Sun tunnel or roof window?

Southern Comfort

I probably know the answer but I want to tease it out with you here anyway.

My landing is quite dark. My choice (apart from a LED) is a sun tunnel or a roof window. There wouldn't be a huge price difference between the two. I would be able to use a rigid tunnel which would give more light than a flexi one. If I went for a roof window I'd have to have a 4 sided tunnel of insulated plasterboard which would then have to be plastered and painted. And the ceiling is high over the stairs. All this would add quite a bit to the cost. Installing the sun tunnel would be much quicker and cheaper but........

There's a big difference in U value. A roof window would be about 1.2 but the sun tunnel would be 1.8 at best.

Would insulating the tube of a sun tunnel improve the U value? Velux have a kit the goes on at ceiling level that lowers the U value of the ceiling glass unit.

I'm interested in hearing your opinions, especially if you've had a similar dilemma. And feel free to suggest that I should just put a LED there.

Thanks in advance.

Gumbo

Roof window if possible.
You can also buy the opening pole for €25 which means you can open it to vent the house if required.

Southern Comfort

kceire wrote: »

Roof window if possible.
You can also buy the opening pole for €25 which means you can open it to vent the house if required.

Thanks Kceire. I have a pole like that for the Fakro windows in my kitchen.

I know deep down (or maybe not so deep) that the roof window is a better option but I think I'm hoping that someone will tell me that they installed a sun tunnel and were able to reduce the U value of it........😉

Metric Tensor

If I was you in this case I wouldn't worry about the u-value too much. Compared to everything else that's in your house this one window isn't going to make or break you.

I think you should concern yourself more about the type, quality and amount of light you will get from each option. With that in mind I think the roof window is a better option.

Calahonda52

Let's run some math here.
8,760 hours in a year
elec is 20 cents/kWh
lets take a 10 watt LED

Even if it on all the time, that's about 17.82 euro a year.

The work will cost maybe euro 1,000 so 60 years for payback.

When the work is being done the existing insulation will be disturbed and not put back right and you will need to find a new place for the Xmas decos..:D

Crucially, the daylight options you suggest only work during the day..

Happy Xmas

Rhinohippo

Metric Tensor wrote: »

If I was you in this case I wouldn't worry about the u-value too much. Compared to everything else that's in your house this one window isn't going to make or break you.

I think you should concern yourself more about the type, quality and amount of light you will get from each option. With that in mind I think the roof window is a better option.

I would definitely go for the roof window. At the end of the day, you'll get better, natural light that way.

Southern Comfort

Calahonda52 wrote: »

Let's run some math here.
8,760 hours in a year
elec is 20 cents/kWh
lets take a 10 watt LED

Even if it on all the time, that's about 17.82 euro a year.

The work will cost maybe euro 1,000 so 60 years for payback.

When the work is being done the existing insulation will be disturbed and not put back right and you will need to find a new place for the Xmas decos..:D

Crucially, the daylight options you suggest only work during the day..

Happy Xmas

Thanks for all that, Calahonda.

Waiting till I'm 105 for payback wouldn't really bother me too much but I came out with my hands up when you mentioned the decorations! 🏳 😱 😂

Decision made, I think....... 😉 👍

Rhinohippo

Factoring in the natural light, sunlight and the advantages of that, as opposed to LED lighting etc., there's no price you can put on that. It's roof windows for me, regardless of the time it would theoretically take to pay back.

Calahonda52

Rhinohippo wrote: »

Factoring in the natural light, sunlight and the advantages of that, as opposed to LED lighting etc., there's no price you can put on that. It's roof windows for me, regardless of the time it would theoretically take to pay back.

Indeed if it ever gets sunlight down there.
[Sunscreen: Check. Bikini: check. Chick lit: check. Piña Colada: check]:D

Might be north facing with a chimney stack outside it:)

If thats an issue then go with SAD lighting.

Yes I agree with issues around natural lighting but the OP needs to do bit more exploring before she ends up with something that is actually a disappointment.