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jkatx

Skylight over bathroom vanity?

j k
hace 5 años
We are redoing our master bath, and while the original plan was to do a centered 2’x4’ skylight in the middle of the room, the roof in that area has some unusual valleys, and ultimately the skylight expert has recommended we do a 2’x2’ skylight directly over the vanity unless we want some engineering challenges - an expense and complication I don’t want to deal with.

Currently the only window in the entire room is small and in the bathroom water closet, so I’m desperate for natural light. The space for the vanity is also very large - about 92” wide with two sinks. My original plan was to do side sconces as well as sconces over the mirror (or two mirrors, still debating that and the skylight may impact that decision).

Would a skylight centered over the vanity cause any odd lighting issues? Like super weird shadows, unflattering light for makeup, etc? Any other considerations with that location? The skylight guy has assured me that even in that location and at the smaller size, it will flood the room with natural light. And while I’ve seen a couple inspiration pictures with this location, most are centered in the room like I had planned, or above the shower/tub which is also not an option.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Respuesta destacada
  • loobab
    hace 5 años
    Última modificación: hace 5 años

    People I know with solatubes love them!

    Big skylights are like windows that you have to keep clean.

    You know that old funny saying/joke "I don't do windows?"

    Try getting someone to go up on your roof to clean the leaves off your skylight and wash it.

    Oh, and that's not even mentioning the possible problems many skylights have with leaks around their flashing.

    Downlighting over a mirror casts unattractive shadows.

    Although not as bad as the shadows from uplighting.

    Try turning off the lights and hold a flashlight under your chin and looking in a mirror.

    That's the creepy stuff campfire ghost stories are made of.

    Lighting on the sides of the mirror are best.

    At the risk of sounding the 100 years old that I am, there may soon come the time that you really don't want to be standing up and leaning over the sink to put on your war paint.

    Either you won't want to stand that long, or lean over for that long, or you won't be able to see that far. Any or all of the above.

    So if you are going to remodel, try to see if you can find a place to sit down to tart yourself up.

    When you are older, if you have to contort yourself into a pretzel and squint until you've added another wrinkle, you might just convince yourself to be the natural woman Carole King sang about, even though you have the sneaking suspicion that might have nothing to do with Estee Lauder.

    Comentarios (46)

    • mrswaves
      hace 5 años
      Following! We are building currently and putting a skylight in the master bathroom
    • PRO
      Bourke Construction Inc.
      hace 5 años

      Use a solar tube

    • Emilie W
      hace 5 años
      Love the solar tube in our small master bath! We don’t have to turn the light on during the daytime. We don’t have it over the mirror, though. It’s off toward the other side of the room (for various reasons based on the structural restrictions and placement of the van lights). But the whole room is lit up
    • j k
      Autor original
      hace 5 años
      I considered a Solatube, but there is something about actually seeing the outdoors that is appealing to me. On the other hand, I’ve also never seen a Solatube in real life, and all the pictures I’ve seen just look like bright light fixtures to me. Maybe I’m missing something?
    • annvw
      hace 5 años

      We have a skylight in large powder room, that has no windows. This room is painted with a dark color, and I believe this is the brightest room in the house. I love it, go for the skylight you won't be sorry.

      Our skylight is in front of vanity, no issues with shadows and provides perfect natural light to apply makeup.

    • Cheryl Smith
      hace 5 años
      The house we just bought has a solar tube in the master bath. When the realtor went to turn all the lights off said she hadn't been able to find the switch for that light. It really does just look like a fixture. I totally love it since there are no windows in the room. It is amazing. I still think I need to turn a light out when I leave. It is in the center of the bath not above the vanity.
    • User
      hace 5 años

      A Solatube or Sun Tunnel (Velux) can be offset so the light is where you want it.

      How deep will the skylight shaft be? (i.e. how high is the roof above the ceiling?)

      The advantage of a skylight is being able to see the sky and open it for ventilation.

      Neither solution will leak if its installed properly. Proper installation requires self-adhered flexible base flashing and stepped metal counter flashing which is usually supplied by the manufacturer.

    • pattyl11
      hace 5 años
      Última modificación: hace 5 años

      I have a skylight in line with my vanity about two feet in front of it, as I have the same issue about placement like you. I have no problems with shadows or leakage. It is over 20 years old and is Velux skylight. They now make a solar powered "Fresh Air" skylight that opens and closed without electrical wiring during installation. https://www.veluxusa.com/products/skylights

    • mrswaves
      hace 5 años
      Solar tubes looks strange to me..like artificial somehow, even though I know it’s natural light. Image search photos..they are interesting but not for us!

