The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-17
IS
DESIRABLE
IN HOME
Renter or Purchaser Declared
to BE More Influenced by
This Than Imagined

Few people realize the great
Influence which the appearance Of
q cellar has on the prospective
renter or purchaser Of house.
How often one hears the remark:
"Myi What q lovely light cellar"
especially from the feminine part
Of the buying public.
The remark plainly indicates q
willingness to appratse the whole
place generously. On the other
hand, when the cellar. which II
Usually the last portion of the
house to be examined, 10 Of the
dark. dismal variety, with windows
enough apparently, but not enough
- dispel the darkness, the effect
= quite different, and the GUS
TONER II apt to disparage an other.
Wi90 perfect Job.
Darkness DisIiISed.
70 % human to dislike darkness.
An kinds Of bugaboos, hobgoblins,
devils and spOoks have been asso.
dated with darkness for genera
lions back. So the. human mind
naturally turns away from dark
ness toward the light, from the
somber to the gay, from the dismal
to the cheerful things OF life. In.
etinctively, the house hunter feels
the oppressiveness Of the dark
cellar.
Can q cellar having a given
number OF square feet Of window
surface be lighter or darker than
another cellar Of similar proper
lions having the same number Of
square feet Of window surface
all other conditions being equal?
Upon first thought, the answer
VIII be mo"
But further consideration Of the
question brings out the thought
that 1t Is not always the amount
OF the material but the manner Of
using the material that really
counts for greater or less results.
And using the light available in
2 cellar Is just one of those prob
lens Of efficient manipulation. The
reader has no doubt lived in a
house or houses where a trip to
the cellar was a thing to be
dreaded.
Cellar Corners Dark.
The usual method Of placing
windows in the center of the walls
OF q cellar, produces dark corners.
a short trip In the suburbs and q
little observation will convince one
that thousands Of such cellars ex-
list You have doubtless noticed
that the windows are placed at or
near the centers Of the walls in
such q way as to direct the light
In paths across the center of
the cellar, nearly all the light com.
ing in parallel lines.
With such an arrangement Of
windows, the corners will be com.
paratively, IL not actually, dark,
The direct light rays being forced
to the center Of the cellar leaves
only the diffused light or reflected
light for the corners, which are the
most difficult points to accommo-
The Improved method to correct
this faulty layout Of q cellar Of the
same proportions and under the
same conditions Of grading, pro-
duceg light corners. Here all effort
haA been spent In lighting up the
corners. ignoring the center Of the
cellar a. being capable Of taking
care Of itself. The windows are To-
Gated In the corners and the light
coming into the cellar travels
through the corners.
Windows Utilized.
Three corners are lighted by q
window, or windows, while the
fourth corner is lighted by the
strong, direct rays of two windows,
travelling at right angles to one an
other across the cellar. The diff
fused light from the five windows.
having lighted up the corners, rem.
ders the center Of the cellar equally
cheerful. Also, the light travels
along every side wall, leaving no
dark places anywhere.
The writer has built q house
having q cellar such as the one
described. The design Of the house
was such AZ to require D low
setting and It was therefore neces-
sary 10 keep the house as near
the ground as possible. The win
doWs ere only sixteen inches high,
and three Of the five windows are
surrounded by concrete reliefs tor
area ways, yet the cellar is sur
pr1singly light ana cheerful. When
the steam furnace. water boiler,
wash tubs, and all the other base
ment equipment was installed there
was no point In the cellar that
was not receiving its full quota