Are skylights a good idea?
Short answer. Skylights are a good idea when you need daylight in a room that windows cannot reach, such as a hallway, bathroom, kitchen or stairwell, and when they are installed as modern units with factory flashing kits and low-E glass. Venting skylights also let hot, humid air escape from bathrooms and upper floors, which helps in Georgia summers.
Where skylights earn their keep
- Dark interior rooms. A skylight delivers far more light than a wall window of the same size because it faces the open sky.
- Bathrooms. A venting skylight clears steam and gives privacy a wall window cannot.
- Kitchens and stairwells. Daylight where you need it, cutting daytime lighting use.
- Upper floors. Venting units let rising heat escape on mild days.
What makes one worth it
- Orientation. North light is soft and even with little heat gain. East gives pleasant morning light. South and west need low-E glass and a blind in Georgia.
- Glass. Look for low-E coated, laminated glass and an ENERGY STAR rating for your climate zone.
- Flashing kit. Use the manufacturer's step flashing kit for your roof type rather than site-bent metal and caulk.
- Type. Fixed units for light, venting units for airflow (manual, electric or solar), and tubular daylighting devices for small spaces at lower cost.
- Timing. The best time to add or replace a skylight is during a roof replacement, when the shingles are already off.
A quick decision test
If the room is used during the day, lacks a good window, and the roof above faces north or east, a skylight is likely a good idea. If the room already runs hot or the roof faces hard west sun, plan on shading or choose a tubular unit. See replacing a skylight with the roof and attic heat and shingles.