Increase the value of your home
In addition to increasing the perceived size of a room, increasing natural light also increases your home’s value. How, you ask? Increases in natural light make a room appear more inviting and spacious. The enhanced natural light can also highlight the home’s architectural features, creating a strong first impression and an increased perceived value by the buyer or potential renter. There are many ways to increase the amount of natural light that enters your home, including:
• Installing sliding doors
• Installing sliding or awning windows in the kitchen
• Installing glass doors
• Installing commercial framing combined with other types of window systems
• Exploring ClimateGuard thermally-broken window and door systems
• Investigating different types of glass
Installing sliding doors
Installing wide panel sliding or stacking doors into your living areas and combing them with your outdoor spaces increases natural light, room size and also creates an additional entertainment area.
Installing awning windows in the kitchen
They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, where families come together, prepare meals and entertain. Adding a servery or awning window in the kitchen, behind a sink or bench, can significantly increase the amount of natural light entering the room. A servery window is typically installed between a kitchen and outdoor living area and facilitates the easy transfer of food and drinks between both areas. Gaining popularity in residential homes with patios and entertainment areas, servery windows are easy to install and integrate indoor and outdoor living areas seamlessly.
Installing hinged door or French doors
Installing glass hinged doors or french doors instead of timber doors is a great way to increase natural light in your home. Not only do they offer uninterrupted views
of your outdoor spaces, but they are also compatible with other aluminium window systems. For example, the CityView 45mm commercial door seamlessly integrates with other CityView window systems and commercial framing systems. While a set of French doors can increase natural light and improve the aesthetics of your home and be customised via finishes & configurations to match your taste and the style of your home.
ClimateGuard thermally-broken window and door systems
When discussing energy efficiency in Australia – you can’t go past the existing NatHERs requirements. In Australia, Architects and designers must adhere to the NatHERs (National House Energy Rating Scheme) star rating to measure the energy efficiency of a residential home. Homes must meet a minimum 7-star rating for occupancy – there are several options when it comes to reducing your energy efficiency rating. Installing effective insulation in the form of batts installed in roofs and ceilings can have a significant effect on achieving the minimum rating. As will installing effective window systems with improved glazing options and increased thermal comfort. Darley’s ClimateGuard window and door systems are made with thermal-break technology that increases energy efficiency, resulting in a lowerthan- average u values of 2.5 and below. Architects and designers are under increasing pressure from not only homeowners, but stakeholders in commercial projects – who want to install the maximum number of windows and doors while still staying within the limits of government regulations for energy efficiency, WERs ratings, and u-values. The performance of a window is measured via its u-values – the lower the u-value, the greater the window’s insulating properties. U values can vary greatly – a single-glazed residential window system has an average u-value rating of 8, while the u-value for the Climateguard thermally broken Architectural Sliding Door is 2.5 Great news for architects – they can install several ClimateGuard window and door systems into the premises and stay within the limits of government regulations.
Installing commercial framing combined with other window systems
When you think of commercial framing, you tend to think of high-rise apartments and large-scale projects, but did you know installing commercial framing with aluminium window systems can have a massive impact on increasing natural light? For example, combing a commercial framing system with a double-hung window or an awning window can increase the amount of natural light and the room’s size, as shown by these project photos. Commercial framing systems provide a number of benefits to architects & designers, including design flexibility, structural integrity, and the freedom to create open floor plans. Architects have the ability to integrate a range of different design styles, including traditional or contemporary, with the use of commercial framing. Open floor plans and creating functional spaces are all a possibility with commercial framing, whether it be for residential or commercial projects, and can be easily modified for future changes in the building layout.
Explore different types of glass
Different types of glass impact the amount of natural light that enters a room. For example, Low-E (low emissivity) coated glass is designed to reflect heat and allow light to pass through it. Thereby keeping your home warm in the winter (and cool in the summer) and still allowing natural light to enter. There are two types of Low-E coatings: Hard coated low-e and Soft coated low-e. The hard coat low-e is when the coating applied to the glass in the furnace during the manufacturing process, with the coating fusing onto the glass as it cools down. This type of coating is great for energy efficiency as it is installed in the interior of the building to regulate indoor temperatures and reflect the heat or cold back into the room. One of the disadvantages of using this type of coating is the fact that it can create a haze effect
– which can be visible in certain daylight conditions.
The soft low-e coating works differently with the coating applied to the glass after it has gone through the manufacturing process and cooled down. This type of coating must be enclosed in a double glazed unit, making it last longer and perform better, and increase energy efficiency. The downside to applying the soft coat low-e to glass is that it does need to be installed by a qualified glazier or window installer in a specific way to function correctly. The good news is that Darley’s CityView, KlassicView, and ClimateGuard window and door systems are versatile and can accommodate the above glass types and a range of others with varying thickness levels.
Don’t forget about the bathroom & laundry
There is a allot of discussion around light exposure in the kitchen and other frequently used living areas but what about other areas, such as bathrooms and laundries? A great way to increase natural light in your bathroom or laundry is by installing aluminium louvre windows. Not only do they look good, but they also increase natural airflow and ventilation. Facilitating adequate ventilation in the bathroom or laundry is just as important as increasing natural light. The Darley Ventient Trickle Ventilation system ticks all the boxes when it comes to natural airflow and ventilation. It is energy efficient and, requires no power to operate, conveniently fits into window systems – passively circulating airflow according to changes in ambient temperature. Click here to find out more about Ventient.
Darley offers the complete solution
If you are a Darley customer, you have even more reason to celebrate with Darley’s CityView, KlassicView, and ClimateGuard window & door systems and commercial framing systems offering the complete solution when it comes to increasing the amount of natural light in your home – creating a brighter & welcoming environment. The Darley Aluminium website has all the product information you need, including WER’s rating, test ratings, and technical specifications – while the online customer portal gives you access to technical information such as CAD drawings, technical manuals, and fabrication videos. To find out more go to www.darleyaluminium.com.au
