The short answer
Yes, a sun tunnel usually brings a dark hallway or landing up to a comfortable daytime level, because a clear dome on the roof feeds a reflective tube that ends in a diffuser in your ceiling. How much light arrives depends on the length and bends of the tube, the direction the dome faces and how much sky it sees, so the survey looks at all three before we quote.
What a sun tunnel does in a hallway
A sun tunnel, which some people call a tubular rooflight or a tubular skylight, collects daylight through a small roof dome and carries it down a mirrored tube to a diffuser set into the ceiling. It suits the rooms that a normal window cannot reach: a hallway with no outside wall, a landing at the head of the stairs, a windowless bathroom or a utility room in the middle of the house.
The light is soft and even rather than a bright pool of sun on the floor. In a narrow hallway that is often what you want, because the whole passage brightens without glare. Because the tube is small, it takes up very little of the loft and needs only a modest opening in the roof, which is why it is the usual answer for a room that sits under a stretch of pitched roof with a loft above it.
What decides how bright it is
Three things set the result, and the first is the tube. A short, straight run delivers the most light. Every bend and every extra length of tube loses some, so a hallway under a shallow loft does better than a landing under a deep one. Rigid tubes with a polished lining lose less than flexible ones, and our guide to rigid and flexible sun tunnels sets the two out.
The second is the dome. It needs a clear view of the sky, so a roof slope with a chimney, a tall neighbour or a tree close by in front of it will give less than an open slope. South and west facing slopes collect the most light in the day, and a north facing slope still works, though the hallway will be quieter in tone.
The third is the room itself. A pale ceiling and pale walls carry the light further along a passage than dark ones, and a long hallway may be better served by two diffusers than by one large one. The survey is where we count these things and tell you plainly what to expect.
Hallway, landing or bathroom: which rooms suit a tube
| Item | Hallway | Landing | Windowless bathroom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical fit | One diffuser over the middle of the passage | One diffuser at the head of the stairs, which also lights the stairwell | One diffuser over the washing area |
| Light feel | Even and soft along the passage | Lifts the whole stair void | Bright enough to wash and shave by in daytime |
| Watch for | Long runs where one tube may leave the far end dim | A bedroom door that is often shut | Steam and moisture, so a sealed diffuser is chosen |
| Extra option | A second diffuser for a long passage | A light kit for evening use | A light kit or an extractor fan, which is fitted separately |
A bathroom with no window still needs ventilation under the Building Regulations, and a sun tunnel supplies light only. If the bathroom has no way to let air out, we mention it at the survey so the extraction is planned alongside the tube.
The limits of a tube
A sun tunnel does not give you a view, and it does not open for fresh air. It will not light a room as a window does at the middle of a sunny afternoon, and on a dull winter day the output falls, as it does for any daylight source. If you want something that opens or that frames the sky, a roof window or a rooflight is the better tool, and our answer on a sun tunnel against a skylight compares them.
England has no Building Regulations daylight requirement for houses either, which leaves the choice entirely with you. People fit a tube because the hallway feels dark, and the test is simply whether you will notice the difference every day.
Two ways to light a landing
Sun tunnel
- View of the sky
- None
- Fresh air
- None
- Roof opening
- Small
- Cost
- Usually lower
Best where the loft is shallow and the landing sits below a clear roof slope.
Roof window
- View of the sky
- Yes
- Fresh air
- Opens
- Roof opening
- Larger
- Cost
- Usually higher
Best where the landing is itself a room in the roof.
Checking the roof and loft above
Before we quote, we go up into the loft to see the route the tube would take. We look for rafters, ties, water tanks and wiring in the way, and for the length between roof and ceiling. We also check the roof covering where the dome would sit, so the flashing suits your tiles or slates. The products we compare are covered in our guide to sun tunnels, while our separate answer on what a sun tunnel costs explains what moves the price.
- Tube route clear of rafters and tanks
- Dome slope open to the sky
- Ceiling position chosen with you
If you would like to go ahead, book a free survey, and the suitable tubes will be set out beside each other in a written quote, with the unit under the maker's warranty and the fitting under our 10-year workmanship guarantee.
Related questions
Will one sun tunnel light a long hallway?
It lights the area under the diffuser well and the ends less so. For a long passage we usually suggest two smaller diffusers, and the quote can show both layouts.
Does a sun tunnel work on a north facing roof?
It still gathers daylight, though less than a south or west slope. The light is gentler, and a pale ceiling helps it carry.
Can I add an evening light to the same tube?
Many makers offer a light kit that sits in the diffuser, so one fitting serves day and night. We price it as a separate line where you want it.
Will the dome be visible from the street?
A small dome sits low on the roof slope. Where it faces the road, permission is worth checking, and our rooflight planning guide explains how we check the address.