GHBA Remodelers council: Look to the 'fifth wall' in your home

Skylights and blinds enhance the "fifth wall" in this living room. Skylights and blinds enhance the "fifth wall" in this living room. Photo: Courtesy Of Innovative Skylights Photo: Courtesy Of Innovative Skylights Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close GHBA Remodelers council: Look to the 'fifth wall' in your home 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

If you are considering renovating your home, look to your unused ceiling space.

This "fifth wall" can introduce unique design opportunities that will not only enhance, but create an environment that engages all the senses.

Adding skylights into your home opens up new design possibilities by adding pops of color, fresh air and natural light.

Skylights bring much more than natural light into a space.

Skylights provide balanced, natural light from above that make colors appear truer while enhancing interior decor. Natural materials such as granite, quartz as well as architectural features such as wood beams and artwork become more appealing to the eye in the natural light that skylights provide.

When you are remodeling a kitchen, the benefit of adding skylights can be even greater.

Adding skylights will allow for removal of windows, freeing up more wall space for cabinetry. Skylights make a room feel more open and spacious, and in a kitchen can be used for ventilation as unpleasant and noxious cooking odors are removed and fresh air is let in.

Another benefit of skylights is that they bring double the amount of daylight into a home than a vertical window. If you wish to have control over the amount of light that comes in, you can add blinds to the skylight.

For example, light-filtering blinds allow for soft diffused light rather than direct sunlight. Room-darkening blinds can convert day into night by blocking the sunlight. One company, Velux offers over 100 colors and patterns to choose from, thus giving you the opportunity to reflect your personality.

The addition of blinds to skylights can further increase the energy efficiency of your skylight by 30-45 percent.

Solar-powered blinds and solar venting skylights qualify for the renewable energy tax credits of 30 percent.

Look up to your ceiling and discover the endless possibilities for your "fifth wall."

Skylights transform any space with daylight and fresh air, which improves the indoor air quality and enhances your home's decor.

This article was provided by a member of the Remodelers Council of the Greater Houston Builders Association. The Remodelers Council is dedicated to promoting professionalism and public awareness of the remodeling profession through education, certification and service to the Houston community. To reach the author directly, email dan@innovativeskylights.com. For more information on this article, contact Lorraine Hart at lorraine@idealconsulting.net. To join the council or to find a professional remodeler in your area, visit www.ghba.org.