I must add that these are clear skylights with flared shaft in the ceiling to the skylight. We have a flat roof (actually pitched 5 degrees)

I have a large pantry, no way would I want skylights. I do love the lights on a sensor.

How much time do you plan to spend in the pantry?

Skylights cost money to install and then everyday you need to cool an area. Pantry's especially should be cool. Delete!

Too much heat for apantry save the money for really good storage ideas instead

C Marlin, why would you no want skylights? For monetary reason or other?

RES, putting things away, getting things. I do like natural light though, and the thought of not having to turn on a light when I go to retrieve something

teamaltese, David Cary & Patricia, thank you.

I am definitely going to delete the one to the right on the plan. The one to the left will provide light to the Charging Station which is across the hall from it. We have a barn door that will stay open except when we have guests. Would I still be wise to take out that skylight also?

The one to the left will provide light to the Charging Station which is across the hall from it.

Then why not put the skylight in the hall?

Sammy, when I look at the whole picture, I have a 4 X 4 skylight in the kitchen that will provide light to the Charging Station so one is not needed in the hall.

After reading these comments DH says take them both out. Does anyone think I should keep one?

Do you enjoy leaking roofs? Then put in skylights. There are only two kinds, those that leak now and those that will soon.

Delete them. Get a good lighting designer. Also - put the pantry light on a motion sensor.

I still think a skylight would be a good thing in that hallway, even more so now that I’ve seen that you’ll have them in another hallway!

And rwiegand: Like anything else, bad design, inferior materials, lack of proper maintenance and/or poor installation are usually what causes product failures; skylights in and of themselves are not inherently problematic.

No skylights in the pantry. You will already have a wine cooler and freezer in there that will produce heat. You dont need anymore heat in an area that should be cool and dark.

Sammy, LOL, now we are questioning 2 of those skylights in the halls now since we have a 4 X 4 skylight in our entrance! The one to the right and left of the big skylight. We do love natural light but thinking maybe we overdid the skylights. Now that the house is being framed, we are rethinking all these things. Going to drive our builder crazy!

Skylights (2) in a pantry may be a major mismatch, unless you are growing something in the pantry.

Delete and move on.

You put them in the design for a reason, right? I assume that reason is that you want to fill your home with natural light, so, has that changed? Or are you just getting pre-wedding jitters? In any event, I think you should discuss your concerns (which are??) with your architect. Better yet (for me, anyway!), I’ll fly out there for an on-site consultation. :)

I wouldn't want light or heat in there everyday. Get a light on a sensor, you don't need hands to turn the light off and on if you are carrying things in or out.

I'm curious, do the skylights block all UV light?

"Do you enjoy leaking roofs? Then put in skylights. There are only two kinds, those that leak now and those that will soon."

We bought our (tract) house when it was in the construction phase in 1990. Two skylights - one over the upstairs landing, and one over the upstairs hallway bathroom. Neither has ever leaked, and when we had a new roof installed (three years ago this month), the skylights had to be removed and then put back in place. We've had a ton of rain in the ensuing three years but neither skylight has ever leaked.

Having said that, I'll move on to the issue of heat. One of the first things we did after moving in was to have sunscreens installed over the skylights, as well as on all windows that face south or west. (We have double-paned windows, but the house was built before Low-E windows became really popular and we didn't know anything about them.) Those sunscreens made a huge difference. Fast forward to about four years ago when, after a big windstorm, the birds went nuts trying to get to seeds (or whatever) had been blown onto the screens on the skylights. The birds totally thrashed the screens. So, when the new roof was going on and the skylights had to be removed for several hours, Hubs took the skylight screen frames to have new screen put in. Although he got the best available, it seems as if it isn't as good as the original sunscreen, and there is definite heat coming through the skylights. We added additional sunscreen on the underside of the skylight in the upstairs landing. We live in Sacramento County, CA. I don't know how our weather/high temps compare to yours in the New Mexico mountains, but I do know I most definitely would not want to have any chance of adding additional heat to a food storage area, or to an area with a wine cooler. (Yes, we do have a 500-bottle wine cellar in the garage, but the garage is insulated and the wine cellar has a heavy-duty cooling unit.)

Have you thought about using Solar Tubes (also called Sun Tubes) in areas where you want to add more natural light (such as the charging station)? We don't have them, but it seems to me that since they don't have as large a surface area as a skylight, they aren't going to cause as much heat gain.

Linda B - a question about your utility room -- would it make more sense to have the washing machine -- rather than the dryer -- closer to the sink?

