Windows are a beautiful and important feature to have in the home. They raise resell value, let natural light in, add design and aesthetic value, and new window installations can even reduce your energy bills. Below, discover several ways window upgrades can improve your home life and even your health.
One of the many ways to conserve energy through your activities at home is to upgrade your old, drafty windows. Choosing Health Smart Certified™ windows that are energy-efficient and installed by experts who use the proper techniques required to create a tight, superior seal is a great investment. It also raises the property value of your home in addition to the savings on your energy bill. Look into where to get high quality replacement windows and the benefits of hiring trained, licensed, and insured installers.
Adding larger or additional windows brings in more natural light to keep your home bright throughout the day without a high demand for artificial light sources. This will also add savings to your electricity bill. Install appropriate window coverings like blinds, curtains, or shades for use at night to help keep the heat or cool air inside.
Humans benefit psychologically and physically by having an increased exposure to nature and sunlight in their day. There are several health benefits to adding windows and bringing in more natural light to the home. These include:
· Vitamin D: the farther away from the equator one lives, the less adequate Vitamin D intake one gets. Those living in certain parts of the U.S. and Canada don’t get enough sun year ‘round, and especially in the grey of winter. We receive Vitamin D naturally from the sun and must supplement otherwise. But nothing beats the real thing. It’s important for preventing bone loss, to absorb calcium, reducing the risk of heart diseases and various cancers, and intake is linked to preventing weight gain.
· A lack of natural light and sun can lead to an increase of depression and anxiety. This is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, and simply spending more time in a naturally-lit environment can help combat it. Even those not suffering from depression can get ‘the winter blues’ which is a similar effect from too much time spent cramped indoors in the darkness.
· Receiving a good amount of natural daylight throughout the day contributes to improved sleep cycles at night.
· Fluorescent lights affect a percentage of the population with elevated stress levels, headaches, and eye strain.
Natural light looks and feels better, so ample sources in the home improve your environment and increases value. This is especially true if you’re trapped indoors working under artificial fluorescent lights in an office building most days. Letting the sun in increases the enjoyability and relaxation of lounging at home. Plus, new windows look great!
Interior decorators and builders love integrating beautiful windows into their designs. With bay or bow windows, or custom designs that suit your specifications, a room is not only brighter, but the overall room design is enhanced with a traditional or a unique feel. Placing art, plants, shelving, mirrors, and other decorative elements around windows uses light and shadow to add to a room’s atmosphere and appeal. Windows also increase the exterior beauty of a home.
When your windows need replacing or upgrading, consider energy-efficient styles that will bring in more natural light, increase the value of your home, and improve your health, while lowering your energy costs.
