The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-26
LIGHTING OF LIVING ROOMS.
Have the Bedroom Windows SO - to re-
ceiye the sunlight.

ceive the sunlight.
N Trelats definition of a well lighted
room Is that it IL one " which light has
been introduced il. sufficient quantity anc
has beer so distributed that objects In
any part of ii are clearly seen without
snecial effort This is mitch too vague
for either scientific or practical purposes
Must ve require that room shall be sc
light that one can in any part OF it, with
ont trouble see clearly the eye of a fire
cambric needle? That might be proper
requirement in watch factory. but Is un
necessary to demand it in living rooms
On the other hand. it seems probable
that to keep a living room healthy II
needs not only the ditiused light of da7
but the entrance of the direct rays OF the
sun-that is. we want summing as well a.
lighting If we have an isolated house in
this latitude. its east. west and south
sides will be well summed. while its north
side will not For such house the rules
for window height and area. from Il sani
tary point of view. are that for rooms
having windows upon but one side the
area OF the openings should be at least
one fourth or one-tifth of the area of the
wall in which they are placed, and the
distance from the window to the opposite
wall should not be moro than one and
one-hali times the height of the top of the
window from the Goor
If we speak of houses in city we have
10 take into consideration the shadows
east bv other houses aud the width of the
street in its relation to the height OF the
houses upon it, The theoretical rule is
that the height of buildings on a street
should never exceed one and half times
the width of the street Although. as
stated above, the north side of the house
is less summed. yet north windows give a
very agreeable light They are preferred
by those who work Immediately in front
Of windows. as microscopsts. draughts
men. etc. and are strongly recommended
for the main sOurc, of lighting OF school
rooms. though in this case they should
always be supplemented by windows in
the east or west walls For bedrooms
south windows are preferable
I'm the lighting Of school rooms the
chief point as to direction is that the
principal light should come from the left
Of the scholars. and that they should
never face the light So long as these
rules are observed there cannot be too
much light in a school ROOM and there
need be no fear about cross lights unless
the room is to he used as a drawing
school. and even then it is easy enough To
cut Oh the light from one side In living
rooms and more especially in drawing
rooms and parlors. the full benefit of the
windows Is a. 4 rule, not obtained They
are more or less obscurcd with curtains
and draperies. which are 50 arranged Is 20
cut of precisely that part Of the window
which is most important for Illuminating
purposes-viz. the top Careful house
keepers DO not want sunlight in their
parlors. and. SO long as this is the case. it
is probable that they will not have it.
sanitary rgformcrs to the contrary not
withstanding In planning a dwelling.
therefore. we should try TO give the win
dows OF the bedrooms such an aspect that
they Will receive the sunlight and the
same should be done for the room which
is to be the chief sitting and living room.
while the apartments OF state can do very
well without much natural illumination
Engineering and Building Record