A tubular skylight is a great choice for bringing natural light into a home simply and affordably. With this relatively inexpensive type of skylight, a roof-mounted dome collects natural light and delivers it to the room below through a tubular shaft that has a highly reflective interior coating.

This type of skylight is far less expensive to install than a conventional skylight because, in most cases, its shaft and other key components are designed to fit between conventional roof and ceiling framing members, eliminating the need for structural modifications.

Thanks to the highly reflective coating inside the shaft, the tube can be bent and adjusted to rout around attic or roof obstructions with little loss of light transmission. The coating also allows the unit to work efficiently from sunup to sundown.

Another bonus of choosing tubular skylights is that they deliver far less heat, as do many standard skylights. Because of this lack of heat gain, tubular skylights save money on air conditioning bills during the hot months.

To prevent harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from fading carpets and furniture, UV inhibitors are molded into the rooftop dome on most models.

Tubular skylights can often be installed in under three hours. Most major tubular skylight manufacturers, including Solatube and Sun-Dome, offer 10-year warranties against material defects and post-installation cracking or discoloration. Tubular skylight installation contractors generally offer a two- to three-year installation warranty to cover weatherproofing and storm protection.