SPRAY IT!
Urethane an ideal way to finish small projects
In the summertime, a lot of us want to crank up the air conditioners to cool our homes, but there are other options you can look into, and some of them can save you energy, and not to mention a few bucks. I always tell homeowners to work from the outside in — take care of your home’s exterior first to protect everything inside. The same goes for keeping your house cool. You want to stop the heat from getting into your house in the first place.
So what are some things you can do?
For starters, you can make your landscaping work for you. Everyone does landscaping projects during the summer. Use these to your advantage.
Strategically planting trees around your property can help block out the heat and sunlight from entering your home. But don’t plant them too close to your home — the extra foliage can direct water and precipitation to your home’s exterior and roof, which can wear it down a lot quicker. Not to mention the roots can get into your plumbing and weeping tile — especially if your home has clay pipes. Leaking water from a tiny crack in plumbing underground will attract tree roots. If they grow into the pipe, it can cause a blockage or a sewer back up in the basement.
If you are really serious about saving energy and keeping your house cool in the summer (and warm in the winter), think about getting a high-quality cork spray product installed on the exterior of your home to help insulate your home from the outside. It can be applied over any surface — wood, brick, stucco, steel, aluminum siding, vinyl siding, shingles ... you name it.
Insulating the exterior of the house stops the heat and cold from coming inside, as well as from escaping outside, so your home maintains a steady temperature all year round. If you live in an older house with no insulation, cork spray is a great alternative to tearing down your walls and getting insulation installed. I used it on my own house and my energy bills have been cut by almost 40 per cent!
The bonus is that high-quality cork spray is a natural fire-retardant (it has a Class B fire rating); it’s durable, environmentally friendly, it gives us a thermal break (so heat doesn’t penetrate through), it’s a breathable product, it works in any climate, and it’s water- and mould-resistant. It’s also flexible, so you won’t get any cracks on the exterior of your home. The spray cork can match any colour and you can choose different finishes — from sandy to smoother finish. Plus, it looks great and will last a lifetime.
If you’re looking for simpler solutions to cooling your home, one thing every homeowner can do is make sure your house is well sealed, so you’re not losing ‘conditioned’ cool air. That includes caulking around your windows and installing weatherstripping on your doors.
Ceiling fans are another good option. They only use about 10 per cent of the energy a window air conditioner typically uses. Just make sure they rotate counterclockwise during summer and clockwise during winter, and turn them off when no one is home. If you plan to use your air conditioner but it’s more than 10 years old, think about getting it replaced. Older air conditioners use 30 to 70 per cent more electricity than energy-efficient models.
You can also install awnings on your windows — those exterior coverings that extend from the top of your windows, which look like a visor. Or you can install a large awning across the entire side of your house that gets the most sun, maybe over a patio. Awnings can reduce heat gain by about 55 to 77 per cent. In some cases, awnings can save homeowners as much as 25 per cent on their energy bills.
It’s always better to create shade on the outside of your home than on the inside, such as by drawing the blinds or drapes closed. The sun’s heat can still transfer through glass, which is also why having windows with low-E (a.k.a. low-emissivity) coatings is a good idea to help block out the heat and harmful rays.
Keeping your house cool doesn’t have to break the bank. Be smart, look at alternatives and do your research — because staying cool shouldn’t make you sweat.