The Importance of Window Placement in Your Home
Window placement affects your home’s curb appeal, natural light, and energy efficiency. Here we discuss the importance of window placement in the house and how to plan your windows to meet your home’s particular needs.
Window Position for Curb Appeal
Window placement for the front of the home should make sense in the layout of the home, while also maintaining a sense of consistency and balance. However, you also have to consider the interior.
For example, if you have southern exposure and want to place a massive picture window at the front of the home, it could lead to issues with heat and glare inside the home. The key is to aim for consistency and a style that suits the architectural design of the home while considering interior views and natural light.
Window Position for Natural Light
The use of the room and where it sits is important as this impacts sun exposure. As mentioned, the heat and glare from southern exposure can be harsh. However, east and west-facing windows can have sun exposure challenges in the spring and fall, when the position of the sun changes.
Rooms where you watch TV or use a computer that is east, west, or south-facing require natural light management with blinds or exterior awnings. You can also consider setting the sill higher than 1.25 meters from the floor which can help manage natural light and reduce glare.
Curious about window placement in your own home? Contact our team at The Door Centre today!
Window Placement for Energy Efficiency
Most homeowners don’t know there are two considerations when it comes to window energy efficiency:
- Sun exposure
- Wind direction
For sun exposure the larger the panes of glass, the more it will impact heating/cooling efficiency. Choosing energy-efficient windows will help a great deal with managing sun issues, but it becomes more difficult with very large windowpanes. For wind, if you understand which direction the prevailing wind blows in your area, you should ensure your windows open easily.
This allows you to take advantage of the cross breezes. Often the home design takes sun exposure into consideration with a long overhang to manage heat issues. This makes window placement easier.
Window Position By Room
The final consideration for window placement is how you use the room:
Living Room/Family : Ambient light is always pleasant in rooms where families gather at different times of the day. Large windows provide more natural light but need to be balanced with the view and sun exposure. This is even more important if this is where you have your TV or computer. Having a series of smaller windows together often helps manage sun exposure without taking away from the natural light.
Dining Room : Window placement is less important in the dining room as you tend to use them in the evening or formal meals. Since you don’t need to worry about the view or glare, you have more freedom with window placement.
Kitchen : A window over the sink is always pleasant as long as you choose a casement window that makes it easy to open. However, you have to consider how much space a window will steal from your storage space.
Bedroom : Bedrooms require a certain size and must be operable due to fire codes. Since you sleep in the room you want your windows to be positioned so they help maintain privacy, while also allowing for a cool breeze or pleasant views.
Bathroom : Consider adding a transom window above the tub, or skylights so you take advantage of natural light for makeup and shaving while maintaining privacy.
Need Help With Window Placement?
Is your window placed in the best spot in your home? To learn more about window placement, give our team at The Door Centre a call today.
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