Anybody used their products? They seem like a great way to introduce natural light in a dark part of your home, while saving on lighting.
They have a showroom in Vista we may go take a look.DENNIS - 9-21-2008 at 10:50 AM
They work well, same as Solartube. I think there are brands on the market that don't have these big names and will save you lots of money. I priced
Solartubes and thought they were really expensive.
Anyway, they bring in a lot of light.
Come to think of it....Unless you have a good distance between your ceiling and the roof, a simple skylite, boxed in between ceiling and roof will
do the same thing, maybe better given the larger area of the top panel.
[Edited on 9-21-2008 by DENNIS]astrobaja - 9-21-2008 at 11:08 AM
AH ok Solatube was the company that had a showroom in Vista
I doubt that you will have this problem where you are building and, in all honesty, I didnt look at the entire sunpipe site BUT light is not
necessarily your friend here in Baja. I would not have a sun/sky light in my house. I try to make it as dark as possible in the summer.woody with a view - 9-21-2008 at 11:41 AM
i've installed over 500 of these (Solartube brand) on composition shingle roofs on new construction houses. existing houses is more of a biatch! if
you're installing new (during framing) send me a U2U. our method we figured out wasn't even considered by Solartube when we called for advice.Barry A. - 9-21-2008 at 11:41 AM
As a "light" lover, I have 5 solatubes in my house-----fantastic!!!!!!! (1-14 inch, and 4-10 inchers)
solatubes transfer no heat into your house, but skylights sometimes do------especially the bigger ones.
I LOVE my solatubes, and in Redding, CA you KNOW it is hot (often 110 degrees in summer). Lots of light, and no heat transfer------what's not to
love????
Barryvandenberg - 9-21-2008 at 11:51 AM
Have several friends in the Sacramento area who have them installed.
A frequent complaint of older homes that have additions or covered patios built, is the loss of light in the existing building. These solatubes
eliminate having to have artificial light on all day.
And Judy,
You somehow associate darkness with coolness
Only works for root cellars.bajajudy - 9-21-2008 at 12:26 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by vandenberg
And Judy,
You somehow associate darkness with coolness
Only works for root cellars.
Actually I associate sunlight with heat.
My mini-splits recommend having your shades down for minimum energy use.Johannes - 9-21-2008 at 12:28 PM
put a solar tube in10 years ago. No cold spot in winter nor hotspot n summer, just ight where the crridor was really dark. It's great, go for itDENNIS - 9-21-2008 at 12:29 PM
That's why I built a covered deck all around my house. The sun never hits a window. Makes a huge difference. With doors and windows open all day
this summer, the heat never rose above 74 degrees inside.woody with a view - 9-21-2008 at 12:40 PM
but isn't there a 20 degree difference between cabo/pta banda anyway? i'd imagine it doesn't get very warm in PB anyway, comparatively. keeping direct
sunlight outta the windows is the key...
[Edited on 9-21-2008 by woody in ob]DENNIS - 9-21-2008 at 12:52 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by woody in ob
but isn't there a 20 degree difference between cabo/pta banda anyway? i'd imagine it doesn't get very warm in PB anyway, comparatively. keeping direct
sunlight outta the windows is the key...
Yes. You're right, big difference but, I compare it to a rental I had, 500 feet away from my new place. While it was 74 in the new house it was
between 85 to 90 in the rental because of the sun factor and poor air circulation. Hotter inside than out.vandenberg - 9-21-2008 at 01:41 PM
Quote:
I compare it to a rental I had, 500 feet away from my new place. While it was 74 in the new house it was between 85 to 90 in the rental because of
the sun factor and poor air circulation. Hotter inside than out.
74 degrees
If it gets to 74 here, the workers wear insulated boots and parkas
I too, have a veranda all the way around the living quarters with all double glazed windows. But if the outside temp is in the 90's, dificult to keep
the inside below 80, with all the doors and windows open.
A/C is the only answer, with an electric bill to go with it.DENNIS - 9-21-2008 at 02:01 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by vandenberg
74 degrees
Remember...I live on the Pacifico side.DanO - 9-21-2008 at 02:03 PM
I have a couple of solartubes, in bathrooms. Wish I had installed more when the house was built.
One thing to watch out for with larger standard skylights is that some, like the plastic dome type, are pretty easy to break into.Barry A. - 9-21-2008 at 03:24 PM
I had my 5 solatubes installed in an old house (peaked roof, with asphalt shingles), by a "professional"-----took him about 4 hours, and cost about
$160 total each ($800 total) including original cost and installation. That was about 4 years ago, and no problems.
It was worth every penny.
BarryMartyman - 9-22-2008 at 08:23 AM
What is the knock off brand of Solatube? They seem expensive to me.woody with a view - 9-22-2008 at 08:28 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Martyman
What is the knock off brand of Solatube? They seem expensive to me.
everything is expensive these days.astrobaja - 9-30-2008 at 09:23 AM
We picked up a couple 10" solatubes in Vista. I'll post some pics when we get them in in a couple weeks!