Virgil, LOL, new Governor wants to legalize MJ here so maybe.... :-)

Sammy, thanks for the offer! Yes, pre-wedding jitters as our frame is covered in 2 feet of snow!

Lindsey, we also had two big skylights in our home in Illinois. No problem with them at all for over 20 years. But many many other problems with that house because of the builder. And yes, we have switched the placement of the washer after plans were finalized and sent to bid. You have a sharp eye!

Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestion. All appreciated. I love the honest Houzz community! I think I will post another "issue"!

tartanmeup, they offer 99% UV protection. At least the Velux skylights do.

Thanks for the answer, Linda B. I always wondered and this seemed like a good time to ask. :) Good luck on your build. Hope the snow melts quickly. (Snow in New Mexico?!)

There's also solatubes, that bring in plenty of light, less heat, and there's an optional "closer" when you want it dark. They could be good for the bathroom (they also can have a vent fan) and hall. They can also have an integrated light.

rwiegand, I had Velux large skylights installed with a remodel by a local contractor and not a single leak or issue (other than DH having to get on the roof to wash them) in 25 years. This is the Pacific Northwest, we have more than our share of wind and rain 10 miles from the ocean.

Having said that, I wouldn't have them in my pantry. Things will keep best in a cool, dark room,

I had skylights in bedrooms (2) and bath. In one of those bedrooms (E facing skylight so morning sun), I ruined the finish on a 6' mirrored dresser....sun damage over time. That bedroom was carpeted, and while the carpet didn't look look remarkably different in front of that dresser, it felt different. Stiffer somehow, suspect it had sun damage too. So something else to consider.....

I loved the light. If one could pass muster in that bathroom in the morning, you would look good any place you might be seen. I wish I had a skylight in our master bath now, and would surely enjoy the light in my kitchen. But, no skylights in this house. Love the house, but my skylights are one of the things I miss.

good for you on removing them from the pantry area...as others have suggested put in a motion light, we didn't & I wish we had.

As an alternative to a motion light, you can get a button switch that is in the door jamb, operated just by opening and closing the door, like a refrigerator light.

I agree with many commenters that if you do anything, do a solar tube and call it good. 10" diameter is plenty. But given it's very low use, a motion sensor switched light may be a better use of your money. Incidentally, I've probably spec'd about 400 Velux skylights in my practice in Denver, and never had a leak or a breakage. Unsolicited testimonial!

I have a large pantry, no way would I want skylights. I do love the lights on a sensor.

I would say this very same thing. I have a motion-triggered light fixture in my laundry /pantry, and I love it. The light comes on when I enter, even if my hands are full, and they turn off something like 10 minutes later.

In addition to light being the enemy of food preservation, a skylight is a bet with nature ... you're betting that your skylight can hold against sun, rain, snow and ice ... and nature is working against you 24/7 to win the bet. This is true of skylights and solartubes.

Two more things I'd do in this pantry:

- Go with a two-way swinging door instead of a barn door. This'll keep most of your house's heat out of the pantry, and you can enter by pushing with your shoulder.

- Put an open (or vented) transom above the door. This'll allow for ventilation for your freezer and wine cooler.

Charging Station which is across the hall from it.

I question how often an out-of-the-way charging station will be used.

A Solatube has zero heat gain, and you can even get it with vanes for dimming.

bpath, our builder likes the Velux skylights and has installed hundreds. Not so keen on the Solotubes for some reason. I will research them. Thank you.

morz8, since I am deleting the 2 pantry skylights and 2 of the hall skylights, I may opt for the more expensive Velux skylight with a solar powered shade for my kitchen 4 X 4 skylight. I do worry about fading my maple cabinets.

Doug, thanks for the reassurance on Velux skylights. I do love natural light!

Mrs Pete, thanks for the door recommendation. As to the charging station, it is where we want it, between our entry point (garage) and the main part of the house so it will be used as we plan to use it. A good place for my purse, mail, all our gadgets, etc.

girlwithaponytail, we are in Sandia Park. This year has been an exceptional year so far with precipitation. Of course that's when we are building! The rain started in October and the snow in December. Not a typical year here! As to the skylights, our builder has never had issues with them and carefully installs them even on a flat roof.

Thank you everyone! We moved one skylight to the hall outside the pantry door and one to the office. They look great even though we are still in the framing stage. The natural light is amazing.

Yes, skylights are great, love the natural light. I have five in my current home, just added one to the garage also, I’ve had them in my last three homes, never a leak in any of them.