      I have a skylight in our current bathroom and have loved it for 15 years.
    • mrswaves
      hace 5 años
      Oh and unless you live in a place that NEVER rains, the skylight won’t look dirty or funky.
    • mrswaves
      hace 5 años
      Pamal66- that’s what we’re getting for the bedroom skylights. So cool!
    • Tia M
      hace 5 años
      I have also been researching both and leaning towards getting an estimate for a skylight in our hall bathroom. Our previous home had one and I really miss it. After having a skylight I can't seem to like the look of the solar tube. The other two bathrooms have windows and enough natural light.
    • AJCN
      hace 5 años

      There is a skylight in DD's bathroom and it'g great. No leaks, doesn't look dirty and provides wonderful natural light. Only issue is that she has to make sure the door is closed before going to bed so if there's a full moon, the light won't wake her up.

    • Jolene
      hace 5 años
      We have a skylight in our small bathroom and in a hallway. We recently replaced them during a reroof because of age. The company ordered clear and I liked our old ones that were not clear better. We get more light but they get dirty and there is nothing I can do because they are in a vaulted ceiling. Sun does come down and leave bright spots, but I love the extra light! Depending on how high your roof is will depend on the heat/shadows over the vanity. My guess is most of the time the shadow will be fine (most get ready in the am or pm, not at noon when sun overhead). If that is the only option for placement I would go for it...just get frosted if possible. Here are a few pictures on the two we have, if that helps. It is overcast and early here, but I love them.
    • Jolene
      hace 5 años
      Also we have had no leaks from the original skylights and there were from 1988. The tar paper around the area did wear sooner perhaps but we were already on borrowed time with the underpayment of the roof. We have a tile roof.
    • User
      hace 5 años

      Tar paper? Its probably asphalt saturated felt. Always use Grace Ice & Water Shield or Vycor Plus self-adhering flashing at a skylight. A tile roof should have full coverage of Ice & Water Shield underlayment. I use it under shingles as well.

    • Jolene
      hace 5 años
      I left the “40lb” underpayment and installation to the pros...perhaps my verbiage was wrong, but it doesn’t change the idea of the post.
    • Patti Brommelsiek
      hace 5 años

      I'm a big fan of solar tubes mostly because of the quality of the light. It seems more even than the light from skylights (though I love skylights too). The comments about not liking the look of the solar tubes resonates with me but I must admit that I enjoy the light they provide so much that I don't notice the 'look.' YMMV of course. Another aspect that may not be an issue with the OP is sound. We were going to install skylights in the living room of our Oregon home and changed our minds. Afterwards we were glad we hadn't installed them because when there is heavy rain, the noise is amazing. Solar tubes don't seem to transfer sound like that.

    • Jolene
      hace 5 años
      There is a sound from rain..good thought. I live in So Cal and we don’t get rain often so I love and cherish the sound of the rain but I could see if you get rain often it may not be a joyful thing.
    • User
      hace 5 años

      Just installed a Velux S06 skylight (45" x 44") in our bathroom remodel. Light is fantastic, and probably too much...but if you have a problem, it's nice to have one a set of blinds can address. Read that a skylight admits about three times the light of the same sized window, so keep thta in mind. Perfect size for our light needs woudl have been a one bay (22.5" x 44") unit, but it would have been terribly uneven on the ceiling, and this unit is perfect.

      This is a north facing roof slope at 33 degrees north, so the sun will only be a direct issue of any sort for about 3-4 months of the year, and even now, the UV coating and heat rejection technology does a wonderful job of minimizing heat gain. The granite remains cool to the touch under the direct sunlight. The skylight is centered over the floor directly in front of the vanity.

    • PRO
      Beth H. :
      hace 5 años
      Última modificación: hace 5 años

      I love my skylight (it's over 42") and do my makeup right where that bench is. (i have a make up shelf there now). The natural light is perfect. I never turn on the lights during the day. And I guess it can get dirty, but we never get any rain! And that exposure is a S/W, so it's a lot of light! If yours is north, it will be a lot less, and way less during the winter.

      i also have one of those tubes in the other smaller bath. it's ok, but nothing like a skylight. and those tubes catch flies and stuff!)

    • Dan
      hace 5 años

      I have had Solatubes in the past and I highly recommend them. And yes, even after 5 years of living with them, I still tried to shut off that bright light. In the bathroom, I installed on with a light kit and a bath fan. At night, even without turning on the light, there was enough of it coming in to act as a night light.

      In the same house I installed 3 Velux roof windows in my now ex-wifes craft room. They did open so it allowed for ventilation which was nice.

      Now that I have moved on to Colorado, and a new wife, I will be installing a Velux light tube in our bathroom when I remodel it. And, a Velux fixed sky light in the other.

