With many of us working from our homes long term, full-time or occasionally – having a dedicated workspace at home is vital to promote productivity and efficiency. Making sure this space is set up for productivity is essential for getting your work done.
Lockdowns and modified stages are seemingly unending, and with returns to the office more up in the air than ever, it's an excellent time to evaluate your at-home set-up for work.
This brings us to windows. Windows are one of the most vital aspects of your home office or work-from-home set-up. They allow for natural light, sound control, airflow, and more, which all create a more productive work environment, which will expand on later.
We love making custom windows in Kitchener that suit the specific needs of homeowners. Read on to discover why windows are so crucial to a home office and what you should factor in when deciding which ones are right for you.
Why Windows Are Vital to Your Home Office
Working from home is not a trend that will be disappearing anytime soon, so ensuring your workspace is set up to promote productivity is essential. Productivity and efficiency can be challenging to come by when working from home, not just because of distractions like kids and household chores but also because of a lack of motivation. This can be because working at home doesn't work well with your methods or personality, or because life's stresses are causing stress and exhaustion.
This is why it's more important than ever to take the time to set up a dedicated workspace, and if you're able to have a room set aside for a home office, even better. Having your own space for work allows you to have better control over the elements that can affect your mindset, mood, and distractibility.
There are numerous things to look at when it comes to setting up your home office for productivity. One of the things that can affect your work performance the most is your windows or lack of windows. Golden Windows window products provide natural light, airflow, and noise control, all of which are essential to improving your work performance.
Let's explore exactly how much of an effect these elements have.
Natural Lighting
Natural light provides many significant health benefits, and most of us don't get enough of it. Trends like standing desks might be all the rage, but it turns out that what employees crave most is natural lighting and being able to see the outdoors, according to a survey of more than 1,600 employees by HR advisory firm Future Workplace.
The absence of these things also hurts employees, with more than a third of employees saying they feel they don't get enough natural light in their workspace and 47 per cent admitting to feeling tired or very tired due to the lack or absence of natural light or a window at their office. In addition, 43 per cent say that the lack of light makes them feel gloomy.
Having access to good natural lighting helps us feel mentally at our best. Exposure to sunlight provides plenty of vitamin D for our skin to absorb, which helps to prevent bone loss, weight gain, various cancers and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Natural light also helps keep seasonal depression at bay. About 14 per cent of people are affected by seasonal depression, with six per cent being affected by severe depression known as seasonal affective disorder.
Having access to natural light also aids with getting a better quality of sleep. Sleep is a significant factor in mental health, and getting a good night's sleep leads to improved mood, memory, immune system performance, and increased productivity, among other benefits.
Temperature Control
As windows age, they can develop cracks and leaks, letting cold or hot air in from the outdoors. Having quality windows that have been appropriately installed helps avoid having unnecessary shivers or chills while trying to work. It can be difficult to concentrate on work when all you can think about is wrapping yourself in a blanket to warm up despite the heat being on or you feel like it’s boiling hot in your workspace even with the air conditioning blasting.
Temperature control is one of the biggest battles in an office environment, so a huge benefit of working from home is that it allows you to have better control over the temperatures you work in. Leaky, inefficient windows can take away that control and take focus away from your work.
Airflow
Much the same as with natural light, being able to get some fresh air has a multitude of benefits for health and mindset, making it key to a productive work environment. While getting outside is a wonderful way to get that fresh air, opening a window and getting a nice breath of fresh air is a great improvement when working.
Fresh air makes mental cognition soar. That extra oxygen does wonders for better brain function, improving concentration, and providing more energy. In addition to the benefit to mental cognition that increased oxygen offers, it also helps white blood cells function correctly by fighting off bacteria and germs.
It also provides an increase in serotonin, otherwise known as the happy hormone. The release of serotonin is directly affected by the amount of oxygen in your blood. Serotonin provides a feeling of happiness, boosting your mood and making you less anxious.
Noise Control
Having access to natural lighting and circulating airflow are great, but sometimes, you just need some quiet. Whether it's the garbage truck slowly making its way down the street, a dog barking, or a neighbour is having renovations done, being able to block out outside noise is imperative for a good working from home situation, especially when you have to give a big presentation or make an important call.
Noise pollution can be a significant problem and affects millions of people daily. The health problems associated with noise pollution are numerous, including Noise Induced Hearing Loss. It can also cause heart disease, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbances. Having quality windows that help keep outside noises outside your home is vital for your health.
