Getting more natural light in your home lifts your mood and aids your energy levels. It floods a space with the full spectrum of light. This is something that no light bulb can achieve, making it much better than artificial light. The bright and airy glow of natural light can bring a sense of calm and take away stress and worries. It also reduces the need to use artificial lighting, saving you money on energy bills. And on top of this, it transforms how your living space looks and feels by brightening up the space.
Some spaces can be difficult to flood with natural light. And it isn’t common knowledge just how much good natural light can bring. Here at Diamond Windows, we understand the importance of natural light to both your space and yourself. So we have created this guide on maximising natural light in your home using UPVC windows. Use it to discover tips on how to flood your space as much as possible. We hope you gain an understanding of what we can do for you to gain the benefits of natural light.
What is Natural Light?
So, what is natural light? It is the light made by the sun that contains the full colour spectrum. This means that it contains all the colours of the rainbow, from red to violet. Natural light is also dynamic, meaning that it changes with the time of day. It also means that the colour, strength and timing of the light changes with the seasons throughout the year. Natural light is filtered sunlight. As the sun moves, the light becomes more filtered, being less filtered in the day when it’s overhead. This is why during the day, there is a brighter light, and in the morning and evening, there is a softer and warmer light.
How Much Can Natural Daylight Reduce Lighting Costs By?
Maximising natural light in your home can significantly reduce the need to rely on artificial lighting. Due to this, it can save you money on your energy bills because you won’t be switching on the lights. But how much can natural daylight reduce lighting costs by?
Natural light is vital to reduce energy consumption. It not only stops turning artificial lighting on to save electricity, but it also reduces the need to use heating systems. Because of this, natural light can save you up to around 75 percent of the energy used for lighting your home. If you turn the lights off as you leave the room, it can save the average household £20 a year. So, not switching the lights on during the day can do more than this. It significantly reduces your lighting costs and saves you a lot of money!
How Does Natural Light Affect Mood?
Natural light has many health benefits, especially for your mental health. It makes a big impact on your mood without you even realising it! The main benefit natural light gives your body is a boost to your serotonin levels. Serotonin helps to regulate your mood and make you feel happier. Exposure to natural light can boost your body's production of serotonin. This brings you calmness and focus. As well as this, natural light can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. This is because sunlight can release endorphins, which are known as the feel-good hormones. These alleviate stress and anxiety, making you feel happier.
Sunlight not only improves your mood, but it can also boost your energy levels as it produces cortisol. This hormone makes you feel alert and awake, which is what gives you energy. It can also regulate circadian rhythms. These are your 'body clock' that regulates many of your biological functions. Most importantly, these rhythms control your sleep cycle. We need day and night, and slow transitions between the two with dawn and dusk, to get into regular, easy and restful sleep.
Natural light and sunlight is also crucial to enable your body to generate Vitamin D. This is produced within your skin in the presence of natural light. Adequate Vitamin D is not only crucial to bone strength and health, but to the proper function of your immune system.
How to Add More Natural Light to a Room?
It can be difficult to know how to add more natural light to a room. Maybe you're out of ideas when your space still seems small and dark. However, there are a few simple ways to fill your home with sunlight to reap the benefits that natural light can provide.
Decorate your Home with Light Colours
If your home is decorated in a light colour palette, it can help every room to feel much brighter. Painting walls and ceilings in a light shade reflects sunlight around the room. Sunlight bounces off these colours, so a simple change in décor can go a long way.
Use Sheer Window Coverings
It is popular to use heavy curtains or blackout blinds to help block out light during the evening and early morning. But this can create a problem during the day. This is because, even when your curtains and blinds are open, they can still block natural light from getting into your home. Sheer window coverings are best for this because they allow sunlight to flood your space while still giving you some privacy.
Invest in Skylights
Investing in skylights for the roof of your home can make a huge difference and is a great way to incorporate natural light. This is ideal for spaces that don’t have easy access to windows, like a hallway, and smaller homes. Skylights let sunlight flood your home from above, giving you a soft and even spread of light. Plus, it adds a stylish feature that can make you stop using the lights in your home during the day.
Use Reflective Surfaces and Mirrors
A really easy way to include natural lighting throughout your home is to make use of any reflective surface you have. This can be mirrors in your home, glass and shiny materials that bounce light across your living space. If you position your reflective surfaces to face windows and glass doors, then the sunlight can trickle in and bounce off the surfaces. This amplifies the natural light in every room, making your home feel airy and bright. On top of this, it helps to make your home feel more spacious and open, which is perfect for smaller spaces.
Letting Natural Light Through Windows
The most obvious and effective way to soak your home in sunlight is by letting natural light through windows. It is ideal to have large windows throughout your home because the larger the window, the more sunlight can seep in during the day. However, if your home can’t have larger windows, it's best to ensure that nothing is obstructing them, so that natural light can get into your home. Doing this makes your home look brighter and feel much bigger. You can also connect to nature as it brings the outdoors in!
So, what are the best windows for natural light? UPVC windows are the best for letting natural light flood your living space. This is because they are high-quality and robust, making your windows tough to last for years to come. As well as this, they have double-glazing which helps natural light filter in and trap the heat from the sun. This provides you with improved insulation and preventing heat loss through your windows and frames.
At Diamond Windows, we offer the highest-quality UPVC windows, manufactured with precision in mind. This allows us to offer an A-grade energy rating as standard, which is perfect for your home and maximising natural light!
Make the Most Out of Natural Light with Our UPVC Windows
Diamond Windows are one of the leading UPVC window suppliers in the UK, and provides a wide range of UPVC windows to suit your needs and tastes. Our UPVC window solutions are durable, high-quality, precision-made and built to last. They resist rain, heat and frost so our frames won’t buckle, rot or warp. Plus, they flood your home with plenty of sunlight.
Find out more about our UPVC window selection and contact us today to discuss your needs and ask any questions.
