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Thread: Ahoy! Roof Experts
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04-02-2007, 07:52 AM #1
George:
In your post #56 you state "There is no heat loss in the winter nor heat gain in the summer with a Sun Tube ...". I didn't realize someone had invented the perfect energy efficient material or combination of materials yet. I looked at your links and I did see some of the typical manufacturer hype on some of the products but .... I didn't see anything that tells me someone makes a sun pipe/tube/etc. that has perfect energy performance! Yes, they are a great way to bring more light into a home if that is what our customers want. Depending on the area and the how well the installation was done, they do increase the potential for a future roof leak.
I suspect you didn't mean exactly what you stated. I don't think builders, designers, architects, etc. should be drawn into choosing one product over another by advertising claims made by manufacturers without a thorough investigation into the products being considered.Curt Johnson
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04-02-2007, 06:55 PM #2The Home Doctor
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I think you should feel lucky you have these kind of customers. Most of the time you can pick out the ones that will try to cheat you by pricing things as you go and keeping everything in writing. Hopefully they will weed themselves out. Most of these people have so **** much money they dont really care what you charge them. Just as long as they trust you and you are providing the services they want. I have a customer who calls me all day long and on the weekends. Do I care?? It does get old. But, I know he is willing to pay the price to get what he wants. He would rather call me and tell me his ideas then to write them down and tell me on Monday. This is his personality and he is willing to pay for great service. He is single, never married, no kids and loves his dog. I estimate he makes approx. $60,000 per month, based on our conversations, just in his investments in his oil company. He has 3 huge condos in Telluride Colo. and lots of land. I keep asking him to adopt me. I have been in business for 26 years. It took me a while to figure out that if you dont ask, you dont get. In other words, in some situations you can double your normal pricing and still get the job. Not always, But with these type of people there is a greater possiblity. Then these people refer you to their friends and on it goes. I learned to make more money, you have to charge more money. Have you ever been so busy you bid a job really high and still got even though you weren't trying? Sooooooo, to make more money, you have to charge more money. So enjoy those customers when you can.
Dan Kerns
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04-02-2007, 07:44 PM #3Registered User Promoted
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"There is no heat loss in the winter nor heat gain in the summer with a Sun Tube.".
Some Sun Tube manufacturers make a claim that their products are largely neutral in terms of energy gain or loss in winter and summer while others make statements along that line when comparing them to regular skylights that have a shaft going up to the roof. Sun Tubes appear to be designed to avoid air leakage at the ceiling and at the roof and insulation can be used around the pipe in the attic. To bring light into a home does have some risks related to poor installation be it a window or a sun tube.
My comments were directed at comparing the Sun Tube to a Belvedere Skylight which would have the worst energy performance of the three options. I commented on this element in Chris' images due to the fact that we have a large builder in our area offering a Belvedere skylight in one of their lakeside models which is why I commented in the first place.
I don't think much of the Belvedere option where it creates a wide shaft from the roof into the home. If one wants the architectural feature of the roof adornment which does have it charm, then one can install it on the roof and then use a Sun Tube to bring light into the home.
Of course, the other option is to have dark spaces in the home and use electric lights to light them in the daytime. I personally dislike any space where an electric light is required in the daytime and so I try to eliminate that darkness.ggodwin