Keeping cool in the summer sun
Take some easy steps to protect your home from overheating
Things are heating up, folks.
Most of us love the warmer weather. We count down the days until we can say, “Man, is it hot”. But as soon as the temperature starts to rise, a lot of us are ready to crank our air conditioners into overdrive.
If you can’t take the heat, there are different ways to keep your home cool over the summer. Not only do they work, but they’re also easy on the wallet and the environment — I love it when that happens.
Keeping blinds and curtains closed during the day helps. I encourage everyone to do this.
But a lot of heat can get trapped between the blinds and the window. And once the heat is already in your home, cooling things down is an uphill battle. Most homeowners treat the effects of heat. The smart ones stop them before they start.
You want to stop the heat before it comes into your home. Otherwise, half the battle of beating the heat is already lost — before it’s even started. And since the problem starts in nature, let’s look to nature to solve it.
How do we stay cool when we’re outside? We look for shade. What gives us shade? Trees.
Just as trees keep us cool outside, they can help inside, too. They provide a natural way to block the higher temperatures from entering our homes. If you’re thinking of doing some landscaping, plant a few extra trees around your house, but not too close. The extra foliage will direct water and precipitation to your home’s exterior and roof. This wears down exterior finishes and is an open invitation to leaks.
Another way to block the heat and get some shade is with an awning. What’s an awning? Those exterior coverings that extend from the top of windows. They’re like a visor for your home. Some homes even have a large one that extends across one side of the house — the side that gets the most sun — usually over a patio.
Awnings are an old school solution that works. They reduce heat gain by about 55 to 77 per cent. They also block UV rays that can damage floors, furniture and finishes.
In certain climates, awnings have proved their worth — saving homeowners as much as 25 per cent on their energy bills.
Some awnings are retractable, which lets heat and light in during the winter. Others are stationary and have to be taken down before the colder weather sets in.
Installing an awning incorrectly can cause a lot of damage.
If it falls it can pull the siding off your home and damage the exterior — not to mention the safety risks of it falling on someone. Just like everything else, you want to get the right pro for the job.
If you’re interested in awnings, contact a company that specializes in them. They’ll be able to recommend the right length, width and material depending on your home’s specific needs. And they’ll install it the right way. Their employees should have a lot of experience working with these units. Some companies even certify their installers in-house; they’ll know what they’re doing before they show up at your home.
Another way to keep your home cool is insulation, which is just as important during summer as in winter.
Air conditioners are still the crowd favourite for keeping cool. But we want to minimize our A/C usage and make it work as efficiently as possible. To achieve this, the outdoor unit must be clear of any leaves, dust and debris. Also, clean the filter every month while you’re using the A/C. And if you can, keep the outdoor unit in the shade. This will increase its efficiency by five to 10 per cent.
If you’ve had the same air conditioner for more than 10 years, consider replacing it. Older air conditioners use 30 to 70 per cent more electricity than energy-efficient models. They can also corrode or rust. When that happens, harmful refrigerants like Freon can enter the environment. Why is this bad? Because most refrigerants deplete the ozone layer. This increases global warming.
Incorporating different cooling solutions is smart. We decrease our energy consumption, we decrease global warming, we make our homes work for us — and we save money in the process. Everyone wins
when we care.