Natural lighting makes up about 10% of a home’s energy usage. So with more natural light in your home, your lights will be on for less time during the day, and you’ll reduce your energy consumption and electricity bills. 

Windows are good sources of natural light. According to several studies, natural light can bring numerous benefits to your health and aid you in your daily activities. It can also improve productivity and circadian rhythm. It can also contribute to overall energy efficiency in your home. Siding contractor, Polar Bear Exterior Solutions explains why daylighting is beneficial to your health and how to create a light-filled home using natural light.

1. Natural Light Increases Productivity

Windows that allow for this passage of natural light tell our bodies that it’s daytime, and trigger the inherent urge to complete our chores, jobs, school and other duties before night falls.  If the addition of a few skylights increased productivity, what else can windows and natural light do for you?

2. Sunlight Helps Fight Depression

Having larger windows in your home can make your mood more positive, and when you combine natural light with good food and exercise, you’ll be on your way to a better mood and better days. There’s nothing better than having a window above the kitchen sink to make the chore of washing dishes easier, or a window in your home office to make the work go by quicker.

3. Natural Light Helps Maintain Our Sleep Cycle

The way natural light helps us sleep is easy to understand.  Our brains produce chemicals at night to help us sleep after a long fulfilling day of completing our chores, work and other routines. Our body inherently knows when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to be awake based on our 24-hour circadian cycle, which is greatly helped by our exposure to natural light.

How to Create a Light-Filled Home Using Natural Light

If you want to flood your home with natural light, these three tips are a great place to start.

1. Install New Windows or Enlarge Existing Windows

Windows allow us to enjoy as much natural light as possible while still being indoors. Adding a new vertical window, particularly one that faces east, south or west to catch the sunlight, should be considered. Without enlarging the opening in the wall, you can increase daylight with Polar Bear windows that have the thinnest frames on the market, or bay windows whose three sides naturally grab more light.

2. Add Roof Lights to Bring in Bright Overhead Light

Skylights or solatubes can be installed in pitched roofs, and this does not usually require planning permission. They can allow for more light to flood into the room, all through the day. A skylight is more than three times brighter than the light that penetrates vertical windows, so if there’s an opportunity to add one, it’s worth taking it. 

3. Open up to the Garden With Large Glazed Doors

Whether you choose contemporary bi-fold or sliding doors, or more traditional French doors, opening up the back of the house – usually replacing a window – to the garden will not just make the room brighter, it will connect it to the garden year-round, making it feel larger, too. For maximum daylight penetration, pick doors with slim framing. Slim window frames from Simonton allow maximum daylight without obstructing the view.

Don’t know which window is best for your home? Hire Polar Bear Exterior Solutions. We are a full-service roofing, window, and siding contractor that can help you get the natural light you need. Call us at (425) 290-5579 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free in-home consultation and estimate. We serve clients in the Greater Puget Sound.