# Brighter Home and Budget Restrictions



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Painting the room with light colors will help.
Adding a sky light with tapered sidewalls would work but it's not cheap.
Those solar tubes work great, easy to install for an average DIY.


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## alison.contact (Mar 12, 2014)

joecaption said:


> Painting the room with light colors will help.


No idea why I hadn't thought of that one. Thanks! :thumbup:


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## fixrupr (Apr 10, 2014)

Light colors are always a good decision. You might want to consider either installing a skylight or even just a couple mirrors in a pinch, they carry light around the room really well.


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## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

Sun tubes are not too expensive....easy to install and don't require major structural changes.

During our 2-story addition, we lost the window do an existing bathroom....so we installed a sun tube.....

Before....(note...the hole is already there so some light from the roof is already coming down.



And after....it took us about a month to get out of the habit of trying to 'turn off' the light during the day. It brings in a ton of light.


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## alison.contact (Mar 12, 2014)

Well my husband already bought a sunflower heliostat and it works great, but it can only light one room at a time. Same with sun tubes they only light one room and then I need to pay for installation. I want something I can do to brighten all my rooms without paying too much.


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## JustinK (Oct 4, 2009)

The sunflower heliostat is an interesting concept. I never seen them before. If it works for you I suppose you could make your own with a couple old mirrors.


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## IslandGuy (Jan 30, 2014)

Go outside it's free.


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## alexjoe (Jun 10, 2013)

Light Color is an ideal and most possible economical solution for your problem to more brighter your home.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

A few reasons I do not like the Heliostat idea.

1) If someone looks out the window, they may glance directly at it. This could be painful. If that person is a child, they might repeat it and could sustain damage to their eyes.

2) If any of the light and heat is hitting painted surfaces, it is going to age those areas more rapidly than the surrounding areas. So, over time, you will end up with lighter spots in the paint job.

3) Use of the Heliostat will cause a heat gain in the room. While this may be beneficial in the winter, it is more heat that you will need to get rid of in the summer, particularly in the hotter areas of the country.

To me, the indirect light of a sky light or solar tube is far superior to reflecting sunlight directly at a window.


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## Semih Kandiyoti (Nov 3, 2014)

Use subtle colors because they will help you in several way; adequate lighting, rooms will appear spacious, peaceful and calming for mind. You can also use light colors in curtains.


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