If you can’t vault your ceiling, you can’t really do those either. They take up an enormous amount of space.

You can do a sun tunnel type of roof light.

Can’t do flared shafts?

Or can’t do skylights in general there?

Enormous amounts of cash can make anything work. If you have the enormous amounts of cash.

Well, we don’t have enormous amounts of cash, maybe 5-8K extra for that room

I know the skylights pricing with labor..I’m just not sure the flared shaft will work in our room..I hate bothering the builder on weekends..and while searching for information on flared skylights, I found this website..hopefully to get some insight before I hear from him next week.

This is my one regret while building the house..not realizing I wanted higher ceilings before it was too late :l

I can’t remember the exact reasons a raised ceiling won’t work but I believe the term “trusses” was used and the only way I’d get a higher ceiling is “ripping the roof off” which obviously isn’t happening. We just finished the framing and duct work is starting.

We love the solar tubes in our dining room.

Can you “turn off the light” from a solar tube? Like with the skylight I will have blinds (Velux brand) where we can close until morning wake up time.

If trusses were used then a vaulted ceiling would be cost prohibitive. That said, Velux makes a skylight that fits between 24" on center framing.

2x4 is the skylight size I was told by builder that we can do

Yes, you could flare the top and bottom.

Not sure if you can get these tax credits for new construction but worth a look.

http://www.veluxusa.com/help-and-advice/tax-credit

I will definitely look into the tax credits. Thank you very much

Yes for sure will get the type with solar blinds.

Solar tubes can gave "turn off" baffles, as well as an integrated light option. Love them. They allow less heaT in, too.

Thank you Doug. I’m planning to do 2 skylights in the middle of the room and hopefully with flared (top and bottom) shafts, if structure allows and my builder doesn’t fire me as a client lol.

I have found they give the most light when you place the skylight as low as possible with a plumb (vertical) bottom shaft. The sides of course are also plumb, and the upper shaft flares as much as you dare. You might also consider putting a couple track type spotlights up in the shaft, so that the skylights can be a light source nighttime as well as day. Here's a single 2x4 Velux we just installed over a stairway that is putting out terrific light

The inside of the shaft will be about 22” or less. I would place them with at least 2 trusses between them.

Is there any other way to vault a ceiling (even on just one side) in a trussed roof?

Any engineering “magic” that can be done before further work is completed?

Doug- how deep are the shafts in the stairway skylight you installed?

Probably a good idea..I stayed up too late last night researching remodels and options for trussed roofs.

Next build I’ll be ready!!

If you are building now and you really want higher ceilings then bite the bullet and fix it now even though it will be costly. Adding sky lights won't make it feel taller. You'll just have deep shafts of light or dark shafts as it is a bedroom and I'm guessing you mainly will want them covered.

The roof is already on :( shingles and all. I’m afraid to ask the price for them to redo it now..

Well it will be less than waiting. Maybe consult an engineer and see if the trusses can be re-worked to have a tray ceiling.

That would be great if possible. I really am afraid to ask the contractor. He about had a vein burst when I asked about the ceiling height the other day.

“Only if we rip the whole roof off”

Renee: the skylights I showed are about 5 feet deep on shallow side. But really, the deeper the better. Having two or three skylights in a room with wide flared shafts can make up for the 8 foot ceilings. Modifying trusses is indeed a big project!

We put two inexpensive skylights on our hip roof house and I love them....I wish I had added one more in the great room and two over the island in the kitchen...love them.

We have 8 foot ceilings and a great room effect of family room, informal dining, and kitchen with large island. The area is 40 x 16.

I always wonder why bedroom natural light is so important. I spend all my time except for sleeping in the rest of the house not my bedroom . I happen to like a nice darker bedroom for sleep and so have never felt like i want to lay in bed in the morning staring at the light through a skylight.I for sure get them in living spces with poor natural light.

Patricia, I agree. Bedrooms are the last place I'd use skylights, although I've had several clients demand them. They're obviously morning people! The moonlight thing is magical, but you don't want to be sleeping under them during one of Colorado's frequent spring/summer hailstorms. (I haven't had one break in 40 years, knock on wood)

I can't speak for anyone else, but because I'm not naturally a morning person, a lot of light in the bedroom in the morning helps to get me going. I can't imagine how slow a start I'd get in a darker bedroom!