We have 2 in our "Art" room above garage for Northern light. They don't open. Depending on where they are in house, I'd want one that had built in blinds so I could adjust amount of light coming in. I'd probably stick with non opening.

I offer a quote from an inspector: "Haven't met a skylight that didn't leak", but that was sometime ago. Hope there are more efficient products on the market. Look forward to responses. 

Solatube skylights are pretty neat!

I've never heard of anything leaking or any issues with sealing with those . . . 

Make sure a very competent person does the install, would be my #1 recommendation.  I've seen many leaks from them when less than competent people have installed them.

Beyond that, the ability to have shutters that move automatically is nice.  Opening is a nice feature, but how needed is it in their house?

I like the glass ones, because I'd like to see out at night, but they can be harsher if the sun comes in.

Either way you go, they are going to get dirty faster than normal windows, so having a plan to clean them would be my #2 installation recommendation.

If I were to go that route, I would conduct extensive research on the pros and cons of both. 

Look for customer reviews, warranty, etc. 

They do require maintenance just as everything else. Leaks are a concern if not properly installed and also over time if not properly maintained. 

I would like the option of shading as well to limit the light, if/when necessary. 

You have to be careful with the locations. Sometimes the sun can make the area too bright or cause unwanted reflections. 

In my opinion Skylights tend to leak and for that reason I would not recommend them. 

So, I just had an inspection with a buyer in a home that had skylights. The lot is heavily wooded and they needed more natural light in the home. We actually had a discussion about the fact that gone are the days of leaky skylights - the new ones are beautiful and, according to the inspector, rarely leak.

I suppose they've finally perfected the skylight!!

Nope, as a sometimes day sleeper in my career when I want darkness, I want darkness.

Hi Fred= we had 3 in one of our FL homes and even after replacing the roof, they never leaked!!!  We got lucky because of the placement too.

a no go for my personal house.  Nope.  No extra holes in the roof to potentially leak.  

No real experience here but I would tend to believe that any hole in a roof is subject to leaking at some point in time.  so  If you want it , go for it.  

We have 5 solar tubes and they've worked extremely well all these years and bring in a lot of light as well.  I love the 'light shows' we get from them as well during certain times of the day.  People who visit still think they need to turn off a light in those areas!

Love them! Had many different types & only one was troublesome because of bad insulation.

Mom & Dad's house had ones that opened & the wand was a little awkward to use. Built in blinds also. Those didn't leak either.

Have the owner check with their insurance company first to see if it will affect coverage. I have heard of some insurance companies in Florida dropping people who install solar or antennas on their roof, supposedly those can compromise the roof.

If they decide to add a skylight, have the glass UV tinted, especially if they get a lot of bright sunlight. We get a lot of bright sun with our sliders so lots of glare and fading occurred. UV tint helps.

Agree with Candice that solar tubes are very functional and smaller in size. Works great for bathrooms, hallways and even closets. 

Proper installation would be key to prevention of leaks. 

Spare no expense on installation and quality product. Roof is now compromised once installed making it a install priority. Cleaning tends to be a problem offset with bright light entering in. As far as the venting, if they have superior products that guarantee no leaks, professional seal, go for it

I think its a great idea if the room/house is dark. I don't know all the answers but make sure whoever installs them knows what they're doing and they have a warranty.

Had a skylight in a home in Florida that was non-shaded. It never leaked but needed a shade. I am not a fan.

While they have a bad reputation, installed correctly and maintained  - I've enjoyed having the extra light from the 3 non-retractable I have.

I am not a skylight fan, however good they look. They are always problematic... and getting them cleaned is impossible. You client might consider installing some solar tubes. They do an amazing job and I've yet to hear a client complain about them.

Not a fan, have replaced too many of these a few years later after they start to leak.  The replacement generally involves a bit of water damage repairs as well.

Skylights need to be a part of the original house. Those added afterwards have had major proplems such as leaking.  I wouldn't want one that open as that would really be a problem magnet.  I love the light but hate that they are usually very dirty ie. bird poop.  The better the glass the better the skylight.