The 4 Most Common Types of VELUX Skylights

Are you looking for a way to add more natural light or fresh air into your home? If so, you’re probably thinking about investing in a skylight. 

But did you know there are different types of skylights? If you didn’t, you’re not alone. 

The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has been providing high-quality skylight installation for the residents of Nashville since 1990. We know what it takes to install your skylight properly. That’s why we’re certified by the leading skylight manufacturer to install their products. 

While there are a few good skylight brands, VELUX is the leader in the industry. Because of this, we’re only going to cover their products for this article. 

There are plenty of skylight options to choose from, but there are 4 types we see the most. By the end of this article, you'll learn about the 4 most common types of VELUX skylights to help you find which one is right for you.  

What’s the difference between a fixed and vented skylight?

All skylights add natural light to any room in your home. But did you know that some can add fresh air too? Before we continue, you need to know the difference between a fixed and vented skylight. 

A fixed skylight is sealed tight, meaning it won’t open. These skylights are just for light or looking up and out. 

A vented skylight opens to allow fresh air into your home. These skylights come in a few ways to open and close (solar, electrical, manual).

Knowing if you want fixed or vented helps narrow down your skylight options. If you don’t think you’ll ever open your skylights, fixed is the way to go. On the other hand, if you like a lot of fresh air, a vented skylight is for you. 

The 4 most common types of VELUX skylights 

Now that you know the difference between a fixed and vented skylight, you’re ready to learn the 4 most common VELUX skylights. They all offer a lot of the same things, but the differences are in the details. Continue reading to learn which VELUX skylight is right for you. 

1. Solar-powered “Fresh Air” skylight 

VELUX’s solar-powered “Fresh Air” skylight is a vented skylight that uses the sun’s power to open and close. A few things that the “Fresh Air” solar-powered skylight offers that a couple of the others on this list don’t. 

One is the acoustic rain sensor that detects anything that sounds like rain and automatically closes your skylight if you left it open. The second is the ability to open and close it from any location with your smartphone. 

The third, and most important, is that it’s eligible for the federal solar tax credit. This means you’ll get a 26% tax credit on the skylight and installation cost. It isn’t going to cover the price difference of going with solar over a regular skylight, but it absorbs a lot of the additional cost. 

This skylight does come with a 10-year No Leak warranty, but only if you use VELUX’s flashing kit during installation. 

2. Manual “Fresh Air” skylight 

VELUX’s manual “Fresh Air” skylight is a vented skylight that opens and closes by hand. But how do you open and close it by hand?

If you can reach it by hand, it opens with a turning handle. If you can’t reach it, you’ll have an operator hook to open and close it.

The manual “Fresh Air” skylight comes with an insect screen to prevent pests from getting into your home. However, if you accidentally leave it open, there’s no way to close it without physically being there. 

This skylight is eligible for the federal solar tax credit, but only if you choose solar-powered blinds. It also comes with the 10-year No Leak warranty, but only if you use VELUX’s flashing kit during installation. 

3. Fixed skylight

VELUX’s fixed skylights are sealed and won’t open, but they’re a great way to provide natural light without obstructing your roofline. You can consider these “regular” skylights because they only let in light. 

Like I stated earlier, these skylights are just for adding natural light or looking up and out. They come in versatile sizing options for better flexibility when choosing where you want your skylight. 

You’ll also have the opportunity to get the federal solar tax credit, but only if you get solar-powered blinds. Like the others, it comes with the 10-year No Leak Warranty if you use VELUX’s flashing kit. 

4. Flexible sun tunnel skylight

If you want to add some light in a room in the middle of your house, utility room or bathroom, VELUX’s flexible sun tunnel might be right for you. Your sun tunnel won’t provide as much light as a normal skylight and it won’t cost as much. 

This sun tunnel is made of an acrylic dome mounted on the base of a flexible tube that goes down through your roof. On the end of the flexible tube is a light diffuser, which looks like a mounted circle on the ceiling. 

It uses the dome to capture the light, magnify it, and then sends it down the tube into the light diffuser. A flexible sun tunnel skylight is the quickest and least expensive way to transform any room with natural light.

How much will your skylight cost?

Now you know the 4 most common types of VELUX skylights that we see regularly. All of these skylights are a great addition to any room you want to add extra

After reading this, you probably have an idea on which skylight you want. However, there's still a crucial piece of information you need: how much it'll cost. 

Not only do you need to know the price of the skylight itself, you need to know what impacts the cost. Because we want to be as informed as possible about your investment, we broke it down for you. 

The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has been installing skylights in the Nashville area since 1990. We know what it takes to ensure your skylight is leak-free for decades. If you're local to Nashville, don't hesitate to contact us to begin the journey of getting your new skylight(s) today.

Check out this article on How Much Your New VELUX Skylight Will Cost to learn everything you need to know about skylight pricing.