. I have seen them run down to a kitchen on the 1st floor of a 2-story house and it's bright enough to do intricate knife work. A skylight could not be installed in that location (with a finished floor above the space).