    • hemina
      hace 5 años
      Just make sure you know what direction the skylight will be facing and directness of that light (will change over the course of the year) so you’re not blinded by the it. Our rental house has east facing windows in the master and certain times of the year, you cannot use that mirror to get ready in the morning. We had a north-facing skylight in our old master bath and it was perfect!
    • j k
      Autor original
      hace 5 años

      Thank you so much for all your comments and suggestions! I think I'm going to go for it, especially since the smaller size means the quote came in even lower that I anticipated. A couple notes:

      - We live in Texas, so not a ton of rain. As in California, the noise is a welcome change of pace! As far as keeping it clean, it should be in a relatively accessible portion of the roof, and my husband just bought a nice 8' ladder for the new house, so I can add it to his chore list when needed ;)

      - The orientation will be south or west facing, I'm pretty sure south. I expect that will mean more muted light in the morning, but certainly a ton of light later in the day.

      - The skylight expert is suggesting it be perfectly flush with the wall. That is the wall with our mirror/mirrors on it. Should I try to get it moved out at all? On a related note, should that impact my decision to get a single framed mirror or two mirrors for the vanity? Wondering is a full length mirror would reflect too much light with that orientation, or if that could actually be a benefit for the lighting the whole room?

    • Tia M
      hace 5 años
      JK
      What did your estimate come in at if you don't mind sharing?
    • PRO
      RappArchitecture
      hace 5 años

      Definitely do the skylight. We have one centered between over the vanity counter, centered between the two sinks and facing south. The natural light is great. Only thing better is the skylight we have in the shower...

    • j k
      Autor original
      hace 5 años
      Tia, $800 installed for a 2’x2’ fixed Velux skylight. That doesn’t include texture and paint since that will all be done at once with the renovation. I had been considering a solar powered model, but given the smaller size and location I don’t think that makes sense any more.
    • User
      hace 5 años

      j k, south facing will possibly be brutal in late spring to early fall. We got the fixed Velux (northfacing) and are considering the Velux manual blinds even so. The "remote control" all seem to get 2-3 stars, with many complaints of trouble pairing the controls and keeping them paired. Assumig it will be low enough, the manual blinds would be sub-$200, get 5 stars, and the adjustment stick is about $20 for 6-7' reach.

    • tatts
      hace 5 años

      Solar tubes make no sense in places where you can use a skylight directly. You might as well put a ceiling light in.

      A real skylight in a bathroom is swell, and can really brighten your mood in the morning if it's sunny. You'll still need side sconces for makeup, shaving, etc., since the angle of light will cast shadows. But I'd go for it--definitely.

    • PRO
      Beth H. :
      hace 5 años
      Última modificación: hace 5 años

      jk, did you see my pic of the skylight? mine is also s/w. in spring/summer that entire wall (you can see the light beating down on it in the pic) gets light from about 10AM, shown here:

      3:00


      Until here, at 5PM

      it moves from the left to the right. that entire black/white tile wall is bathed in sunlight (which is why I have my plant wall there). In fall/winter, the light is much more subtle, and mainly gets the uppermost portion of the wall. It's quite a difference.

      It's the Velux w/the heat resistant coating (and since i'm in Cal, it had to have an earthquake resistant thing as well)

      Blinds.com makes blinds for skylights if you feel you need something.


    • j k
      Autor original
      hace 5 años
      Beth, yes, I love the pics you shared! They do a great job of showing off the dramatic impact. I do wish I could get a bigger skylight like yours, but regardless I’m convinced that any skylight in any location will really add a lot to the room. Thanks for your help!
    • j k
      Autor original
      hace 5 años

      Reviving my old thread because the skylight saga continues!

      I was all set to do a 2x2 skylight essentially centered over the vanity. The specialist came out to install it last Friday. But when he actually went into the attic and dropped a nail through the ceiling, we realized it would end up significantly off center - over a 96" long vanity, the skylight would end up with it's right edge just a few inches past center, and the left edge basically centered over the left sink. So, almost centered over the left third of the edge the vanity, versus the half point of the vanity.

      Given that the vanity itself will be symmetrical and is already ordered (plus that is how the plumbing is arranged) I'm not sure what to do. Will a skylight that is significantly not centered over that type of vanity look really off putting? I really can't find any good examples of this online. I would love to get the natural light in that area, but I'm not sure it would work the way I hoped or be aesthetically pleasing if it is super off center.

      The second option is to put the skylight over the new walk-in shower instead. It would be towards the front half of the shower, but would cover quite a bit of space and I see plenty examples that are similar to that layout. It is across the room from the vanity, but we're doing stacked white 8x2 subway tile and a glass door, so I think it would bounce the light around. I actually haven't ordered the subway tile yet since both are in stock, so even though I was planning to do matte I could do glossy instead.

      The third option is solar tubes, but I just can't get excited about them - I want to bring the outside in somehow, and the tiny window in the tiny water closet doesn't cut it.

      Would love any opinions on the layout, or experience with shower skylights, etc. Thank you!

      This diagram isn't perfectly to scale in terms of the sinks and skylights, but it gives you a basic idea of layout...