Even if you don't have regular excessive noise in your neighbourhood, closing the windows and blocking noise when needed to concentrate or take a work call is a huge benefit to productivity, concentration, and focus. In addition to the high insulation performance of our triple glazed windows, they are also unbeatable for blocking out unwanted noise.
Having a View
According to the Future Workplace survey we mentioned earlier, a view of the outdoors is equally important as access to natural light. It turns out that sitting in an enclosed room staring at a screen is not conducive to positive moods or feelings of productivity.
The survey found that 73 per cent of employees find the longer they use technological devices, the more they want to take a break visually, either by going for a walk or looking through an unobstructed window in order to take in an outside view. Doing this improves attention and performance during work. Even short periods can have a considerable impact, such as gazing out of a window for a minute.
Best Windows to Consider
Now that we know some of the myriads of ways windows help promote a healthy and productive work environment, let's discuss different styles of windows that will best help address these needs.
When it comes to windows, there are operable and fixed window styles. At Golden Windows, we offer a wide selection in both categories for our customers to choose from, and there are benefits to each, which is why they are often used in combination with each other.
Operable Windows
Having operable windows helps to optimize your home for overall wellness by letting fresh air circulate throughout your home. Providing ventilation is the most critical function of operable windows, which is why there will almost always be a few operable windows in a home strategically placed to provide good airflow.
In addition to the benefits of fresh air, good ventilation serves many purposes. It lets you control the moisture in your home, making sure condensation doesn't build up and create mould. This is a big reason why operable windows are placed in rooms that experience an abundance of moisture, like the bathroom and the kitchen. They also help control odour and provide ventilation when cooking.
Operable Windows Types
Now, we'll explore the different kinds of operable windows and the functions they provide.
Awning windows have a hinge at the top that allows the sash to open outwards and from the bottom by cranking a handle. Awning windows are beneficial if you want airflow but receive a lot of rain. When it's opened, this window serves as an awning, so you don't have to worry about water getting inside.
Casement Windows, in contrast, hinge at the side and swing outwards in a sideways fashion. They are also opened using a crank and are great for rooms in the home that need fresh air as they promote airflow. On a hot day, it's even possible to angle them in a way where they catch a cool breeze and direct it into your home.
Slider windows aren't operated with a crank as the options above are. The sashes of a slider window operate along a horizontal track. Because the sashes move horizontally, slider windows are fantastic for wide window openings. They combine stunning views and fresh ventilation. These windows aren't protrusive, so they are a great option if you're concerned about space, either inside or outside your home.
There are also single-hung and double-hung windows. The bottom sash slides upward on a single-hung window while the top sash remains fixed. With double-hung windows, both sashes slide. As with slider windows, hung windows are an excellent choice for areas with limited space as they don't protrude inwards or outwards.
Fixed Windows
One of the greatest benefits of fixed windows is the amount of natural light they allow for, helping to let in plenty of sunshine and brighten your home and workspace. Fixed windows are also sealed better, making them more energy efficient than their operable counterparts and providing better noise control (although operable windows are no slouches in either of these categories).
Another benefit of fixed windows is that they are far more customizable than operable windows, so if you're looking for variations in size and shape, this is the way to go. They are also often easier to keep clean, as there are no tracks or runners to maneuver around.
Fixed Window Types
Let's explore the different types of fixed windows to see how they meet various needs.
Architectural and picture windows are custom designed to suit your tastes and needs. Whether you're after a floor-to-ceiling picture window or something to match the architectural style of your home, Golden Windows can manufacturer these windows to meet your needs. We customize an unlimited range of sizes and shapes, including half rounds, quarter rounds, gothic, ellipticals, segmentals, arch, ovals, extended shapes, geometric shapes, and many more.
Aside from the endless customizability of picture and architectural windows, which can be tailored to meet the aesthetic requirements of a house, people tend to love these windows for their ability to be made in large sizes, offering brilliant views and an abundance of natural light.
If you've got the physical space, bay and bow windows are an excellent addition and suit various purposes. They are usually partially fixed with some operability.
Bay windows are made up of a large picture window in the center and a casement window on either side at a 30° or 45° angle. Bow windows feature a more curved design and include more windows (four or more,) some of which may be operable.
We hope this information has helped if you're looking to improve your work-from-home situation and give yourself the gift of adding windows that will promote a healthy work environment. If you're ready to talk windows with us, give us a call to talk about your options, whether fixed, operable or a combination of both.