Sola-Lite Of Orange County

I had very dim living spaces and wanted more natural lighting, so I called Solalite of Orange County.
Last summer, I scheduled my free estimate with Tina. When the installer, Fred, came over, I told him that I wanted one Solatube installed. Upon assess my space and existing light sources, he gave me his recommendation, suggested two or three tubes to balance out the large, open space. Paralyzed at the idea of paying way more than I had originally intended, I ended up putting off the whole idea for a YEAR, all the while kicking myself in the butt, wondering why I chose to live in the dark for so long. So, on July 7, I went to the showroom to see the lighting samples and make a final decision.
In the showroom, I saw two JustFrost fixtures in the front reception area and one OptiView in the side office. Tina covered up one fixture with a pizza box taped to a PVC pipe handle (hee, hee… very innovative tool!) so I could see how bright the Solatube made the office. I really like the frosted glass in the JustFrost fixture, but the overall design seems a bit too sleek and contemporary for my space, but maybe I’ll buy it later and change it out for $ 40 each. The OptiView is just too psychedelic and dizzying for me (even though Tina told me that at first you look at the fixtures a lot, but after a while you don’t even look up at the ceiling anymore), so ixnay on that one because the hubby gets very dizzy very easily. So, I decided on the stock fixture, Classic Vusion, which has a mesh-​looking plastic lens and a smooth, white plastic rim.
So, I asked for three 14″ tubes for the living room/​dining room area and also two for my dark cave of a den. When Fred came over, he actually suggested only two 14″ tubes balanced on two sides of my chandelier on the dining room side of the room, and not three, since I have a large window on the living room side that provides some amount of light. As for the den, he recommended only one 10″ tube now, which should radiate about 5 feet of light, perfect for the dark side of the small room, and add another later if I want. Of course, I went with his recommendations because he’s been installing for a number of years and has developed a great deal of wisdom when it comes to how to light up a room. Besides, living in the dark for the whole last year taught me not to be so goddamned cheap and to get things done right away.
Dealing with Solalite has been very pleasant. Tina’s phone greeting just cracks me up, but don’t let that put you off. She’s a genuine person and runs what I believe to be an honest business. When Fred talked me down from five tubes to just three tubes, I knew he was carefully considering my lighting needs and not just trying to maximize profits. (This and some of our side conversations indicate to me that he’s a real mensch!)
Paying by credit card would’ve cost an extra 3% convenience fee, so I decided to write a good old-​fashioned check.
Some basic info about Solatubes that I got from the very knowledgeable Fred:
The 10″ tube will light up about a 5′ radius
The 14″ tube will light up about a 6 – 7′ radius
BUT, that’s all dependent on some other factors:
ceiling height
distance between the ceiling and the roof
proximity to a wall
interior colors
objects impeding sunlight (a large house, a big tree, a swarm of locusts, volcanic ash… just kidding on the last two, well, no, actually, because they CAN impede sunlight!)
Also note that with composite roofing, they are simpler to install. With shingles or thick tiles, the cost goes up.
I LOVE my Solatube lighting!

I had a sola tube installed in our kitchen, let there be light! This company is awesome, especiallly Tina. I had a more local company come out and tell us about the system, they seemed real arrogant, I didn’t get a good feel. I contacted Tina with Sola lite, and what a totally different experience. Such a down to earth super nice person to deal with, and although they were much much farther from me, she still agreed to send one of her guys out and do the job. He was great, very knowledgable and thorough. We had picked out a light cover which later decided it didn’t look that good compared to another one offered, Tina ordered us the new one, had it delivered, and credited us for the first one. I think that is great customer service. I would totally recommend this company! Thanks Tina!

I recently had a Solatube installed by Sola-​Lite. What a difference a day (light) makes! Tina at Sola-​Lite was very professional, I got an experienced installer, and I couldn’t have been happier with the results. In fact, the addition of the Solatube in my otherwise dark office far exceeded my expectations. It’s a whole new room!

I added two Solatubes in my home when I replaced my roof. I really like the light they add to my master sink area and wet bar.
The installer was excellent.

Added two Solatubes to my dark entry way. They work great. Love the light. Seeing how well they work, I might have even added a 3^rd. The process was very easy. They worked on Saturday to accommodate my schedule. The two guys that came were very professional and had the job done in ~ 3 hours. I should have done it years ago.