    • User
      hace 5 años

      Could you go up the ceiling to between options 1 and 2? Our's is off center toward the shower, but symetrical on the ceiling.

    • PRO
      Beth H. :
      hace 5 años
      Última modificación: hace 5 años

      you will love having the skylight over the shower. you've seen mine. it's actually not even centered over the shower. You really don't notice that it's not perfectly square over the shower or the vanity.


      I wouldn't want this directly over the vanity anyway. It puts out a lot of sunlight. we have a southwest install, and it can get really bright at high noon! (winter time it's not bad at all)

      but if you do, why can't they rearrange the joists so that you can put yours where you want it? this was ours on install.

    • j k
      Autor original
      hace 5 años
      Beth, I was hoping you would respond! I love your skylight but wasn’t sure where it aligned based on your first pictures. The new ones are super helpful.

      Unfortunately we really only have those two spots as options. There are two roof lines that meet right over the bathroom and form a diagonal valley across the the center of the room. The installer is experienced but very conservative, and he said if it was his house, he wouldn’t cut or modify anything since we have other viable options. I agree that easier is safer, and more affordable!

      Beth, have you had any issues with steam, condensation, etc? That is the only thing I can think of as a possible issue with the shower location, but we’ll be putting in a brand new Panasonic fan and can position it close to the shower to help mitigate. I got a 110 cfm version but wonder if I should upgrade if we do the shower skylight.
    • PRO
      Beth H. :
      hace 5 años

      I open the window when I shower and don't have issues. if I take a long shower w/really hot water for more than 10 mins, the mirrors fog and the skylight will also accumulate steam. I leave the door/window open and it clears out. we do not have a fan. after 2 years, no issue. other than I have to get up on the roof to really clean it. we get no rain here so it gets rather dirty.

    • loobab
      hace 5 años

      OMG, you get up on the roof yourself?

      You are one brave lady!!


    • Nancy in Mich
      hace 5 años
      Última modificación: hace 5 años

      JK, do you have a vaulted ceiling in this bathroom, so that your ceiling is right near the roof, like in Beth's photo? (Beth, I love your plant wall!) Or is yours more an 8 or 9 ft ceiling , with the roof several feet higher? If it is, there will be a well - a walled tunnel like in Jolene's comment from June 24 - and you won't be seeing much out of the skylight anyway.

      We added a skylight to our dark kitchen when we had it remodeled in 2010, and it was the best choice we made in the whole remodel.


      The well was made very big at the bottom so that the light spreads out into the room. I would guess that the skylight is 3 to 4 feet higher than the ceiling, in my case.

      In no way have I ever looked up at the sky to see the weather or for any other reason. There really is nothing you can see through the skylight.

    • j k
      Autor original
      hace 5 años
      Nancy, we don’t have a vaulted ceiling, they are a standard 8’ tall. The shaft over the vanity would be a couple feet, but over the shower would be very tall, possibly close to 5’. My husband’s best friend is a GC, and he stopped by yesterday for advice and help on a couple things. He definitely has our best interest at heart, and his strong recommendation was to avoid the shower with the long of a shaft - he has seen it before, and there is a lot of potential for trapped steam and condensation. I was having that fear as well. So we’re going to do it off center over the vanity. It might be perfectly symmetrical, but Beth’s pics show that isn’t necessary, and it will bring in a lot of light where we need it most.
    • Bruce in Northern Virginia
      hace 5 años
      Última modificación: hace 5 años

      We had a skylight (installed by PO) over one of our bathtubs. It had a sheetrocked shaft going from the bathroom through the attic to the roof, and that shaft trapped all the steam from the shower. It gradually steamed off the tape on the sheetrock seams, and they had to be periodically repaired and painted. I loved the skylight for the light it provided, but you do not want it over a shower.

      Bruce

    • Sarah Hedengren
      hace 4 años

      Is your bathroom finished? I'd love to see pictures and to hear how you ended up liking your skylight.

    • Rachel L
      hace 4 años

      Same! Would love to see some finished pics!!

    • coopercapers
      hace 4 años

      I never heard of a room with the toilet called a water closet. A water closet is the term for the toilet itself. Skylights aren't that noticeable in their placement whether centered or not because the light moves across the room. Avoid tall shafts. probably better with a tube than a tall shaft skylight. You will loose a lot of light and can have the moisture problems.

    • Nancy in Mich
      hace 4 años

      My builder made my shaft trapezoidal, which spread the incoming light even though I had a longer shaft.

      Here in the US, we do not call the fixture a water closet. We just say toilet. That left the term free to be used to describe the small enclosed toilet room - usually without even a sink to wash your hands with - that people started putting inside the larger bathroom a while back.

    • jubesb
      hace 3 años

      Another positive aspect of skylights is LED uplighting around the 4 walls of the skylight ..beautiful at night for ambient lighting.

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