addingight to a very dark house

[FluffyCubs]

were keen on a house buy its v dark....it has leaded windows all around , and for swine reason the owners have added I an eight metre porch also with leaded windows which means that the lounge is so dark that even today the lounge needs a light on!! scared of committing in case removing the I met wall and changing windows won't be enough....does anybody have any experience of replacing leaded glass to increase light access, or of adding light holes(?) To draw in sunshine? Hate a dark house...

Written with sick baby sleeping on me, sorry for typos

It's much easier to add in a light ( or two ) that's on a timer so it only is on during the day - with a Daylight bulb in - it will bounce light round the room and because you'd expect light - it's not out of place . Only becomes noticeable at night - ie when it's not daylight - then it's just far to bright !!! Hence the suggestion of the timer .

gosh if its dark in august, can you imagine what it would be like in january / february? do you not have any other options?

Our house is 350 years old and fairly dark. To a certain extent you can't change it - we've accepted we'll never got high ceilings and light flooding into rooms. But also think about the decor - light walls, not too much furniture and light coloured fabrics won't absorb the light. Mirrors also help to reflect light around. The fact our house is dark in winter doesn't bother me as it's so cosy with the log burner going etc - does the house have a snuggy charm or is it just gloomy?

Change the doors to mostly glass doors.

Heavy oak ones

I'd say if you have doubts/concerns just don't buy it.

This would drive you crazy, no?

Can you knock any more windows into the lounge wall? We plan to do that with our very dark lounge. We're lucky that ours is an end terrace and we have an external wall. Many of our neighbours who've had similar extensions (the reason the lounge is dark) won't be able to do this as they're mid terrace.

Is it double glazed leaded windows? If so - especially if they are upvc - the panes can be replaced with just clear glass. You may even be able to remove the leading strips as they are usually stuck on.

if you want some outside daylight upstairs, there are little cup thingies that fit on the roof and bounce light down a tube to a flush fitting in the ceiling below. ill google it. often used in ultra modern buildings.

Our dining room is very dark and not really anyway to change other than decor. We powerwashed the back yard yesterday and the stones are so white they seem to be reflecting light back in. It was an unexpected bonus!

google daylighting

little cup thingies that fit on the roof and bounce light down a tube

Suntubes, I think. We have one in an internal bathroom.

thats the thingies!

This is very timely - I'd been about to ask if anyone had any experience of sun pipes. I've pretty well decided to put one into my kitchen which has a dark corner and, luckily, just-about-possible access to a roof to take the daylight from. Lots of info online but nothing like experience. Anyone?
Am also going to replace an internal door with a glazed version to allow light into a dark inner hallway.

Sun pipes are great; we have a very dark corridor and it transformed it. The fitter was in and out before 2 p m, and it cost IIRC about £700, but this was years ago... at least 10. For weeks after I kept trying to switch the lights off!

Second vote for sun pipes here. Had one in a stairwell in our old house and it worked brilliantly- including a moonlit glow at night. Just about to fit 2 in our current house. We used the ones by monodraft with the diamond dome top. Someone else I know has just installed velux ones which have a flush velux window style pane on the roof. They've been really disappointed. I think that the multi angled dome ones are v effective in bringing light in for longer periods of the day.

We can see that the house is not selling due to direst lead windows......they cut out loads of light, so my plan would be to replace those, then add in sunpipes.....we would also stick a conservatory on the back anyway, but surely the removal of a wall would do a fair bit to combat it?

So we reckon we could get a good amount off the price....I'll post a link.....it's such a dark old mess with heavy oak furniture and too many drapes (very eighties)

Took out wall between North facing kitchen and North facing conservatory! What a difference!!

We have a north facing house with an extension across the back.

Stripped the green wallpaper first as it brought the whole room down. (Preferred bare walls to what we had.)

A year later we put LED lights in the darkest room. (Made dark by the extension across the back.)

Couple of years later then added as many Velux windows as we could when we had to replace the roof on the extension.

A few more years on we have just knocked double doors in wall down side and between rooms to that outside light can reach the darkest area.

Leaded windows are on the hit list at some point.

Cut down/thin out large trees/shrubs outside should help make a difference.

Yomella, had forgotten we had horrid little dark North facing room on top in sludge green. Stripped in and papered in wide stripe pale blue and white with white bed etc. lovely!
Put strategic mirror (huge) opposite window in floor below.
Lots to be done if location good, structure should and room sizes work for your family!