Hello everyone,
Our shell construction including windows and exterior door is completed, and now we are concerned that our hallway might turn out a bit dark. I tried to illustrate the situation in the attached PDF. The orange arrows represent the light beams entering the hallway (green outlined area).
Adjacent to the entrance area, we have a glass door, and next to the living-dining room, there is a floor-to-ceiling window element. At the entrance itself, there is also a floor-to-ceiling frosted glass panel. On the east side of the entrance area, there is another floor-to-ceiling window element. The living room has quite a few light openings.
If all doors inside the house are closed, no light enters the hallway otherwise.
The hallway is open upwards to the attic. In this area, we are considering installing a roof window on our 45-degree pitched roof (pink marking) to let some natural light into the hallway. Plastering will probably be somewhat challenging, but the benefit would be significant. The roof window would be on the north side of the roof, so there would be no direct sunlight.
Of course, it would be advantageous to install the window during the shell construction phase. After the house is finished, the roof insulation and so on would need to be removed and reinstalled.
Has anyone in the forum faced a similar decision? Should one wait to see how the lighting actually turns out, or is it already clear that the hallway will be permanently too dark?
What do you think? Thanks in advance for your experiences,
Axellent
Our shell construction including windows and exterior door is completed, and now we are concerned that our hallway might turn out a bit dark. I tried to illustrate the situation in the attached PDF. The orange arrows represent the light beams entering the hallway (green outlined area).
Adjacent to the entrance area, we have a glass door, and next to the living-dining room, there is a floor-to-ceiling window element. At the entrance itself, there is also a floor-to-ceiling frosted glass panel. On the east side of the entrance area, there is another floor-to-ceiling window element. The living room has quite a few light openings.
If all doors inside the house are closed, no light enters the hallway otherwise.
The hallway is open upwards to the attic. In this area, we are considering installing a roof window on our 45-degree pitched roof (pink marking) to let some natural light into the hallway. Plastering will probably be somewhat challenging, but the benefit would be significant. The roof window would be on the north side of the roof, so there would be no direct sunlight.
Of course, it would be advantageous to install the window during the shell construction phase. After the house is finished, the roof insulation and so on would need to be removed and reinstalled.
Has anyone in the forum faced a similar decision? Should one wait to see how the lighting actually turns out, or is it already clear that the hallway will be permanently too dark?
What do you think? Thanks in advance for your experiences,
Axellent
projekthausbau14 Dec 2015 20:33We also ordered one last week. We have been living in the house for 2 years now and after moving in, we regretted not installing one in the hallway. Now it is being added afterwards so there will finally be some light in the darkness.
It would definitely be cheaper and easier during the shell construction phase. If I were you, I would go for it :-)
It would definitely be cheaper and easier during the shell construction phase. If I were you, I would go for it :-)
S
Sebastian7914 Dec 2015 21:06Why no artificial light?
I
Irgendwoabaier14 Dec 2015 21:21Hello,
I originally didn’t want a roof window, but after seeing the house that served as our model (OK, the architect had some good improvement suggestions, and I also made a few small detail changes), it became clear: a roof window was a must. It’s located right above the stairwell, exactly in the middle of the house’s longitudinal axis. It’s inconvenient to clean and definitely requires a motorized opener since you can’t reach it without a ladder, but... I would have missed it terribly! Artificial light can never replace what it’s like to have the blue sky visible up there – and even when the rain is pouring down – I would have missed it!
I originally didn’t want a roof window, but after seeing the house that served as our model (OK, the architect had some good improvement suggestions, and I also made a few small detail changes), it became clear: a roof window was a must. It’s located right above the stairwell, exactly in the middle of the house’s longitudinal axis. It’s inconvenient to clean and definitely requires a motorized opener since you can’t reach it without a ladder, but... I would have missed it terribly! Artificial light can never replace what it’s like to have the blue sky visible up there – and even when the rain is pouring down – I would have missed it!
B
Bauexperte14 Dec 2015 21:34Good evening,
I would not install a double casement window here, especially if it cannot be opened electrically. Noise is one issue—along with the almost impossible effort required to clean it in this position.
There are so-called daylight spots—prism domes—that capture and concentrate daylight. If I’m not mistaken, such a spot can also be used as a light during dark hours via an electrical switch.
I have attached an example for you; with this system, we turned a dark corridor into a bright and friendly space. For a little over a year now, these spots have also been available from the most well-known double casement window supplier. The costs are comparable to a good double casement window.
Best regards, Bauexperte
axellent schrieb:
The hallway is open upwards to the attic space. In this area, we are now considering installing a skylight on our 45-degree pitched roof (pink marking) to let some natural light into the hallway. From a plastering perspective, this will probably be somewhat challenging,
I would not install a double casement window here, especially if it cannot be opened electrically. Noise is one issue—along with the almost impossible effort required to clean it in this position.
There are so-called daylight spots—prism domes—that capture and concentrate daylight. If I’m not mistaken, such a spot can also be used as a light during dark hours via an electrical switch.
I have attached an example for you; with this system, we turned a dark corridor into a bright and friendly space. For a little over a year now, these spots have also been available from the most well-known double casement window supplier. The costs are comparable to a good double casement window.
Best regards, Bauexperte
Hello everyone, and thank you for your opinions. We have also considered these daylight spots and I thought they were really great. Unfortunately, there are quite a few negative reviews online about them (especially regarding watertightness). Of course, you can't always believe everything written, and it also depends on the manufacturer and installer.
How easy is it to clean these spots?
We have planned enough artificial lighting in the hallway, plus additional spots on the staircase. But natural light is simply something different. And even if it is not economically significant, it is obviously nice to consume as little electricity as possible.
How easy is it to clean these spots?
We have planned enough artificial lighting in the hallway, plus additional spots on the staircase. But natural light is simply something different. And even if it is not economically significant, it is obviously nice to consume as little electricity as possible.
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