How to not overheat your house this summer
House overheating during summers? Let’s close the door up front on obvious open-a-window or use-a-fan tips, and get right to practical ways how to not overheat your house this summer.
Why Opening Windows May Not Work Well
Good air circulation will keep the body drier and more comfortable, but open windows let in bugs, debris and noise without cooling the air. Fans also keep air moving, but they disturb dust bunnies and pedal the pollen that came in the open windows earlier, making it harder to breathe and still not cooling the air. If you want these methods to cool your house, then no matter where you live, you need a systematic process for making it work.
Shade and shield the windows.
- Keep east-west curtains and blinds closed during direct sunlight hours.
- Reduce solar glare by using reflective blinds.
- Install retractable awnings that can be put away to let the sun warm the house in winter.
- Replace outdated, decorative bedroom curtains with modern, insulated drapery or heavily insulated panels that block heat and noise.
Put appliances and electronics on notice, and cool your jets.
Hot water, hot stoves, major appliances and electronics emit a lot of heat.
- Unplug that plasma television while away during the day.
- Ask your electric company about timers they install that turn off major appliances like water heaters and refrigerators at random for a few minutes during peak load to save energy. You could save on your bill by agreeing to them.
- Take tepid showers instead of filling the room with a tub of hot water.
- Speaking of hot tubs, and now waterbeds, turn off or turn down the heating elements when not in use.
Insulation may be underrated.
Adding insulation if you have none can keep a house cooler depending on the type of insulation in your home and how it was installed. Aged blown insulation inside attics and walls can become compacted and less efficient over time. Decorative openings in older attic ventilation systems can let in moisture, leaves and pests that nest and ruin your insulation, compromising its performance. Inspect your insulation to see if it needs attention.
Leave the shade trees as they are.
Deciduous trees that shed leaves in winter provide an excellent barrier to direct sunlight heating up your home in summer.
- Postpone spring pruning until fall to pretty them up for the holidays.
- Intersperse small to medium flowering trees among taller plantings for cool beauty and heat relief.
Add a porch or garage.
Adding a porch, carport or attached garage shields that part of your house from sunlight, making it cooler than other parts of the house. It can help keep your house looking hot without you feeling the heat.
Service or upgrade aged cooling systems.
Old, inefficient cooling systems may be heating up your energy bill more than they cool off your house. Instead of entertaining a new cooling system, our planned maintenance service may be all you need for your existing system.
Install central air conditioning.
If these measures are not enough, then maybe it is time to upgrade your house with cooled air. Think it will send your power bill through the roof?
- Modern cooling systems have energy-saving features like thermostats with programmable settings to schedule cooling that fits your lifestyle.
- Our own craftsmen can handle the entire project, including any remodeling necessary to accommodate a new system.
- Central air conditioning adds comfort without unsightly window units cluttering your curb appeal and yields a nice return on the investment should you rent or sell your home.
If you choose maintenance or a new cooling system, always work with experts who perform and guarantee their own work rather than sub-contract it. We pay attention to detail in every stage of your upgrades from planning to completion. Get your summer cooling in gear using our convenient online scheduling form, or give us a call at (502) 456-5982 today.
