The traditional skylight, basically a window set into the roof, has been around for generations. Many rooms do not get enough sunlight during the day and a skylight is a way of allowing additional sunlight to enter. However, these are costly and difficult to install, and damages and leaks are common problems. Light is also available only in the space below the skylight. Tubular Daylighting Devices (TDDs) or daylighting systems, are the new high-tech way to not just avoid the problems associated with traditional skylights but also to no longer limit wherein the home sunlight is available.

What Is a Daylighting System?

A daylighting system, to put it as briefly as possible, uses a roof-mounted dome to capture sunlight throughout the day. This light is then carried by special highly reflective tubes, through walls to even the most interior parts of the house – places where windows do not allow enough natural light to enter. Diffusers and elegant light fittings enable the light to spread across an interior space, adding to the look of the room and making it a brighter and more cheerful space.

Why Daylighting Systems Are Better

Cost: Installing a traditional skylight usually calls for a new drywall to be placed, repainting to be done at the area of installation and alterations to the framing and other structural modifications. In comparison, installing TDDs does not require any of these things which not only reduces the cost but also avoids making changes to the house’s structure. In addition to the economical cost of the TTDs, the federal tax benefits available on the product price and installation makes using TDDs a very cost-effective option.

Control Utility Bills: With TDDs, there is no need to use electric lighting during the day. The reduced power consumption will have an immediate impact on your electricity bill. The amount of electricity used during the day to light up laundry rooms, closets, bathrooms, kitchens, stairways, hallways and other interior spaces that do not receive enough sunlight is easy to underestimate. It is only when these lights are no longer used that the amount of power consumed becomes clear.

Bring Light to Almost Any Room: Unlike traditional skylights that provide light only to the area directly below them, TDDs carry the light to even the most interior parts of the home, where installing a skylight or larger window is not possible. If the home is a two-storey one, a TDD may be able to bring sunlight from the roof to the first floor, without the need for any structural change.

Light up Your Home in Just a Few Hours

To fully appreciate the many benefits that TDDs bring, all that is required is to contact a TDD dealer. As with any product, buying only the best from the leading manufacturer means being sure of the quality, price, reliability and durability of the TDD. Contact a dealer that offers a free in-home consultation so that you are fully aware of what you should install, why and what the cost and savings would be.

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