The practice of daylighting takes advantage of the sunshine and uses it as a primary lighting source, which conserves electrical energy and maximizes the property’s functionality. If you want to know how you can get your rooms to be filled with sunshine instead of lamplight, here are three major tips to follow.

1. Get The Right Windows

It would not be possible to successfully attempt daylight harvesting without the help of lots of windows — this is especially true if your property is large and has more than one floor of living-space to cover. To optimize the amount of sunlight that you can coax inside, you should check the position, size, style and quality of your windows. You might find that they are not as effective as they could be if they are short, lower along the wall and or have a smaller surface area. If this is true, you should upgrade the windows in your home to options that will be more conducive to daylighting and that will make your rooms look brighter.

  • Housing experts like Mike Holmes recommend that you use the orientation of your home to get more sunlight into your rooms — increase the number of windows on the south side because that direction will receive the most sunlight.
  • Windows that are taller or higher up on the wall will be able to catch more of the sun’s rays. Their height will stop them from being blocked completely by outside obstructions like trees, shrubs and patio furniture.
  • When you have ample space for a window, choose a broad style like a bay window or bow window that can filter in plenty of natural light.

There are a lot of window companies in Toronto that you can consult about your situation, but make sure to find one that can help you through every step of your renovation. A company that manufactures their own products and then installs them for their customers is more likely to care about getting positive results. If you are insistent about using a contractor for the installation, you should look through these installation tips ahead of time to be sure that you don’t have an unfortunate renovation experience.

2. Add More Glass

You can maximize the amount of sunlight in your house by revamping your front and back entrance doors. When it comes to your back entrance, you can have transparent sliding patio doors or traditional garden doors. When it comes to either entrance, you can have glass panels inserted into the door or decorative windows surrounding the frame — you can choose between transoms above the frame, sidelites on the left and right of the frame or all three together. The decorative additions may seem like small details, but they can make a big difference in a dim entranceway.

3. Be Clever About Decor

There are some rooms in the house that will not have windows or glass doors, but that doesn’t mean that natural light can’t find its way in there. Some fantastic ideas for bringing more light into a dark room include strategically hanging up mirrors and setting up shiny furniture pieces so that they reflect the light from other areas around the house into that space. Be aware that the paint colours that you use for your rooms could be absorbing the sunlight and making the spaces look dimmer. To get the best results, paint over any dark and intense shades like navy, black or brown with a lighter colour palette.

Daylighting is a wonderful idea for homeowners who care about sustainability and being environmentally-friendly. By cutting your use of light fixtures in half, you will be saving on electricity and taking advantage of a renewable resource. Even if you experience cloudy or rainy weather one morning, you can be assured that the sun will be back soon.