Natural light in a room has many benefits over artificial light. For instance, natural light is safe and provides more natural illumination. It is easier to read with natural light than with artificial lighting. Another benefit of natural light is that it is economical because you will be using less electricity and thus will lower your bills. Natural light also provides positive psychological effects. For instance, natural light makes the environment more energetic and you are more likely to be optimistic when you live in a house that has good natural lighting.
The risk of avoidable accidents also reduces when your house has good natural lighting. This is an added benefit especially if you have eyesight problems or if you have an elderly person living in the house. Some experts also state that natural light has some health benefits like assisting in the production of vitamin D as well as helping you to get better sleep at night. However, many houses in the past were not built with consideration of natural lighting. In case you are dealing with such a problem, this article will take you through some of the ways you can increase the natural lighting in your home.
1. Have Mirrors at Strategic Places
One of the ways of improving natural lighting in your home includes placing mirrors strategically. Mirrors help to reflect the natural light that is entering your home and they can double or even triple thus light. Place the mirrors facing the west and east sides of your home since this is the direction where the sunshine will be coming from at either sunrise or sunset. You can also use glass or highly reflective tiles on your floors to reflect more light. Track the areas where beams of light strike your house and add reflective surfaces like mirrors at these points so that they can reflect light to the rest of the house.
2. Installing Roof Lanterns
Roof lanterns act like windows of the roof because they face upwards in the direction where sun rays are coming from. These roof lanterns bring in more natural light than the one that comes in through the windows because they are less likely to be obstructed by other structures. They also allow the sun rays that are reflected by the clouds to enter the house directly. If you are interested, you can visit https://oakhurstblinds.com/spaces/roof-lantern-spaces/ and read more about roof lanterns. However, roof lanterns can lead to loss of heat and that is why you require roof blinds to correct this problem.
3. Clean Your Windows as Often as You Can
Windows are the main channels that allow natural light to enter the house. Sometimes you may not get a lot of natural lighting inside your house because the windows have accumulated a lot of dirt and dust. It is, therefore, crucial to clean your windows regularly to remove this dirt. Cleaning outside and inside the windows creates a clear path where natural light passes through and this will help to increase the natural lighting in your home. This is a simple tactic that many people ignore but it goes a long way in making your house to be well lit.
4. Use Brighter Paint
Using bright paint on your walls and ceilings is another effective way of adding natural lighting to your home. Bright paint colors help to reflect light into your house. Pure white paint has the best light reflectance value (LRV) because it reflects 100% light. You can also choose from a variety of shades of white if you do not like pure white. Having a white ceiling also helps to reflect more natural light inside your home.
5. Replacing Walls With Some Glass Blocks
If your home has few or small windows, you can replace some parts of your external walls with glass blocks. These glass blocks will allow more natural light to your house. Installing these glass blocks is not an easy procedure and you should therefore seek professional help in so doing. You can also have the professional design more windows for your house.
6. Clear the Space Around Windows
To allow more light inside your house, you should clear the space that is around your windows. Avoid placing furniture in front of your windows but instead, place this furniture on the side of the room that does not have a window. If you must place something near the window, ensure that it does not obstruct the light coming from the window.
Natural light has a lot of benefits like providing a natural and beautiful illumination in the house, it saves on utility bills, and provides more energy and optimism. Some of the ways of improving natural lighting in your house include installing skylights, using brighter paints, cleaning your windows, and placing mirrors strategically.