When it comes to choosing the direction your windows face, it really comes to the direction of your home. How your home is positioned will have a huge impact on where your windows face.
This can mean the difference between blisteringly hot summers or frigid winters. As well as whether or not you have dark mornings or sunny mornings and plenty of natural lighting.
The position of your home is going to completely determine where your windows face and what kinds of windows you should get.
This is why it is important to know this information before investing in windows and placing them in the wrong direction. You want to work with the direction of your home and what you are wanting from your windows.
Keep reading to find out more about the way your home is facing and how that affects your windows.
North-facing homes are a popular option in many regions and can be a great direction, when it comes to the placement of windows.
In a north-facing home, you can avoid getting the excessive heat of summer through your windows. This is ideal for certain locations where heat tends to come into your home.
With this direction, you can choose very large windows without fearing that they will let in too much warmth. Though this will depend on your location as different regions will actually experience the opposite effect.
Keep reading to see the pros and cons of having a north-facing home.
South-facing homes are more open to natural lighting and tend to be affected more by the seasons. With this position of home, you may want to be warier of the type of window you get if you don’t want too much sun.
You may want to get smaller windows or invest in good curtains for when there is too much sunlight coming through. That or place your windows in the back where there is less sunlight and more shadows.
You may want to place the largest windows in areas where the sun does not typically reach through during the day.
East-facing homes provide the best of both worlds and give homeowners a little bit of everything. This allows you to get plenty of sunlight as well as shade and heat as well as cold.
East-facing homes are more dependent on the seasons and will be affected by the season you are in. This can make windows less energy efficient, so you will want to keep that in mind when pickling windows.
With this kind of home, you can choose any kind of window that you like. Many designs are suitable for east-facing homes and will provide the best experience with the changing of the seasons.
West-facing homes provide the perfect alternative for those looking for minimal sunlight during the day. This positioning allows muted sunlight to come through but not feel overly bright or harsh.
With this kind of home, you can have large windows that can let in a lot of sunlight without becoming too much. This gives you the ability to really appreciate the light that does come in as well as your view.
This is ideal for those who do not want an overly warm house or prefer more muted sunlight as opposed to direct sunlight. This will help your home to not get warm, but it could also become cold in winter.
Large windows are ideal as they let in as much warmth from the sunlight as possible during all seasons.
Whether your home is north-facing, south-facing, east-facing, or west-facing, there are windows that are right for you. Each of these homes has its own pros and cons and the best types of windows for it.
This can help you to better understand what kinds of windows would fit your home the best. This way, you can get exactly what you want in terms of heat, cool, sunlight, or shade during all seasons.
For more information on choosing the right windows for your home, go to the American Window Products website.
FINDING THE BEST LIGHT FOR YOUR HERBS AND VEGETABLES
Proper sunlight is one of the most important factors in successful plant growth. Most herbs and vegetables - including all of those offered by Back to the Roots - will thrive in a spot in your home that gets 8+ hours of direct sunlight each day. Are you stuck on how to find the best place for your herbs and vegetables? Here are three big tips!
PLACE GROW KITS IN A SOUTH-FACING WINDOW
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, south-facing windows will receive the most direct sunlight throughout the day. Whether during the Summer or Winter months, the sun's daily path starts in the East, swings South, and then sets in the West. Placing your plants in south-facing windows will expose them to day-long sunshine and help them grow as strong as possible! Not sure which direction is south? Check your phone - most smart phones now include a digital compass app built in!
Note: if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, the sun's path - as well as your seasons - are mirrored, so north-facing windows are best for plant growth.
The sun travels East to West along a curved path that swings South. During the winter, the sun appears lower in the sky, but south-facing windows still get plenty of direct light.
NO SOUTH-FACING WINDOW? THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS!
While east-facing and west-facing windows are your next best locations, plant growth will be noticeably diminished without the full sun of a south-facing window. We recommend supplementing the natural light from a east- or west-facing window with a grow light. We sell one on our site here! Try your best to avoid placing your plants in a north-facing window, where natural light alone will not be enough to sustain growth. Check out the photo below - the plant on the right was grown in a south-facing window, while the one on the left was grown in a north-facing window. Huge difference, right!? In this situation, a grow light will drastically increase plant health and allow it to flourish.
A Tale of Two Windows - basil grown in a north-facing (left) and south-facing (right) environment. Light is the most important determining factor in successful plant growth!
DETERMINE LIGHT INTENSITY WITH A QUICK SHADOW TEST
Short of purchasing a light meter, determining exactly how much light your plants will receive can be difficult. Fortunately, there's a low-tech way of measuring your light intensity with a 'shadow test'!
Around mid-day, place your hand ~1ft above where your plant will sit and spread your fingers wide.
Look at the shadow cast by your hand. A well-defined shadow means your light is strong, while fuzzier and fainter shadows mean you may need to supplement it with a grow light.
With your hand just above the proposed plant location, examine your shadow to determine if you have direct light (like the left image) or indirect light (on the right).
Armed with this info, you’re well on your way to healthy plants! Still confused? Have other questions? As always, Back to the Root’s team of growing experts are here for you. Reach out and we’ll get you growing!
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