Our 1912 Toronto Victorian semi had a dark kitchen — the rear of the house faces north and the only window is a small one above the sink. We added skylights to transform the space. We tried both tubular and conventional and have strong opinions now.
The situation: Kitchen is on the main floor, with a finished bedroom above it. The skylight had to go through two floors — first floor ceiling, bedroom floor, and then the roof. This created a “light well” situation.
Tubular skylight (installed first): We installed a Velux 14-inch Sun Tunnel through the above-bedroom floor and into the kitchen below. The tube runs 8.5 feet through the bedroom floor space and a short attic section. Cost installed: $1,380.
Results of the tubular: Honest assessment — it adds light but not dramatically. In summer it is pleasant. In December it is almost imperceptible. The 14-inch tube transmitting through 8.5 feet of light well loses a lot of flux. If we were doing it again, we would size up to 21 inches. That said, it has never leaked (2 full winters now), which matters.
Conventional skylight (installed 6 months later): We added a Velux VS 22x46 inch deck-mount skylight in the kitchen ceiling directly below a section of roof with no bedroom above. This required cutting through the kitchen ceiling and a short rafter-to-rafter light well (18 inches). The flashing kit was mandatory — $340 just for the Velux flashing kit. Contractor refused to install without it.
Cost: $2,800 installed with proper Velux EDW step flashing kit.
Results of the conventional: Transforms the kitchen. The difference between the two skylights in the same room is striking. The conventional skylight provides 10x more light than the 14-inch tubular. It has not leaked (1.5 years, one winter with ice and heavy snowmelt).
Lesson: For a kitchen, conventional skylight is the right call. Tubular is best for spaces where you literally cannot put a conventional (closets, hallways with multiple floors above).