The direction that your room or office is facing will dictate factors including how warm it is and how much sunlight it gets. With that in mind, you may be wondering is a south facing room warmer? This article solves this query along with some considerations to bear in mind if you’re in a south-facing room.
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Is a south facing room warmer?
South facing rooms tend to be warmer than rooms facing north. This is attributable to the fact that more sunlight enters a south facing window than a north facing window. An office facing south will likely warm up from sunlight in the middle of the day. Rooms facing south also tend to get more sunlight throughout the majority of the day. Even though this may only be directly shining in the window for a short period of time, it is conducive to heating up and brightening up the room.
South facing windows evidently offers pros and cons, depending on your personal preferences. I have personally lived in a south facing bedroom office for years, so I know all the good and bad factors. So, is a south facing room better and what are the pros and cons of a south facing room? Keep reading to find out!
Since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, south facing rooms get more sun, especially in the northern hemisphere! Source
Is a south facing room warmer? – Pros & Cons
The below table highlights the pros and cons of a south facing room.
| Advantages of a south facing room | Disadvantages of a south facing room |
| Warmer during the day | Can get too hot |
| Brighter during the day | Excess brightness can create difficulty seeing screen |
| Sunlight helps to wake you up | Brightness can wake people up |
| Feels more inviting | Brightness can make it difficult to fall asleep |
| Reduces heating costs | Light might be obstructed by external objects |
| Reduces electricity costs for lighting |
Advantages of a south facing room
If you spend a significant amount of time in a room, be it for working, studying or even your main living quarters, you’ll want the room to be comfortably warm.
If natural light and heat is entering the room, a massive bonus is that this can cut down on the amount of heating and lighting that you need to turn on.
This could add up to a sizable saving on electricity and heating bills over the years.
Additionally, if it’s a room that you entertain people in, a bright south facing room will be more inviting than a dark dungeon north facing room.
Brighter rooms will also be an advantage to those of you who are morning owls.
Conversely, if you struggle to wake up in the morning, leaving the blinds either fully or partially open will allow some light in during the morning to help naturally wake you up!
Related: Should I Put Desk In Front Of Window? You Need To Know Why
Disadvantages of a south facing room
As we have already mentioned, south facing rooms tend to be hotter. This may be a disadvantage in a warm climate for people who are naturally hot or don’t like the heat.
Excess light entering your room may play havoc when you are trying to read your screen. It will also be influenced by the direction that you position your desk within the room.
This can be addressed by using blinds or curtains to block the sunlight.
While we’re discussing how the sun can pose issues in a south facing room, it could also be a problem if it causes you to wake up too early.
Sunlight is also more present in the evenings, especially during daylight savings time in the northern hemisphere.
This means that your room could be bright up to nearly 10pm on some of the longer and sunnier evenings, even if the sun has already set a few hours previously!
A bright room can make it difficult to fall asleep if you or your kids tend to go to sleep early.
I personally find it difficult to wind down knowing that it’s bright outside, even if my curtains are pulled closed.
It is worth remembering that if a house, shed, tree or other large object is positioned nearby, it could obstruct the sun from entering the window.
The only true way to determine how much light and heat will be in a room is to check the room at various intervals throughout the day.
Tip: If your desk is facing a wall, it’s less likely that sunlight will be blinding your vision.
Why are south facing rooms hotter?
The movements of the sun as it rises from the east and sets in the west means that it casts more light into south facing windows. Therefore, southern rooms are more capable of absorbing heat from the sun.
Related: How To Reduce Light Glare In Office? Clever Tips & FAQs!
How do you keep a south facing house cool?
If a south facing house or room is too warm, following the below tips will assist in keeping it cool:
- Close the curtains or blinds to minimize heat entering the room
- Keep vents, windows and doors open
- Turn off heating for the rooms that are too warm
- Turn on air conditioning for the room
- Create a draught into the room by opening external doors
Alternatively, if you live in a climate where it gets very warm at certain periods of the day or even year, you could consider relocating to a north facing room during the warmer time periods.
Tip: Black-out blinds or thick curtains are best for keeping the sunlight and heat out of the room.
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Are north or south facing windows better?
If a cooler room is required, a north facing rooms tend to be cooler and darker than south facing rooms. This is due to the sunlight being able to enter a south facing window during the day. However, if you prefer a bright and warm room, a south facing window will enable this. While there are ways to heat up and brighten up a north facing room, it is obviously much easier if the room is naturally warmer and brighter. There is no correct answer to this, it is a matter of which option suits you best.
Conclusion
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to deciding whether a north facing room or south facing room is better. It’s ultimately a matter of personal preference and what suits the activities that you intend to perform in the room.
Personally, I have had both south facing bedrooms, kitchens and offices and I much prefer them to dark and cool north facing rooms.
Do you prefer a north or south facing room?
I’d love to hear your feedback and any queries that you may have! Please leave them in the comments box below and I’ll be sure to get back to you!