Daylighting is the practice of using natural lighting in your home. The advantages of daylighting include increasing the amount of light in a given room, cutting your utility costs, and making colors appear more vibrant. Sadly, not every home has been built with daylighting in mind. The good news is that there are a few tools that you can put to use in order to increase the amount of daylighting in your home.
Paint the Eaves on Your Home White
One of the easiest ways that you can boost the amount of daylighting in your home is by painting your eaves white. First, take a look at the window. If there are overhangs on your roof, these are called eaves. They are outside the home and point back towards the window. This section reflects light back into your home. If you paint them white, this will boost the amount of light that is being reflected back towards the window. This is one of the easiest ways to increase the amount of natural light entering the home. This also will not impact how the home appears on the outside because the eaves point back toward the home.
Try To Use Brighter Colors for the Interior Walls
Another way that you can increase the amount of daylighting in your home is by using brighter colors on the interior walls. While this might seem obvious, you should also think about the following points carefully. These include:
- Check the light reflectance value of each color. This is often shortened to LRV and ranges from zero (for jet black) to 100 (for white).
- There are some shades close to white that have a high LRV.
- Do not neglect ceilings. White reflects light and ceilings are often unnoticed.
These are a few easy ways to boost the amount of daylighting in the home.
Consider Using Glossy Paint
In addition to the color, glossy paints also boost light reflectance which can boost the daylighting in the home. The higher the gloss level, the more light is going to bounce off the surface, boosting the lighting in the home. Think of glossiness like a mirror. Mirrors reflect light and so do glossy paints. While this doesn’t mean that every paint has to be as glossy as possible, it does mean that glossy paints can be used to help a room that might be particularly dark in color, location, or appearance.
Consider Using Reflective Tiles in the Kitchen of Bathroom
There are some rooms in which tiles are popular. In these rooms, think about using reflective tiles. While glass tiles are ideal, ceramic tiles will work well, too. Think about using these tiles both on the floor and for kitchen backsplashes. This is another way to boost the amount of daylighting in a given room.
Consider the Placement of the Windows in Your Home
By considering the placement of the windows in your home, you can maximize the amount of light that you allow in. Think about what direction your walls face and how you can place windows in a manner that maximizes the amount of light during waking hours. This will help you increase daylighting, helping you reduce your reliance on interior lighting. For help with this, call the professionals!
Learn More About Natural Daylight Lighting in Your Home
At Energy Shield Windows and Doors, we have played important roles in home improvement projects throughout Arizona since 1996. We understand how to use our products to work with the local climate to help our customers with heat reduction, noise reduction, and more. Contact us today!
