Specifications & Testing Data
| Frame material | Wood-core skylight with maintenance-free exterior cladding |
|---|---|
| U-factor (NFRC) | 0.41 – 0.5 |
| Solar heat gain coefficient (NFRC) | 0.21 – 0.3 |
| Design pressure (DP) rating | Rated for installed roof pitches 14–85°; deck- and curb-mount configurations |
| AAMA performance class | Certified skylight ratings per NFRC skylight (not window) criteria |
| ENERGY STAR zones | Northern |
| Glass options | Clean, Quiet & Safe laminated Low-E, Snowload glass, Impact options, Factory blinds (solar/manual) |
| Available styles | Solar-powered venting (VSS), Electric venting (VSE), Manual venting (VS), Fixed (FS), Sun Tunnel tubular |
Daylight From the Fifth Wall
VELUX has made skylights since 1941 and essentially defines the category — when a Treasure Valley homeowner says "skylight," a VELUX is what they're picturing. Wood Windows Inc installs the full Fresh Air family: solar-powered (VSS), electric (VSE), and manual (VS) venting models, fixed units (FS), and Sun Tunnel tubular skylights for spaces where a full skylight won't fit.
The System Is the Product
Here's what four and a half decades of install work has taught us about skylights: the unit matters less than the hole in your roof. VELUX's answer is engineering the entire penetration — skylight, deck- or curb-mount seal, and a roof-specific flashing kit designed as one system. Installed to spec, that system carries VELUX's 10-year no-leak installation warranty, alongside 20-year glass and 10-year product coverage. It's the strongest leak assurance in the category, and it's why we install the complete kit every time rather than improvising flashing the way roofing subs sometimes do.
Glass is laminated "Clean, Quiet & Safe" Low-E as standard — quieter in rain, safer overhead, self-rinsing in Idaho's occasional downpours — with snow-load and impact options for mountain and exposed installs.
Venting: The Feature Idaho Summers Justify
A venting skylight is a heat chimney. Summer heat stacks at your ceiling; open the skylight and stack effect exhausts it without a fan. In two-story valley homes and vaulted great rooms this passive flush is startlingly effective on July evenings. The solar VSS is the one we recommend most: no wiring means simpler installs anywhere on the roof, and a rain sensor closes it automatically. (The federal solar tax credit that once covered these ended for purchases after 2025 — we'll flag any current utility or manufacturer incentives at quote time.)
Where Skylights Earn Their Keep
North-facing kitchens that never see direct sun. Windowless baths and hallways (Sun Tunnel territory). Vaulted great rooms that read dark despite wall glass. Bonus rooms over garages. In each case the design questions are the same — roof pitch (14–85° is the working range), attic framing, and tunnel depth — and they're exactly what our free on-site assessment answers before anyone quotes a number.
VELUX product, Wood Windows installation: employee carpenters, VELUX-spec flashing, one company holding the warranty conversation for the next decade. (208) 376-2200 or the form on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do skylights leak?
Badly installed ones do — which is why the VELUX 'No Leak' promise matters: skylight plus VELUX engineered flashing kit, installed to spec, carries a 10-year no-leak installation warranty on top of the 20-year glass and 10-year product coverage. Our installers are VELUX-trained Wood Windows employees; we install the complete engineered system, not a skylight plus improvised flashing.
What's the difference between the solar, electric, and manual venting models?
How they open. The VSS uses a solar panel and battery — no wiring, simplest install anywhere on the roof. (Solar models historically qualified for a federal tax credit; that program ended for purchases after 2025 — ask about current incentives.) The VSE wires into house power. The manual VS opens with a rod or crank, best within reach. All three close automatically via rain sensor on the powered models, and all vent the summer heat that stacks up in high-ceiling rooms.
Why do skylight U-factors look worse than window U-factors?
Overhead glass faces the sky, the coldest thing it can see, so skylights are certified under NFRC's separate skylight criteria — a 0.43 skylight is genuinely efficient the way a 0.28 window is. Comparing a skylight's number to a wall window's is apples to oranges; compare skylight to skylight.
What does a VELUX skylight cost installed in the Treasure Valley?
Fixed skylights typically run $1,800–$3,200 installed depending on size, roof type, and interior finish work; venting models $2,500–$4,500+; solar models cost more up front but need no electrician. Sun Tunnels — the tubular option for hallways and baths — start well under fixed-skylight pricing. Firm quotes follow a roof and attic assessment.
Sources & Testing Data
Last reviewed 2026-07-04 by Wood Windows Inc — (208) 376-2200