Designing a Home for Natural Light

Added: (Wed Feb 11 2009)

Pressbox (Press Release) - You'll enjoy living in your home much more if you design it to make the best use of natural light.

You'll enjoy living in your home much more if you design it to make the best use of natural light. Dark rooms that require artificial light even at midday are depressing, cost more to run and are not good for the health, as some kinds of light reduce your vitamin A levels. On the other hand, a room that is well lit is warm in the winter and extends a welcome feel to all who enter.

To make the best use of natural light, your main living areas should face north or as close to north as possible - northeast is still good. This will allow sunlight to shine in during the winter months, creating a natural ambience. In the summer, the light will still be great, even though the sun will not shine in as much. Of course, if you live north of the equator, your living areas will have to face the south, and if you live in a tropical climate, then they should face towards the prevailing cool breeze.

Many people feel that bedrooms should be on the south or coolest side, as this gives a cool room to sleep in. The west side is the hottest, so rooms that are not used as much such as the bathroom and garage, can be located there. To get the best possible light into a home that is already built, you may only need to knock out an internal wall.

Thinking of getting a new home builder? If you plan on constructing a home that allows for lots of natural light, it's worth it to enquire about the availability of a display home - this will give you a better idea on how much natural light is allowed in a house design.