Many homeowners have found that major remodeling and home improvements have had to be put on hold these days. But that shouldn’t discourage homeowners from tackling smaller, less expensive home improvement projects. In fact, there are some small changes that can be made which can even save homeowners money in the long run.
An Alternative to Windows
There are many costs associated with replacing windows or in adding more windows to the kitchen. Some of the obstacles that stand in the way of increasing kitchen sunlight with windows are:
If you are hoping to improve on the small space in your kitchen or to increase the natural lighting in a shady room, then skylights are an alternative that is becoming increasingly popular. Appropriately positioned skylights can allow natural daylight into the home without taking up valuable storage space or disrupting the flow of traffic through the room. And this can be done without creating a situation where one homeowner is looking straight into another homeowner’s kitchen!
Benefits of Kitchen Skylights
Some of the benefits of skylights in the kitchen have just been touched on. There are some significant reasons to consider skylights. A well-positioned skylight can create an open, airy feeling in a small space. The extra light that is allowed in contributes to the feeling of opening up a small area. The skylight adds an architectural feature to the kitchen as well and it does this without taking up too much space when space is at a premium. Skylights, when positioned appropriately, can improve the warmth of the home by drawing on the sun as a natural heat source. If the skylights are operable, then the homeowner may be able to use the ventilation of the skylights to draw smells, moisture and heat out of the kitchen or to take advantage of a breeze on a warm day.
Costs of Kitchen Skylight Installation
The costs of installation a kitchen skylight can really vary. For homeowners who are looking to keep their costs to a minimum, there are often aftermarket skylights available. Sun tunnels may also be used when space is especially tight and to decrease the costs of installation. Non-venting skylights cost about half of what a venting skylight can cost, but homeowners should remember the benefits of the added ventilation when they consider the long-term return.
The initial costs of the kitchen skylight may also be increased by adding a selection of different blinds to the skylight. Some typical skylight blinds include:
The cost for the installation of blinds should be compared to the financial savings that the blinds will provide when the heat or light of the sun isn’t desired.
Hopefully, this brief overview of kitchen skylights has provided some food for thought for homeowners who can’t commit to making sweeping home improvements, but would still like to make updates to their home. By considering skylights as an alternative to new windows, the many benefits provided by skylights, and the comparison of cost to investment return, the homeowner may find that adding skylights is a great way to improve the value of the home.