A great part of the planet is looking forward to the warm weather as we speak. What comes after this beautiful warm weather is the summer season of holidays and joy. Find out what you can do to keep the temperature in your home under control and make the summer months even more enjoyable.
Boost insulation
When discussing energy-efficient homes and insulation, most people are concerned with reducing their heating bill. Bear in mind that most tactics used to reduce the heating bill can also reduce your cooling bill. Properly insulating your home can keep the heat out as much as it can keep it in. Make an air-tight home and the hot summer air will have no way of getting in. Also, your walls will have a way of not letting all the heat through by warming up.
Boost greenery
Strategic greenery around your home can help keep your house in shade and thus allowing less direct sunlight. Plant tall trees around your home. Apart from providing shade, they will readily catch any wind and make it circulate around your home, thus cooling your walls. Keep safety in mind and avoid tall shrubs, as well as any branches close to entrances on your top floors. You want to keep any potential intruders out of your home.
Provide shade indoors
As much as letting the sunlight in your home can be tempting, creating the shade indoors, is even more important than the one outdoors. Use blinds and shutters to keep the sun out. In addition, you can use thick dark curtains for an extra layer of protection. You should keep the position of the sun in mind, as well as the natural shade coming from the trees when deciding when to uncover the windows. They are best kept covered from early morning to later in the evening.
Let the air in
As opposed to keeping the hot air out, there are times when you should allow the outside air in. Whenever you feel that the air outside is cooler than it is inside, you should open up your windows and allow it in. On a regular summer day, this is usually the night time. To maximize this difference in temperature, open windows strategically so as to create a draft which will quickly cool off the entire house. In addition to this point, you should keep the doors between rooms open at all times. This way heat will not be trapped in individual rooms and, also, it will allow air to circulate freely.
ACs and fans
If you live in an area exposed to extreme temperatures during summer, you should probably not refrain from using devices designed for the purpose of keeping your home cool. There are very affordable air conditioners for sale, as well as fans of all sizes, fits, and purposes. If you use them as an addition to the above-mentioned efforts of keeping rooms in your home cool, you won’t have to keep them on all the time. Use an AC to quickly decrease a room’s temperature by a couple of degrees. A fan can also do wonders if you place a bag of ice strategically in front of it. The same goes for a ceiling fan if you use it right.
Watch the level of humidity
Humidity is one of the factors that affect the “feels like” temperature. Therefore, you should make your home not subjected to it by dehumidifying. This is easily done with a dehumidifier, widely available in stores at various prices. You should obtain a hygrometer to keep the relative humidity levels in your home under control. If the outside temperature is above +68F, the humidity level should be at around 40%. It will prevent you from feeling hot and sticky.
Paint your roof
One way of reducing heat within your home is adding a green roof. This is not only referring to the color, but to eco-roofs covered in plants. However, as this is not always possible if you have a dark roof which, by definition, absorbs the sunlight, paint it a lighter shade. Use colors specially designed for such purposes and make a roof which reflects the sunlight rather than absorbing it.
Relocate the cooking
Try to minimize the production of heat indoors, by cooking outdoors. If you have a shed, do what your ancestors did and set up a summer kitchen. You will still be cooking indoors, but in a small area, physically separated from the rest of the house. Also, use every opportunity you get to grill food. Improve your light summer diet by grilling instead of frying.
Keep the electronics off
In addition to not producing heat indoors, keep all the appliances you are not using unplugged. It is as simple as that. Also, choose lightbulbs which do not produce heat. Basically, any energy-efficient lightbulb which is not incandescent will keep your home cooler.
You don’t have to implement each one of the tips but find those that work best for you and your home. Furthermore, make sure everything you touch is also cool. Use light natural fabrics such as silk or cotton to keep yourself, your bed, and your sofas pleasant to interact with despite the heat.
