Wichita eagle., 1888-07-06
LIGHTING OF LIVING ROOMS.
Eave the Bedroom Windows So a. to II.
ceive the Sunlight

have the bedroom Windows Sc as to Re-
ceiSe the Sunlight
NJ Trelat's definition of q well lighted
room is that it is one In which light has
been introduced IL sufficient quantity and
has beer so distributed that objects In
any part of it are clearly seen without
special effort This is much too vague
for either scientific or practical purposes
Must we require that room shall be sc
light that one can in any part of it. with
out trouble. see clearly the eye Of fine
cambria needle1 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 it
needs not only the diffused light of dav
but the entrance of the direct rays of the
sUn-that is, we want summing as well as
lighting If we have an isolated house in
this latitude. its east. west and south
sides will be well summed while it's north
side will not For such house the rules
for window height and area. from sani
tary point Of view. arc that for rooms
having windows upon but one side the
area of the openings should be at 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 opposite
wall should not be more than one and
one-half times the height of the top Of the
window from the floor
# we speak of houses in O city we have
TO lake 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 the height of buildings on 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
very agreeable light They are preferred
by those who work Immediately in front
Of windows. as microscopists. draughts
men. etc, and are strongly recommended
for the main source of lighting of school
rooms. though in this case they should
always be supplemented by windows III
the east or west walls For bedrooms
south windows are preferable.
In the lighting of school rooms the
chief point Us 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 rs these
rules are observed there cannot be too
much light IN g school room, and there
need be no fear about cross Lights unless
the room is to be used Us q drawing
school, and even then 1t is easy enough TO
cut off the light from one side In living
rooms. and more especially In drawing
rooms and parlors. the full benefit of the
windows is, as rule, not obtained They
are more or less obscured with curtains
and draperies, which are so arranged as 20
cat of precisely that part of the window
which is most important fer Illuminating
purposes-viz-, the top Careful house
keepers do not want sunlight in their
pariors. and. 80 long as this is the case. it
is probable that they will not have 1t.
sanitary reformers to the contrary not
withstanding In planning a dwelling.
therefore, we should try to give the win
dows Of the bedrooms such 81 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