VELUX skylights and Sun Tunnels bring daylight into a room through the roof, and a venting skylight brings in fresh air too. They’re for homeowners and remodelers with a dark laundry room, closet or second bath, or a sloped-ceiling room under the roof. A Sun Tunnel sits in the ceiling like a recessed light and goes in within an afternoon.
VELUX is a Danish maker of roof windows, skylights and sun tunnels, headquartered in Hørsholm, Denmark. Villum Kann Rasmussen founded it in 1941, and the name joins ‘VE’ for ventilation with the Latin ‘LUX’ for light. VELUX is part of VKR Holding A/S, which is wholly owned by the VILLUM Foundation and members of the Kann-Rasmussen family. Its primary North American skylight plant is in Greenwood, South Carolina, set up in 1978–1979.
Sun Tunnels: rigid or flexible
For a small, closed-in room with no window, the Sun Tunnel is the one to buy. A reflective tube carries sunlight from the roof down to a fixture in the ceiling, and it fits between the ceiling supports, so no framing gets cut. There’s no light shaft to frame and drywall like there is with a skylight.
Pick the tunnel by the path from roof to ceiling. The rigid tunnel is a straight channel for a clear, straight run. It’s also the brighter of the two, because every bend and every extra foot of tube costs some light. The flexible tunnel bends around rafters, ducts and wiring, so it gets daylight into a room where the straight run is blocked. The most common mistake is buying the rigid kit first and then finding a truss or duct right where the tube needs to go. Go up in the attic before buying, measure the distance from ceiling to roof and look at what sits in between.
A pivoting tunnel system lines the tube up between the roof and ceiling holes. Roof pitch, roofing material and the look you want on the roof decide the mounting type, the model and the size. The low-profile rigid tunnel keeps a flat, integrated look on a shingle or shake roof. Three add-ons go with the line: a rigid extension tube for a longer straight run, a universal electric light kit so the tunnel lights the room after dark, and a telescoping manual control rod for opening a manual venting skylight from the floor.
Roof type and flashing
On a metal roof, plan the flashing separately. VELUX does not provide flashing for metal roofs, and two of the tunnel models in the table below are for shingle roofs only. For a subdivision that bans acrylic dome tubes, VELUX makes a flat glass exterior built to meet stricter building codes and homeowners’ association rules.
Wildfire country
On a house near timber or grass where wildfire is a real risk, choose a VELUX Wildfire model, which has flat, fire-rated glass built to meet Class A burn brand standards. VELUX also offers a model with tempered diamond wire flat glass that passes the ASTM E108 Class A Burn Brand Test. Skip the plastic dome, because an ember landing on acrylic has something to burn through. The Wildfire Glass Pan-Flashed model comes with its metal pan flashing already installed and fits shingle roofs only.
Skylights and the leak question
If a room needs a view, fresh air or a bigger change than a tube can give, choose a skylight. VELUX makes deck-mounted and curb-mounted skylights, both fixed and venting. A fixed skylight with laminated glass lets in light only. Put a venting unit where the room needs air. VELUX Skylight Systems come with shades and controls already installed, so buy the shade with the skylight for a bedroom. A Sun Tunnel can’t take a shade or a vent.
The usual worry is cutting a hole in the roof that will leak. The leak point is the flashing, and VELUX builds its own flashing systems to keep the installation dry. Most leaks come from homemade step flashing and a tube of caulk. Use the VELUX flashing kit made for the unit, and seal the adhesive underlayment to the deck and up the frame before the metal goes on. Deck-mounted and curb-mounted VELUX skylights carry a 10-year installation warranty that covers a correct skylight and flashing installation, product and labor, against leaks no matter who installs it. Sun Tunnels carry 10 years on installation, materials and workmanship, covering leaks, hail and product defects.
Roof windows and other lines
For a sloped-ceiling bonus room or loft, VELUX roof windows come top-hinged, center-pivot or as roof-access windows, and every one runs by hand or by motor. Electric and solar-powered roof windows have built-in rain sensors, and the solar battery charges even in cloudy weather. VELUX also makes flat roof windows for roofs pitched 0° to 15°, the roof balcony and roof terrace, interior blinds, and exterior roller shutters and awning blinds.
VELUX lines at a glance
| Product | Where it fits | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| Rigid Sun Tunnel | Clear, straight path from roof to ceiling | 99.99% silver reflective layer, 98%+ total reflectance |
| Flexible Sun Tunnel | Rafters, ducts or wiring in the path | Channel bends around obstacles |
| TGR Sun Tunnel | Shingle or shake roofs | Low-profile look, flexible tunnel alignment |
| TMR Sun Tunnel | Standard roofing materials, long tunnel runs | Angled flashing gathers daylight through the day |
| TZR Sun Tunnel | Tile, shingle and metal roofs | Flashing sold separately |
| TZRL Sun Tunnel | Shingle roofs only | Comes with every component, including flashing |
| TZRQ Wildfire Glass Pan-Flashed | Shingle roofs only | Pre-installed metal pan flashing, flat glass exterior |
| VSE electric venting skylight | Rooms that need fresh air | Opens and closes by remote control |
| VELUX Skylight Systems | Deck- or curb-mounted | Shades and controls pre-installed |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you install a VELUX skylight or Sun Tunnel?
For a Sun Tunnel, cut the ceiling hole between the joists first, then plumb straight up to mark the roof so the tube gets the straightest run it can. The adjustable pitch adapter sets the top at the roof’s angle and catches more light. For a skylight, follow VELUX’s installation instructions exactly, because if there’s ever a concern, the installer inspects the job against those instructions.
How long does a VELUX skylight last?
On most skylights the first part to fail is the glass seal, and you’ll know it’s gone when fog shows up between the panes. VELUX covers the seal against failure for 20 years, and the Sun Tunnel’s polished aluminum inner tube holds its color over time. When the roof gets redone, replace the skylight’s flashing along with it so the old metal isn’t left under the new shingles.
What kinds of shades can you get for a VELUX skylight?
VELUX interior blinds come in roller, pleated, venetian and blackout models, plus a duo blind that has translucent and blackout fabric in one unit. Most come in manual, electric and solar-powered versions, but the duo only works by hand. If the skylight is out of reach, pick a different style.
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