Windows offer several benefits to homeowners, from improved ventilation and good indoor air quality to efficient insulation properties. While windows make any house more functional, they are also a significant natural light source. Unfortunately, where many people benefit greatly from windows, some homes, condos, and townhomes may have limited access to natural light. In this context, thoughtful window placement, size, and shape can effectively meet your daytime lighting needs. Therefore, whether you’re looking for new windows or replacement window solutions for your home, implement these tips to enhance the amount of sunlight in your setting.
Why Get More Natural Light Into Your Home?
Lighting fixtures contribute significantly to your home’s electricity bills. Therefore, having abundant natural light in your home during the day will reduce energy usage and utility bills.
Natural light is also beneficial during the cooler months when you’d love to bathe in the warmth. It allows your space to stay heated naturally, limiting your use of energy-intensive heating systems.
Another reason to daylight your home is that natural light reduces various health concerns. It helps boost productivity, comfort level, and mood while fulfilling your body’s daily vitamin D requirement. People who spend more time exposed to sunlight can fight against insomnia, seasonal disorders, and premenstrual syndrome.
Tips for Window Placements
1. Evaluate Your Surrounding
When installing windows in your home, evaluate your property and consider the sunlight’s direction and outside view. Windows that face beautiful landscapes ultimately boost property value and aesthetics.
2. Consider the Rooms
Some rooms need more natural light than others. For instance, kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, home offices, etc. Rooms used frequently and requiring improved visibility, such as a laundry room, should also have enough sunlight during the day. On the other hand, the TV room won’t need more lighting as it can be difficult for you to watch the screen properly, and you’ll only be drawing the curtains to block the sunlight.
If you want to enjoy natural light every morning, consider installing your bedroom windows towards the east. Deciding the areas within your home that need more lighting is crucial for the window placement project.
3. Consider the Direction
You can brighten up a space in your home by directing your windows to the sun’s position. Since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you may want to install windows facing these directions. Windows that face these directions will filter plenty of light into your rooms for the longest duration. However, they could make your space drafty in the winter and stuffy during the hotter months. This is where energy-efficient windows come into play, as these allow natural light into your home while keeping the unwanted cold or warmth out.
South and north-facing windows also portray different lighting effects through different seasons. For example, windows that face south will allow sunlight to brighten your room during the winter but are ineffective during the hotter months. On the contrary, north-facing windows restrict unwanted heat and offer little glare because they rarely receive direct sunlight. Therefore, north and south-facing windows provide excellent reflected or ambient light, minimizing shadows and filling the room with a relaxing glow.
4. Use the Right Window Shapes
Utilize various window shapes in your home to make it visually appealing and receive sufficient sunlight into your surroundings. Opt for single-hung windows, double-hung windows, awning windows, etc., to enjoy an excellent view of the outdoor living space or landscape.
Awning windows are mostly used to increase the natural light in a room. They are square, rectangular, or horizontal windows that open outward. Awning windows are hinged at the top and are best for home ventilation. They provide more natural light as well as fresh air throughout a space.
Picture windows are another great option to allow more natural light into your home. These fixed windows do not open but filter sufficient sunlight through the room. Picture windows come in various shapes, including rectangular, round, horizontal, or vertical.
Clerestory has to be the most effective window for allowing natural light within your setting. They are closer to the ceiling so that sunlight won’t get blocked by trees, other buildings, etc. Clerestory allows maximum light to flood into your home.
Finally, regardless of your desired window shape, it must be energy-efficient. Window panes that conduct excessive heat can make your room too drafty or stuffy.
5. Install a Skylight
Skylights can be another great addition to your home. They allow more fresh air into the house and brighten otherwise dark spaces. A venting skylight brings in natural sunlight during the colder months and cool, fresh air in the summer, maintaining your home’s indoor ventilation. Therefore, consider installing a skylight in a room that doesn’t have enough wall space to accommodate a standard window.
Skylights can be operable or fixed. The former can be operated with a remote controller or a switch or opened manually.
The Bottom Line
Consider installing multiple windows in your home to maximize the amount of sunlight indoors. Patterned or frosted glass can be used for ceiling windows such as a skylight or a clerestory as they diffuse sunlight. People living in hotter regions may consider getting north-facing windows, whereas those who live in colder climates can choose between south, east, or west-facing windows to boost natural light in the home.
EcoView Windows and doors is a replacement home window provider that offers high-quality windows and exterior doors to homeowners in Alabama. Call us today or get a free quote here.