New home to face what direction? (new house, buy, safety)

[ClownShoes]

Ok, the time has come to start figuring out which way a new house should face.

I Googled this topic and didn't find anything that helped me out for the Maine / New England area.

The way my property is situated, I first thought about having the house face towards the main road. This would almost have me facing directly north. I've been told that I would be better off if it was facing east / west.

After thinking about it, I guess the morning sun would be enough to get me out of bed before noon.

The sun would then give me some heating benefits as the day went on.

Any ideas from people in the know?

As always,
thank you for all your help and ideas~!

CS

[Northern Maine Land Man]

You rang? I went by your place on Saturday. All quiet. I would face it due south. That's true south. That way the sun will melt away ice better; You'll get more solar benefit during the winter and more light year round. Yes, you'll get more heat in the summer, but you can put up a summer awning to reduce solar effect.

We have an asphalt ramp on the south side of the house and it's the first paved surface in town to melt and dry off.

[ClownShoes]

Then south it is!

Being from NJ I have a bad habit of reading into something a little to much, so if it's suppose to face south, it doesn't matter which side... front or back?


City folk, jeez.........






Thanks, NMLM.


( email on the way )

CS

[marmac]

south

I wouldn't even buy a lot on the south side of an east/ west road or street.

( not if I wanted the house to face the road/street )

[ClownShoes]

Originally Posted by marmac

south

I wouldn't even buy a lot on the south side of an east/ west road or street.

( not if I wanted the house to face the road/street )

Jeez, if rainy days and mondays weren't bad enough.................

[forest beekeeper]

South.

I used a compass, and then I made a sundial to verify exactly where true North-South is.

The North side of our home is far colder, it never sees day-light. In the spring the ice and snow holds on far longer there.

If the snow piles up with layers of ice in it; I think you will see that you face far less work clearing your front steps when you have the sun helping you along.

[contented]

everyone, including me, is assuming that the big windows in your house will be the ones facing true south. is that true in your design?

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Hang a brick on a strong cord. At noon (standard time) the shadow of the cord will point true north. In this part of Maine, magnetic north is 18 degrees west of that line.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Hang a brick on a strong cord. At noon (standard time) the shadow of the cord will point true north. In this part of Maine, magnetic north is 18 degrees west of that line.

If you mark 11am, and again at 1pm; a line connecting those two time marks will be exactly East-West.

[woolwiTch]

I suppose you could say my house "faces" north because that's where the front door is. But the bigger windows are on the south side, along with the public spaces, so our true orientation is to the south, as it should be. As long as your house takes full advantage of its southern exposure, I don't think it matters all that much where the front door is. There is a slight drawback to having the front door and driveway on the north side in that you will have ice on the walk and driveway in the winter and you will have to deal with that safety issue.