Have you noticed that summers seem to be getting hotter? According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2018 was the fourth warmest year on record. As a result, the home is taking on an increasingly important role. A respite from the heat during the summer into a cooler home is preferred. When it becomes unbearable outside, we want to be able to head indoors to a cool house. Escaping the sun and remain comfortable.
If you’re wondering how you can turn your home into a haven from the heat, then here are some ideas which can help make a cooler home.
Install awnings
To some people, awnings are simply a fashion statement. They’re used to cover the outside of a house to improve its general look. Updating the weathered material that had adorned the exterior or by offering a fresh new color and look. While awnings do help improve the look of your home, they are also helpful when it comes to temperature control. Studies by the University of Minnesota have shown that awnings can reduce cooling energy by 21 percent.
Install a radiant heat barrier for a cooler home
Awnings can take care of the walls of your house, but what about the roof? If you’ve ever been up into an attic on a hot summer’s day, then you’ll know that it can be like a furnace up there. The roof is the part of the home that is in the direct line of fire from the sun’s rays. The warmth that it traps can them permeate through the rest of the home, heating it in the process. A radiant heat barrier can help prevent this. It is a strip of material that goes around the inside of your roof. It can reflect back 90 to 97% of the heat coming through, helping to reduce the temperature inside.
Plant trees to cool a house
Strategically planted trees in the front and backyard can help to increase the amount of shade your home has. Keeping the house cooler through the summer months. It isn’t just the shade that they provide which is good news for reducing temperatures either. Because trees let off moisture which evaporates through their leaves, they help to lower the temperature of the surrounding air. A tree that expires up to 100 gallons of water a day can be as effective as five air-conditioning units running for 20 hours a day.
Take good care of your air conditioning unit
Speaking of air conditioning units, they’re the best man-made solution to fighting back against the heat. However, only when their systems are working to their full capacity. The last scenario that anybody wants is to have an air conditioning breakdown on the hottest day of the year. Getting a company who specializes in HVAC repair for an inspection and service before summer arrives. Reducing the chances of that happening by ensuring that everything is in good working order before the heat wave arrives.
Try and block the sun out
The sun comes pouring through the windows and into our homes. Warming the interior up almost as if we were in a greenhouse. If you prevent too much sunlight getting in, then you’ll be keeping your home as a haven from the heat. Cool down a room with Custom window treatments. Room darkening lining keeps the heat out during the parts of the day when the sun is at its strongest. Another more effective means is by installing solar screens. They are thicker and a better insulator from the outside heat. They come in a variety of styles depending on how much light filtering you require. They can be removed during the winter months when they aren’t required.
Open your windows at night for a cooler home
The temperature will naturally be cooler at night. Take advantage of that to try and air your house out during the midnight hours. Opening your windows while you are asleep will encourage cool air to come and circulate the property. Moving the staler, warmer air out with it. Most of us will already do this, as we tend to sleep with the windows open in the summer. It can otherwise be very uncomfortable. Letting air into the other rooms of the house can help to cool the property for the following day.
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