13 years ago

Skylights and skylight orientation in master bedroom?

I'm remodeling my master bedroom and bathroom and am considering adding two skylights in my master bedroom. The room is currently very dark but it will get more light when I add new windows and increase the size of my sliding glass door. However, I'm still considering adding two skylights. My designer doesn't prefer skylights in master bedrooms because she likes a dark place to sleep. An architect I spoke to was in favor of skylights.

Also if I go ahead with skylights I'm also trying to decide where to place them. The options are on a northeast facing slope or a southwest facing slope. I figure with automatic shades I can deal with the strong sun in the summer months with a southwest face. Then in the winter the southwest skylights would provide more sun and heat. The downside to placing them on the soutwest face is the space is limited and they would add light to the wall where I plan to place a TV. Again I think the shades can address the problem but I'm looking for input. Also one architect said skylights need 12 inches on each side for roof flashing so space may be an issue on the southwest side.

My house is located 30 miles east of San Francisco and requires heating about 7 months of the year and cooling about 15 days total each year. But it does get in to the 90's in the summer.

Attached are two mock-up pictures I produced using Velux's skylight modeling tool. It assumes a July day at 2 pm.

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PRO

InteriorsbyDesign

13 years ago

Hello,
I agree with your Designer. A bedroom should be as darkmas possible for a good night's sleep. You have to be careful with skylight placement, as you can have unwanted intense sun during the day, and moonlight shining into the room at night. You may even have it keeping you up at night.
Blinds in the skylights are an option. The most practical and best solution are the motorized ones, however, these are pricey. If you are enlarging the patio door, and adding windows, this should be enough light in your sunny California area. I think the skylights in a bedroom may be a bad idea, in my opinion. I have found more often, that architects are not always experts in design.

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Comments (16)

mowens
Original Author
13 years ago
Denise Vilim
13 years ago
Gorgeous bedroom! Love that huge picture window!
I have been looking into skylights lately as well. I'm not clear on which of your slopes is northeast or southwest oriented, however, I think if I were you I would install 3 skylights, as opposed to 2, on the longer of the slopes. Odd numbers are more visually appealing in most cases, particularly in a situation like this where the ceiling appears vast in comparison to the smaller sized skylights. I would also, pending budget concerns, install longer ones (double the length of the ones pictured), centered and set about a foot or two back from the ones in the photo. Does that make sense? I realize if you are planning on hanging a TV on the large wall, light will be directed right at the screen, so maybe you could use the shades like you mentioned?
That's just what I would do. Best of luck with it! Would love to see an after photo once you've completed your bedroom.
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Denise Vilim
13 years ago
Oh, also...
I mentioned centering the 3 skylights meaning one in the center and the other 2 centered at the remaining distance between the center skylight and ceiling egde. Hope this helps!
PRO
InteriorsbyDesign
13 years ago
Kim Uccellini
13 years ago
I would add mirrors around the room to reflect the natural light that you will get from the windows. I would especially place a large one opposite of the large sliding glass doors. You also might think about mirrored furniture as an alternative and different way to reflect light around the room.
PRO
Kathryn Peltier Design
13 years ago
If you are not worried about the room being too light at night, then go for the skylights - I love them. If you have a streetlight or any other kind of light outdoors that might come in, that would be a consideration for location. Other than that, check into the cost of blinds before you decide - it will up the cost considerably.

I think that the skylights look awfully cramped on the short ceiling - I assume that this is the SW exposure? You will receive even light all day long from the northern exposure - that is where I would put the skylights. I would do two, 2'x4' approximately, one on either side of the bed, more or less. In this location, the incoming light will probably not interfere with the TV and you probably would not need shades, unless you want them covered at night. I personally like being able to look up at the sky at night! Good luck with your decision.
PRO
User
13 years ago
I would probably just do a better lighting system. Another option for more natural light would be Solatube. They can be closed with a switch & can also have a light in them. http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110402062102AAM1FNa.
http://www.solatube.com/residential/product-catalog/brighten-up-series/index.php
Lois Bready
13 years ago
forget the skylights, and go with a large mirror on the wall or propped - much less expensive, no problem with sleep during the day (your needs could change), and no leaks (yes, they can and do)
PRO
Daylight Concepts, LLC
10 years ago
I really like my Solatube with the Aurora glo ceiling fixture in the master bathroom...It's natural light during the day to energize and moonlight at night, perfect to take a relaxing bath
PRO
Hudson Street Design
10 years ago
Love the room. You have options for your skylights to darken the room when you want it. Hunter Douglas has shades that will close or open by remote.
Solatubes are great for bathroom but know that you will need a diffuser or the light from the tube will be constant.
PRO
Daylight Concepts, LLC
10 years ago
Thank you, I appreciate your comment. Solatube has an optional dimmer with a dimmer switch in the wall that allows you to control the amount of light you want at any moment. This is a great option for bedrooms, gamerooms or family rooms.
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
10 years ago
Because cooling is going to be the issue more than heating, you may want to find out what type of extra costs will have to be factored into the extra heat/sunlight will bring in. This will usually mean an increase in cooling costs. To prevent this, you will need heavy duty blinds - which means you may just be back at square one - a room without a sky light. Just something to think about. A window is also considered an entrance point for excess noise (I've just helped a woman in N. California discover that her windows are the point of entry for street noise...she decided that moving was cheaper than renovating...and she was right) and will reduce the efficiency of thermal insulation on any wall/ceiling section that it inhabits. That means the more windows you have the more it will cost to cool your space - simply because of heat/cooling loss through the break in the wall. And it doens't take into consideration the extra sunlight beaming in and heating the surround walls/floors/bedding/etc.

I have some training in sleep and sleep disorders and "light" is the single largest trigger that can force the body to wake up. In the city-scape, outdoor lighting is now being classified as "light polution". Depending on the position of street lamps/neighbors and "motion censors" you might just find the wholes in your ceiling to be a bit of a nuisance.

I've seen people "give" themselves/their children poor sleep with sky lights. The solution - big black-out blinds custom made.

In essence, sky lights are a beautiful way to increase natural (and artificial) lighing into a space...but it also has some serious detractions when it comes to a space used for sleeping. All sleep experts will tell you the best sleep comes from a dark box. A sky light is not something they would ever endorse...UCLA has an amazing sleep centre. They might be more helpful with the sleep concerns.

JMHO
PRO
Daylight Concepts, LLC
10 years ago
Thank you for bringing the heat matter to this discussion. There is NO heat transfer with Solatube. Also it blocks harmful UV rays. Solatube is Energy Star Rated. That is the beauty of it! And that is why Solatube Daylighting Systems are not considered skylights even a lot of people still calls them that. Natural light in the bedrooms is a plus to keep the body natural pattern of waking/sleeping, but if you like to sleep in, you always have the Solatube dimmer option.
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
10 years ago
Daylight Concepts - that is SOOO COOL! Colour me impressed!
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Daylight Concepts, LLC
10 years ago
Ha,ha,ha. Thanks! I like your floors, are they really all made out of cork? SOOO beautiful and environmentally friendly. Just like Solatube.

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Comments (16)

mowens
Original Author

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mowens
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