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Natural Kitchen Lighting

I am so impressed with my new natural kitchen lighting I just had to write a post and tell you all about it!

I have a fairly large kitchen with a connecting dining room.  My kitchen has no windows but the connecting dining room has 3 small windows.  My ceilings are also 10 feet tall.  I have 4 fluorescent lights.  I’ve tried almost every different bulb option to give me the most light from fluorescent lights to LED lights without a significant lighting difference.

My Dad, who is a home improvement DIY guru, suggested I look into the Sun Tubes.  Better known as Sun Tunnels.  I insisted on natural lighting.  Not only to save on electricity but I really like natural lights.  I had two options.  I could install a custom made skylight or look into the Sun Tunnels.

After a bit of research with a trip to our local hardware stores it was quit apparent immediately the Sun Tunnel option was an inexpensive option that gave the outcome I wanted.  I learned all about the Velux Sun Tunnels.  Velux makes a 10 inch and 14 inch Sun Tunnel.  I decided on a 14 inch since my kitchen is big. It was priced just under $300.

One of my first questions before purchasing this item was about durability.  I live in Texas and we have tons of hail storms.  I didn’t want a flimsy piece of plastic covering that sun tube because I would be replacing it after every storm.  I was glad to learn it’s made of a high impact material and our local hardware store representative told me he never has issues with customers complaining about a break.

I also inquired about how I would go about hiring someone to install it for me.  I didn’t want to mess with my roof or the possibility of a future leak so I decided to call in the experts.  I was told hiring a roofing contractor was my best option.  It appears this job was easy enough to attempt as a do it yourself project with a suggestion 2 to 4 hour installation process.

After asking multiple friends, it turns out I am friends with a roofing contractor.  Thank goodness!  Someone I can trust!  This Sun Tunnel installation labor fees can cost an average of $300.  I put this information in here to save you some trouble of finding a standard install price.  Of course this depends on your roof pitch and attic, and it also depends on whether or not you want lights installed with it.  I choose only to have the Sun Tunnel installed with no other extra options.

Velux also makes a neat magnetic cover if you want to turn the natural light off.  It’s called a Black Out Shade.  I have not had the need for this and don’t plan on buying one.  However, if you install this in a living room or bedroom and want the lights off, I can see where this would come in handy.

There is a Velux Sun Tunnel light kit too.  This means you could use this Velux Sun Tunnel as a light source even at night.  I don’t have a need for this but thought you should know it’s an option.  It’s priced at just under $50 too.  If you opted for this to be installed, it would make your installation process go up because now you would need to hire an electrician to hard wire the Sun Tube for lights.

I took before and after photos but they really don’t capture the true feel of light in my house so I decided to give you a little YouTube clip to help.

 

Here’s an after photo to show you just how much light the Velux Sun Tunnel really puts off.  It’s brighter than the 5 other lights I have installed in my kitchen.  I love it!

I may have a few more installed too.  I’m thinking I have a huge walk-in closet that could use some light and maybe even my formal living area too right above my piano.