THE IDEA
Daylight where a rooflight will not go
A tubular daylighting system takes daylight from the roof and delivers it to a ceiling that is nowhere near the roof. A dome captures the light, a highly reflective tube carries it down through the void, and a diffuser in the ceiling spreads it into the room.
It solves the problem a rooflight cannot: a room with no direct roof above it. Internal corridors, bathrooms, stairwells, landings, deep-plan offices, storerooms — anywhere the only options were a permanently-on light fitting or a structural alteration nobody wants to pay for.
The install is also a different proposition. No structural opening in the ceiling, no beam to trim around, and on most roofs it is a day's work rather than a project.
WHEN TO REACH FOR ONE
Rooflight or Solatube?
They are not competing products. The roof geometry usually decides for you.
| The situation | What suits it |
|---|---|
| Room directly under a flat roof, opening can be cut | Rooflight |
| Room under a pitched roof with a void between | Solatube |
| Internal room with no roof directly above | Solatube, routed through the void |
| You want a view of the sky | Rooflight |
| You want light without heat gain from a large opening | Solatube |
| Ceiling cannot be structurally altered | Solatube |
| Large area needing a lot of light | Rooflight, or several Solatubes |
Not sure? Send us the room and the roof and we will tell you which is the sensible route — including when the answer is neither.
THE RANGE
Two sizes
Both work the same way. The difference is how much light arrives and how big an area it covers.
160 DS
[TBC-A38]
The smaller of the two. Suits rooms where you need to remove the need for daytime lighting rather than flood the space.
- Bathrooms, ensuites, landings
- Hallways and internal corridors
- Smaller storerooms and utility spaces
Use it when the room is modest and the run through the void is straightforward.
290 DS
[TBC-A39]
The larger tube, delivering substantially more light for a bigger floor area or a longer run.
- Kitchens, living spaces, open-plan areas
- Commercial corridors and workspaces
- Longer runs where light is lost along the tube
Use it when the room is larger, or the tube has a long or indirect route to travel.
WILL IT FIT
What decides whether it works
Almost every disappointing installation traces back to something in the void that nobody measured.
Five things to check
- 1 The vertical distance from the underside of the roof deck to the finished ceiling. That is the tube run.
- 2 What is in the way. Purlins, joists, ducting, cabling, water tanks. Every bend costs light.
- 3 The roof pitch, or confirmation that it is flat. The flashing differs.
- 4 The roof covering — tile, slate, metal or a flat membrane. Again, the flashing.
- 5 Where in the ceiling you want the light to land, and whether the run can reach it without a dogleg.
FITTING IT
What installation involves
The dome and flashing go in on the roof, dressed into the covering in the same way as any roof penetration. The tube assembles down through the void to the ceiling line. The diffuser fits into a cut opening in the ceiling — a hole, not a structural alteration.
It is a competent-installer job rather than a specialist one, but the roof detail is the part that matters: a tubular system is a penetration through the weather envelope and is only as watertight as the flashing around it. Installation instructions and the flashing options for each roof type are on each product page under Installation and Downloads.
We supply. Your roofing contractor installs, working to the manufacturer's instructions.
QUESTIONS
Common questions
How much light does it actually give?
Enough that most rooms no longer need the light on during daylight hours. It varies with the size of the unit, the length and directness of the tube, and the weather — output tracks the sky, so a bright overcast day gives a lot and dusk gives very little. It is daylight, not a lamp.
Does it work on a flat roof?
Yes. The flashing differs between flat and pitched, and between roof coverings, so tell us the covering when you enquire and the right flashing goes on the order.
How long can the tube be?
[TBC-A41]
Will it leak?
Not if the flashing is right for the roof covering and it is installed to the instructions. The flashing is the whole of the watertightness, which is why the roof covering matters more than any other question we ask.
Will it make the room hot?
Far less than an equivalent area of glazing, because the opening in the roof is small relative to the light delivered. It is one of the reasons a tubular system suits rooms where a rooflight would overheat.
Can I fit one in a room with no roof above it at all?
Sometimes — it depends whether the tube can reach from a point on the roof that does have access, without so many bends that the light is lost on the way. Send us the layout and the void and we will tell you whether it is worth doing.
Send us the room and the roof.
The ceiling-to-roof measurement, the roof covering and a photograph inside the void are usually enough to tell you which unit fits and whether it will do what you want.
Solatube is a trade mark of its respective owner. Technical data published on this site is as declared by the manufacturer; where it differs from current manufacturer documentation, that documentation governs.