Sun light issues

[conservatory4me]

hi guys,

i've got a major problem. I live in a conservation area, where trees block the sunlight to the rear of the house. I get light only at at the further-end of the garden, but not near the house, making our living room very dark.
I tried to get planning permission of getting a conservatory, but this has been rejected and my illness (SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER) is now getting worse as i now have been told that i lack in Vitamin D.

I rather forget about a conservatory, but would now like to find a way of reflecting sunlight from one end of my garden to the living room, possibly using mirrors or some form of reflective surface, so your ideas would be most welcome.

Below is a diagram i created a while ago to show my conservatory, but you'll have to assume its not there. The sunlight is being blocked by the neighbour's double extension and the fence, so if you can explain a way of reflecting this to my living room window (behind the conservatory) then that would be much appreciated.

 

[big-all]

mirrors would never work unless they had sophisticated electronic control equipment as it move quite rapidly

maybe a sun pipe at a higher level up your house wall
/monodraught.com/sunpipe/?gclid=CPbxotv0j6gCFY0hfAod_lW2Cg

 

[EFCLee1]

If I had the luxury of owning my own house or even part owned it with equity I would move house, sounds a bit drastic but its the smallest things in life that give us the greatest pleasure

My main gripe were I live is not having a driveway, leaving my car in the street were any yahoo can come along with his dog an **** on the tyres just thinking about it makes my blood boil..

Good luck hope it works out well for ya

 

[vsynth]

Have you considered daylight bulbs.

Also in the winter months it may help you to wake up to one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-HF3465-Wake-up-Light-Display/dp/B003M2WWPE/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_0

 

[thatbloke]

How big are the trees , it might be that they can be crowned or thinned out.
Personally I think tree conservation can take the **** sometimes.
If they are being conserved purely for aesthetic reasons then perhaps the jobs worth who issues the conservation orders should come and live underneath one.

 

[spacecat]

what about vit d supplements and a light box

 

[conservatory4me]

thanks for your recommendation guys.

bigall - I like the idea of the sun pipe, but since this is a standard 4-bedroom terraced property, i'm just thinking how i'd bring a sunpipe from attic to ground floor. If i want the light in the center of the room, i'd have to have a pipe pillar going through the middle one of the bedrooms, which would waste valuable space, so the only thing i can think of is chimney...any idea how i'd bring it into a living room?

EFCLee1 - I can't move due to the recession and family size, so i'm stuck for at least a few years.

vsynth - Tried them mate, but its not the same as natural sunlight, heat etc. Also its not about waking up, but the SAD makes me very depressed, weak, tired

thatbloke - these trees are massive, higher than my house and block most sunlight...tiny amount filters through which is useless

spacecat - already on vit d and i don't like the lightbox as not only is it energy consuming, its fake...


RE: The sunpipe idea...here is a quick sketch of my living room layout...need to either bring the sunpipe via the chimney, or pls give me a different idea:

 

[hotrod]

thatbloke - these trees are massive, higher than my house and block most sunlight...tiny amount filters through which is useless.

Please can you provide photos of your house elevation where you wanted to put the conservatory that will also show the proximity of the trees?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Why don't you just move house, you keep starting up threads to do with your rear conservatory ambitions that eventually go nowhere!

 

[conservatory4me]

hotrod - Below is the best diagram i can quickly make. There is a straight line of about 5-6 trees and they are roughly 30 metres away and about 1-1.5 times the size of house.

freddymercurystwin - if i could, i would m8, but it comes down to recession, i.e. very few will buy the property and my affordability for the next property.

I would like to remind you, that i haven't started this thread to ask about conservatory as that has already been rejected by council, but to ask how i can bring sunlight into the house using some form of mirrors. I really like the sunpipe idea, but not sure how i would bring the pipe from the attic (3rd floor) to the living room (ground floor).

Here is another quick diagram showing the house layout:-

 

[Mw Roofline]

I have no idea but that first picture has to be the best diagram i've ever seen on DIY not. Sorry you are having problems with the light. Maybe have a few sunbeds? (i'm not joking)

 

[ladylola]

This has probably crossed your mind but anyway.
You don't say which way your house is orientated but as you say the neighbours house blocks the light can we assume that is on the southern side? So the next question is how much light does the room to the left get and could you use that room more?
Now , if I've got it completely wrong and that room is as dark another idea-
The sun pipe is a good idea but you worry about a great big pipe threading it's way through the house so why not turn the house layout on its' head? By that I mean use the top room as a living room and sleep downstairs. That way you could have a sunpipe or even roof lights with a boxing through the roof space.

 

[Nige F]

A Sunpipe is not a panacea I doubt if you`ll get one that will work @ that length - I had to fit mine on the N. elevation of bungalow roof because tube wasn`t long enough to reach to S. elevation - it`s a Velux one .

 

[jeds]

When did you apply for the planning permission? That conservatory looks like it ought to be permitted development to me.

 

[Mw Roofline]

how to get a few sunbeds?

Great first post, thanks.

http://www.qualityhealth.com/depression-articles/seasonal-affective-disorder-tanning-good-idea