Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-09-21
LIGHTING OF HOUSES.
Have tho Bedroom Windows So ms to Ro
celve the Sunlight.

Have tho Bedroom Windows So rs to Re-
celve the Sunlight.
That healthy room Is usually, II
not always, a light room, and that
there is some connection between dark
ness and disease, in addition to the fact
that both words begin with the same
letter and that they therefore sound
well together, are generally admitted.
When, however, we come TO consider
the principles or rules which either do
or should guide the architect in his
plans for either natural or artificial
illumination, it will be found
that they are rather empirical,
and are not always or even
frequently followed. M. Trelat's def
milton OF a well-lighted room Is that IL
Is one In which light has been intro
duced in sufficient quantity and has
been so distributed that objects in any
part of 1t are clearly seen without
special effort This is much too vague
for either scientific or practical puI<
poses. Must we require that room
shall be so light that ono can in any
part OF it without trouble see clearly
the eye of fine cambric needlep That
might be proper requirement in a
watch factory, but is unnecessary to
demand it In living rooms. 8
On the other hand, 1t seems prob
able that to keep living room healthy
1t needs not only the diifused light OF
day, but the entrance OF the direct
rays OF the sun--that is, we want sum
ming AS well as lighting. II 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 sanitary point
OF view, are that for rooms having
windows upon but one side tho areHof
che openings should be ut least One
fourth or one-fifth OF the area OF the
wall in which they are placed. and the
distance from the window To the op-
posite wall should not be more than
ono and one-half times the height OF
the top OF the window from the floor.
II we speak OF houses in a city we have
TO take into consideration the shadows
cast by other houses and the width
of the street In its relation TO
the height Of the houses upon
it The theoretical rule is that tho
tfoight OF buildings on street should
ffvET exceed one and half times
the'width OF the street. Although, az;
Sf@tDd above, the north side OF tho
1soSIse is less summed, yet north win.
1pws give q very agreeable light.
They are preferred by those who work
in front OF windows. as
draughtsmen, ETC., and
ape strongly recommended for tho main
source of lighting OF school rooms,
though in this case they should al
ways be supplemented by windows In
the east or west walls. For bedrooms
south windows are preferable.
In the lighting OF school rooms the
chief point as TO direction is that tho !
principal light should come from the
left of the scholars, and that they
should never face the light So long
IS these rules are observed there can
not be too much light in school room
md there need be no fear about GROSS
lights unless the room Is to be used
Is drawing school, and even then IL
s easy enough to cut off
he light from one side. In
living rooms, and more especially
n drawing-rooms and parlors, the full
,cneiit OF the windows is, as n rulo, not
obtained. They are more or less OBJ
cured with curtains and drapories
which are so arranged as to cut off
Jrecisely that part Of the window !
which is most important for illuminat-
pg purposes-viz., the top. Careful
lousekeepers do not want sunlight In
heir parlors, and so long rs this is the
aso, it is probable that they will not
ave it, sanitary reformers to the con-
rary Notwithstanding. In planning
yelling, therefore, we should try to
i've the windows of the bedrooms such
IL aspect that they will receive tho
unlight, and the same should be done
Or the room which is to be the chief
itting and living room, while the
partments OF state can do very well
'ithout much natural Illumination
and Building Record.