Light in the home is a hugely important part of the overall feel of it. It has the power to improve or hurt your mental health, make a space feel bigger or smaller, and more. If you’re looking to bring some more light into your home, knowing where to install your windows is vital. Let’s take a quick dive into the most important parts of window placement.
The Sun and You
First and foremost, you need to consider the direction the sun is come from at various points of the day. If you’re building a custom home, you’re fortunate in that you may be able to change the orientation of the house still. If you’re installing new windows in an existing house, you’ll have to work with what you have.
East
While it’s easy to think you should install your windows on the easternmost side of rooms, in order to catch the most morning light, it’s not necessarily so. When a window faces east, it will get a lot of sunlight until about 1pm. Then, as the sun reaches its peak, the light will begin to dim. By the middle of the afternoon, the room will be considerably dimmer and will require lamps to be turned on.
This is alright for some people. However, many people are sensitive to evening darkness and find their mood dropping as the sun disappears. These are often the same people who struggle with seasonal depression. If this sounds familiar, you should consider the other two main options.
North and South
The most consistent place to put windows is on a northern or southern wall. This will mean a steady stream of indirect sunlight from sunup to sundown.
West
Alternatively, if you enjoy a bit of direct light, putting a window on a west wall works great. The morning comes with a bit less light, but this is usually easier to manage for people who have to leave for work anyway or who sleep in. Then as the day wears on and you become a bit more tired, the sun reaches the side of the house with your window on it. The sunset brings in a flood of warm, direct sunlight, along with a beautiful view to window down to.
Multiple Windows to a Room
When you have more than one window in a room, it offers a bit of flexibility. This is especially true if the room is on a corner of the house. Corner rooms mean the ability to put a window in adjacent directions. Of course, if you’re working with an existing home, those two directions are decided for you. If you’re building a new home, any corner room that you want the most light in is best placed with the corner pointing north or south. This way, no matter whether the sun is east or west, you’ve got a bit of direct sunlight coming in from an angle.
If you’re looking to replace your windows or need a supplier for a new home, Aluplex is here to assist. Located in Toronto, we’re the #1 window and glass manufacturer in the GTA. Give us a call if you’re interested in making an order or getting more information on our products.
