An Eichler Home, a gorgeous modern construct that utilizes floor-to-ceiling windows and widely spaced, open atrium living. However, decreasing glare in an Eichler or mid-centruty home can be an issue for homeowners. Eichler homes can be an absolutely wonderful take on a modern house layout, freeing a lot of space and allowing for a less-restricted feeling that many traditional homes might have. The appeal to most is the large window-wall setting, well-designed overlay, clean lines, and organized architecture. The walls that feature these transparent barriers aren’t always the ones viewing outdoors either, many feature them used for room separation as well.
With the use of floor-to-ceiling windows along large spans of a wall comes the potential for an excess of sun glare. On top of the sun glare, another worry of the owner of an Eichler House is shattering the walls, as they tend to not be made of any kind of tempered or safety glass material. As the use of curtains tends to not really be utilized in an Eichler House because of the way it’s designed, what are some of the ways we can—and benefits to—reduce the glare in our home?
The Why and How of Decreasing Glare
Perhaps this seems obvious, but there are more reasons than just to keep the heat out from direct sunlight. Yes, it can make our home more energy-efficient, reducing the amount of heat any sort of cooling system has to mitigate. It can also reduce the sun-fading and harmful UV emissions that might make our furniture or electronics deteriorate faster. With a modern home, we need modern solutions, right?
Decreasing glare in the home isn’t limited to just heat reduction and material deterioration, it can also make it easier on the eyes. How many lost sunrises or sunsets happen because it’s simply too bright to look at? It doesn’t have to be that way, not if there’s something there to decreasing glare.
How a lot of homeowners reduce this via professional quality window film. Tinted window film is perfect for the walls facing outdoors, whether it’s the darkest kind for a sense of privacy, or it’s tinted simply for the reduction of UV rays. As mentioned before, curtain use is few and far between for these homes, especially if vaulted ceilings or extra tall walls are a feature.
A tinted window film is just the way to go to solve these problems; as a plus, it also adds protection from window-shattering. Rather than the glass exploding into large, sharp pieces, the film holds it all together as best it can, reducing both the mess in the event of an accident, as well as the danger. There are a plethora of resources for professionally tinting the window walls of an Eichler, making it a less complex process than it needs to be.
We can tint our car windows for the same reasons, why not our house? We spend a lot of our time there anyway!
The Takeaway
Caring for a beautifully designed Eichler Home does not have to be a chore, one of the best things about these homes is how customizable they can be. With the right tools and research at our disposal, creating a veritable oasis is closer than ever. The smallest things really can make the biggest difference in our quality of life, sometimes that includes adding a little bit of shade.