3 Home Projects to Help You Adjust to Shorter Days

As the autumn season rolls around, the days become shorter as the sun sets earlier. Darkness falls even faster after daylight savings time ends and clocks move back an hour. Instead of feeling shrouded in darkness, immerse yourself into home projects that help add extra light and get you through the longer nights.

Check out some project ideas for your home and living situation.

1. LED Strip Lights
As night falls, certain areas of your home become darker than others. Instead of turning on all the lights in a home, rely on LED strip lights to illuminate specific locations. LED strip lights come in many sizes, and the strips are often adjustable to fit in specific areas.

As you shop for the strip lights, look for lights that can connect through smartphones or via a remote control. The lights will be easier to operate when needed. You could run strip lights on the edges of a hallway to provide illumination without the need to turn on full hallway lights.

Subtle use of the strip lights will help out in other areas as well. For example, you could use the lights underneath kitchen cabinets. The lights will make it easier to see countertops and add a nice aesthetic touch to a kitchen.

Or, use LED strip lights on areas like bookshelves or entertainment shelves. The lights make it easy to see the areas once the sun goes down. Not only are the lights convenient to use, but they also use a low amount of energy, so you will not see a dramatic difference in your energy bill.

2. Fresh Coats of Paint
A house can sometimes feel dark and claustrophobic when the sun sets quickly. Keep bright feelings in your homes with a fresh coat of paint. Bright and vivid colors will reflect light for longer even when the sun goes down.

A vivid white paint will offer some of the brightest options, but you can choose from light blues and yellows as well. Choose a satin or glossy finish for more reflection in the area.

Add fresh coats to paint to the main areas in your home. While you may not paint every room in the house, choose areas where you spend the most time in. Spaces like a kitchen or living room can transform with a new coat of paint. Try out different paint samples to see how the colors look on your walls.

3. Patio Heaters
When the sun sets earlier, it often takes the heat with it. During the autumn months, you will have a lot of chilly evenings. Do not limit your time on a porch or deck. Consider a patio heater. Patio heaters typically come in portable and permanent installation options. A portable heater allows you to place the heater on the ground in different areas of a patio.

A permanent installation is typically higher overhead and will disperse heat downward across the whole patio. The heater should be ideally over a patio seating area. No matter which version you choose, you can turn on the heater at night and enjoy the instant heat.

Some heaters run on electric power, and others use a form of propane. The options depend on your preferred method and access to options like exterior outlets.

For all of your hardware supplies, visit us at Koontz Hardware. We have a wide range of options in stock and will provide for all your needs to get through the autumn season. We are always happy to answer any of the questions or concerns you have about these and any projects you have.