If you’ve been checking out real estate ads, you will notice that there’s a huge emphasis placed on a property’s potential for natural light. It’s not surprising given the many aesthetic and health advantages sunlight offers.
In this article, we have rounded up the primary benefits of natural light to help illuminate the reason why a lot of homeowners invest in large double-hung vinyl windows or even a sunroom. Find out why you should open those window blinds more often and let sunshine into your home every day.
Let’s delve right in!
It Brings Out Your Home’s Natural Beauty
First of all, a light-filled home is beautiful. Natural light brings out the vibrancy of the colours incorporated into your interiors. It makes the space bright and expansive. It also creates a more inviting atmosphere perfect for entertaining guests and a soothing ambiance for relaxation. If you have huge picture windows or French doors that look out or open to a garden, your mornings don’t only get showered with an abundance of natural light but breathtaking views, too.
Sunlight Is a Natural Source of Vitamin D
One of the most sought-after natural light health benefits would be vitamin D. Dubbed as the sunshine vitamin; it has been proven to minimize your risk for developing chronic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, and heart disease. It also boosts your body’s immune system to make you less vulnerable from catching viral illnesses like the seasonal flu.
In fact, the use of sunlight to treat diseases is called heliotherapy. It has been used since the time of Hippocrates, the legendary Father of Medicine, in 460 B.C. to help tuberculosis patients recover. The Greeks tapped into the healing properties of the sun by building solariums. A modern version of these would be sunrooms and conservatory extensions.
Natural Light Encourages Positive Emotions
Regular exposure to sunshine also wards of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Studies suggest that a lot of people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as a major depressive disorder with seasonal patterns.
It typically occurs during fall and winter months when people tend to spend extended periods indoors.It powerfully illustrates the importance of increasing natural light in your home and in the office, where you stay most of the day. Ensure that you and your loved ones have a sunny disposition at all times. We highly recommend installing additional exterior windows where possible.
Exposure to Sunshine Keeps Your Body’s Internal Clock in Check
Getting your daily dose of sunshine can have a significant impact on your circadian rhythm or your innate body clock. It’s an integral component that affects several processes in the body, including your metabolism, hormones, and quality of sleep. It’s the reason why people who work graveyard shifts have a significant susceptibility to obesity and diabetes.
Research shows that office workers who make an effort to get exposure to natural light during the day sleep better at night and are more productive and energetic come daytime.
Fewer Side Effects From Artificial Light
Did you know that excessive exposure to artificial light is harmful to you? Although compact fluorescent lamps are considered to be safe, some people suffer from a heightened stress response when they stay too much indoors with artificial lights on. They are also more predisposed to getting migraines and eye strains. A study from the Netherlands also discovered that constant exposure to light-triggered pro-inflammatory activation of the immune system, muscle loss, and early signs of osteoporosis.
Improves Energy Efficiency and Lowers Bills
A proven practical benefit of natural light at home is energy efficiency. You do not have to switch on artificial lighting during the day. In spring and summer, you can also open the windows and doors to stimulate air circulation and let the cool breeze in to reduce your air conditioning use. As a result, you’ll be able to conserve energy and cut back on your utility bills.
Sunshine Helps Your Houseplants Thrive
Growing plants indoors has its own plethora of therapeutic advantages; no wonder everyone is getting so hooked. As you know, natural light is an essential part of the plant’s food-making process known as photosynthesis. Aside from your garden or porch, you can also have fun growing herbs, succulents, and houseplants successfully in front of your floor to ceiling windows, window sills, or window ledge. They get showered with plenty of sunshine in the morning and afternoon, making them an ideal location for your pocket gardens.
Natural Light Lowers Risk for Mould and Mildew
Another benefit of natural light at home is that it maintains healthy air circulation and prevents dampness, which effectively prevents the growth of mould and mildew. Areas that get hit by sunlight also get sanitized naturally and thwart off harmful germs and bacteria, which is why kitchen windows are essential.
It Boosts the Value of Your Home
The benefits of natural light are astounding, which explains why it’s such a buzzword in the real estate industry. When you increase the natural lighting in your property, you inevitably improve not only your family’s quality life while you are still living in it but also boosting its resale value. Investing in sizable and energy-efficient vinyl windows that deliver all the benefits of sunlight we’ve enumerated in this article also enhances your home’s curb appeal, which plays a pivotal role in attracting real estate agents and prospective buyers.
How to Increase Natural Light at Home
Follow these steps to bring sunshine into your home:
- Check how your current window treatments are affecting the sunlight in your home.
- Go for naked windows, if possible.
- Draw your drapes or blinds open during the daytime.
- Add mirrors to walls adjacent or opposite exterior windows to reflect light.
- Go for lighter shade when painting your interior walls.
- Install transom windows or sidelights in your front door.
Reap the benefits of natural light at home in style with high-quality replacement windows that will last you a lifetime. Shop at Clera Windows + Doors and avail of our professional window installation service. To request a free home estimate, contact us today!
