How to get sunlight into basement living area?
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There is a contraption called a Sun Tunnel. I imagine you could use one of them, perhaps build a box or three sided trellis to hid the ugly part of it.
MIRRORS ON BOTTOM AND SIDES, WILL GIVE YOU MORE LIGHT.
Consider the way that 3rd world countries are using water bottles to bring light inside. Cut a clear piece of plexiglass to fit over the well. Fill two empty 2L soda bottles with water and a touch of bleach to keep them clear. Cut two holes in the plexiglass to fit the bottles. Put them half-way through the plexiglass, lid side down and glue them in with hot glue. This will act as a lens to disperse the light and still allow the light to come in directly from the plexiglass. As the comment above said, set mirrors in the bottom and sides to reflect all of the light inside. I wish there were a way to give the well more of an opening. The siding seems to cover half of it.
why not make the area bigger and plant a garden. remove the old well sides and get a bigger one. a little work involved but it would allow much light into the area
I don't understand why any builder would put in a window using a "window well" that is blocked!
If I were going to live in this house any length of time and wanted to use the basement for anything but junk, I would call in a specialist and have this problem changed...i.e., dig out the ground around this area, put in proper drainage, proper berms and even roofs to keep out the rain...then shore up with retaining walls and put in steps down to the basement.
You just have to make sure the benefits in extra usable space offsets the cost! Good luck!
And while you are at it, you might want to swap out a shorter from the floor window for that bay window. A good contractor can get that done! Swapping a few feet in a room than can give away room might be worth it to gain an entire basement.
Dig out a larger window well area and step it up from below the window sill to finished grade with tiered planting retaining walls either from landscape blocks or timber. Finish the base of the window well with pea-gravel to allow for drainage into the ground. Doing this will allow you to put in a larger window as well, if you so desire. It's a lot nicer way to do a window well without having a dramatic drop into a pit and will allow much more light into the basement.
below are some ideas. my son put in his own larger egress window but if its just you, you can have someone else do it. then on the second video you can spruce it up all kinds of ways!
good luck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UycG1S6hV7g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UzRZFrekQY
Anything you do is going to have to contemplate whether this opening was an attempt to meet code about fire exits. The best would be to dig out for a new window well that doubles as a fire exit.
mirror in the window on the angle will for sure bring some natural light