DOORS , WINDOWS & FITTINGS
HOW TO CHANNEL LIGHT THROUGH YOUR PROPERTY
Peter Daniel , Product Innovation Director at The Rooflight Company , discusses how to use natural light to beautifully frame any room .
Natural light is not exactly a modern commodity but is becoming increasingly important in residential and commercial builds alike as we all wake up to the profound effect natural light has on our physical and mental health , as well as its ability to completely transform the dynamic of a room .
When first considering how to channel light through a home , it almost goes without saying that analysing the building ' s orientation should be step one , as this will have a significant impact on the amount of light a room receives . Not only this , but it will also impact what time of day it experiences direct sunlight at different times of the year . For example , if you have an East facing room , it will get the sunlight in the early morning but will be in the shade by the afternoon .
Simple enough in theory but actually imagining how a window here or there might change the look of a room isn ’ t always easy . Daylight-visualising software is a great tool to help with this process as it maps how light moves . There are a few different apps out there , but each will mock-up a room and track the light patterns at different times of the day / year , depending on where vertical windows and rooflights are . Architects should be able to offer this service as standard during the design process .
As tempting as it may be to put one big rooflight in a room , this may not be the best option . Using one large window can have the adverse effect of letting too much light into a room , which can be just as bad as having a dark room . It can also reduce the thermal performance of the room by substituting higher performing insulation with lower performing glazing – getting the balance right is key .
In these instances , the room will be stifling hot in the summer but freezing cold in the winter . A pitfall many modern conservatories fall into and the main reason that many homeowners are ripping off the glass roofs to their conservatories in favour of a tiled one with multiple , smaller rooflights .
Using several smaller rooflights instead of one big one can help you avoid this issue partly because there is a lot less glass involved , but also because there are several different glazing options which can be used to reduce the G-value of the glass panes and reduce solar energy transmittance ( how easily a room warms up in direct sunlight ). Another consideration is how sensitive you are to noise . A large expanse of conservatory roof suffering a sudden downpour of heavy rain can be deafening whereas several smaller rooflights may dilute the sound .
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