House-facing direction: define what you measure

Door facing, building facing and sitting describe different things

Door facing describes the doorway’s orientation. Building facing refers to the selected principal frontage. An entrance on a side wall may face differently from an open main facade; calling both the same direction loses that distinction. Joey Yap’s public teaching materials address this explicitly.

The sitting direction is opposite the defined facing. A facing of 180 degrees has an opposite of 0 degrees. This is not a description of where someone happens to sit indoors. Label a reading as building facing, apartment-door facing or headboard direction instead of writing only south.

Selecting the principal frontage requires the building form, entrances, use and the method being applied. A corner property or multiple entrances may need further interpretation. Keep facade photographs and a plan so the basis for the choice remains visible.

A bearing is more precise than a direction word

A conventional compass uses north at 0 or 360 degrees, east at 90, south at 180 and west at 270, increasing clockwise. Eight direction sectors give a broad description; the twenty-four mountains form a finer division used in some methods. Keep the original bearing when a more detailed interpretation is intended.

A reading of 88 degrees can be described as close to east, while 132 is close to southeast. These are orientation examples, not ratings of a property. A larger number is not a stronger or more favorable direction.

Remember that the scale is circular. Readings of 359 and 1 degrees are both near north; an ordinary arithmetic average would misleadingly produce 180. Retaining the original observations and their positions is more useful than oversimplifying the record.

Magnetic north and true north are different references

A magnetic compass responds to the local magnetic field, while true north is a geographic reference. The declination between them changes with location and time, as NOAA explains. One correction value cannot be applied to every country, and phone applications may offer different north settings.

Record whether the reading uses magnetic or true north. The north arrow on the plan, device reading and chosen Feng Shui method should use a consistent basis. A true-north map and an unlabelled magnetic bearing should not be combined silently.

A beginner does not need a complex calculation to begin recording a home. What matters is a traceable observation. For further analysis, the original reading, location and setting are more useful than a number altered through several unexplained corrections.

Make phone readings easier to interpret

A phone compass can be affected by metal, magnetic accessories and environmental interference. Apple’s own guidance notes these limits. A reading that changes near a metal frame or vehicle should first be considered as a measurement issue, rather than interpreted as a changing metaphysical quality.

From a place where you can stand safely, follow the device instructions and face the already defined frontage. Repeat at nearby positions and note whether you are indoors, near the frame or measuring with the door open. Large differences call for checking the setting or location, not simply selecting a preferred number.

Mark measuring points on a sketch and photograph the view faced. The bearing then refers to a recognizable object: door, window, facade or corridor. Phone readings can provide initial information; fine boundary decisions deserve a more reliable check.

• Object: door, facade or a particular seated direction.
• Position: indoors, outside the door or another identifiable point.
• Device: application, north setting and original bearing.
• Environment: obvious nearby metal and reading stability.

The building and your apartment are different levels

A high-rise may involve its facade, common entrance, apartment door and balcony. Some classical approaches establish the building-level chart and then examine the unit’s entry and surroundings. Other practices may use a different level. State the method rather than combining all readings in one field.

If the outside cannot be reached, begin with available plans and the relationship of your own doors, windows and balcony. Mark directions that remain unmeasured. There is no reason to enter a restricted area or lean outside a window to complete the record.

A direction still needs room use and layout around it. This page explains measurement; it is not a personal kua calculator or automatic flying-star chart. The related guides explain how direction becomes part of those wider methods.