Sunpipes - going cheap anywhere?

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Sunpipes - going cheap anywhere?

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Palms
Guest

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 11:46 am Post subject: Sunpipes - going cheap anywhere?
Hiya First post here I want to introduce some natural light into the house using sunpipes - does anyone know the cheapest place to get them in the UK? I've tried gooooogling but came up with nowt! cheers palms

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 11:48 am Post subject:
I've no idea but next time you're in WHSmiths you could have a quick peek in the homebuilding mags and look at the adverts.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45671
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 11:58 am Post subject:
I've got plenty of those mags at home, if I remember I'll have a look tonight

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 12:00 pm Post subject:
Mine are a bit too old. I do remember that not all sunpipes are the same. Some seem to catch and transmit far more light than others, I'm sure there was something at a homebuilding show we went to a few years back.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 12:10 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

Mine are a bit too old. I do remember that not all sunpipes are the same. Some seem to catch and transmit far more light than others, I'm sure there was something at a homebuilding show we went to a few years back.

There were and they were quite impressive, we thought at the time. I would love to have them...potentially we'll need them in our underground home

Guest

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 12:15 pm Post subject:
Cheers guys - prices I've seen are about �250-300 for a 12 incher. Seems a lot for a plastic dome & shiny pipe though maybe it's just me! It's to boost up a dingy dining room in the middle of the house where I can't put any windows - I could buy a lot of light bulbs for that. There's seems to be some cheaper ones but they don't look as effective for bouncing light around...

Palms

Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 58

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 12:17 pm Post subject:
Doh that was me, logged out somehow

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 12:21 pm Post subject:

Sunpipe is a brand rather than a generic term!
Their own tubes are rigid, which is best for light transmission, poentially more tricky for installation. (Anyone remember Kevin struggling to fit one on Grand Designs? Northcountry vet(?), house built into the side of bank, lots of concrete, bit gloomy at the back... separate garage-like outbuilding as surgery, had to reposition because of a hole!)
There was a stand at Grand Designs Live punting a flexible (and IIRC cheaper) alternative. I'll try and look it up later...

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 05 1:05 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

There was a stand at Grand Designs Live punting a flexible (and IIRC cheaper) alternative.

Sola Skylights UK Ltd - they are in Durham - 01388 778445
www.solaskylights.com

Edit: added phone number

Last edited by dougal on Wed Aug 17, 05 12:56 pm; edited 1 time in total

boff

Joined: 23 Mar 2005
Posts: 354
Location: Still alive and kicking

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 05 2:43 pm Post subject: Re: Sunpipes - going cheap anywhere?

Palms wrote:

Hiya

First post here

I want to introduce some natural light into the house using sunpipes - does anyone know the cheapest place to get them in the UK?

I've tried gooooogling but came up with nowt!

cheers
palms

Try contacting CAT. Their building bods seem to have a list of most suppliers.
www.cat.org.uk

Palms

Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 58

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 05 3:46 pm Post subject:
Great suggestions thanks!!

Guest

Posted: Wed Aug 17, 05 8:02 am Post subject:
Orchard Construction NW. (Preston Lanc's) We are looking for a supplier of SUNPIPES , if someone could add a couple of phone numbers we would be gratefull. 0794-6792098 Thanks

puffedpride

Joined: 05 Nov 2005
Posts: 300
Location: bristol

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 06 12:01 pm Post subject:

I have a 12" Sunpipe installed at the top of the stairs, on my formerly dark, dark landing. Made by Monodraught - the pipe is a high grade aluminium, that runs through the loft cavity. A well made product IMO - but rather expensive.

See them at www.sunpipe.co.uk

However the effect is wonderful and transforms the centre of the house from a depressing zone to a pleasant one with a beautiful diffused natural light.

Unlike skykights, it is claimed that the static column of air in the pipe prevents significant heat loss or gain in either direction, which is a real plus. Can anyone confirm/debunk this? It certainly doesn't get hot in summer.

I'm not sure how highly it scores on green credentials - you could argue money/energy is saved on not having to instal/use extra lighting, but it would be a fair old while before the financial and embodied energy costs of the pipe were paid back, I expect.

As a hopeless DIYer, I paid a builder to install mine. The cocky sod didn't read the instructions and it took him all day!! He vowed never to do another one

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