What makes the sky blue? That’s a simple, two-word answer: Rayleigh scattering. What makes skylights a good investment? That’s a much more involved answer, with at least three great answers!

Added Light

Skylights, when thoughtfully planned and strategically placed, bring in natural daylight. Natural daylight boosts people’s moods. When added to hallways, living rooms, family rooms, or areas often plunged into daytime darkness, skylights and sun tunnels provide free, glorious sunlight. 

Lower Energy Bills

Free light from the sun? Sure! Even on cloudy days, skylights allow plenty of light inside your Des Moines-area home, helping you to keep the light switches off and the power bill down. 

We have all grown accustomed to turning off the lights when we leave a room, to save a few pennies here and there. With skylights, you can move throughout your home during the daytime and never turn a light on! The savings add up fast. 

The federal Energy Star program outlines energy-saving features of sun tunnels and skylights as part of a complete home energy efficiency plan. 

Increased Ventilation

Some folks remember earlier versions of skylights: fixed, cold, leaking. Since those primitive attempts, manufacturers like Velux have improved skylights, allowing them to be opened remotely, close when they sense rain, and never leak. 

An open skylight allows natural convection to send heat out of your home on hot days and usher in cooler air. The ventilation keeps your home’s air fresh and invigorating, even on sultry summer days. And all without spending a penny on cooling! Of course, closing that same skylight preserves your home’s warmed air on cool days. 

ROI

As with backyard swimming pools, skylights add value if you have a homebuyer who wants the added feature. Skylights, as lighting experts Velux note, fall into a gray area for return on investment (ROI); if you like them, and ultimately your homebuyer likes them, they provide a great ROI.

Ultimately, skylights are your personal choice, and can greatly enhance your Des Moines-area home with added light, lower electricity bills, and increased ventilation. The best contractor to handle their installation is an experienced roofer, since the project puts a hole in your home’s roof. A roofer knows best how to accomplish this task.

Connect with VanWeelden Company today to see about skylights for your Des Moines home. We can provide a full range of roofing and exterior home services, too!