I’ve got some fresh ideas here, so let’s get right to them. And please let me know any ideas I’ve missed!
WINDOWS
1. Reflective window film cuts energy costs while providing privacy and allowing for a view and muted sunlight to enter. They can provide up to 98% infrared heat reduction compared to unprotected windows, and reduce temperature imbalances in your home.
2. Awnings work to shield your home from the sun’s rays do double duty come rainy season.
3. Take advantage of those breezy summer evenings and open your windows at night to promote a cross-breeze that will help you and your family sleep better. The cooler air will circulate all night, allowing you to start fresh with a cool home in the morning.
BONUS HACK: open the top section of your windows on the downwind side of your house, and the bottom section on the upwind side. This will create a cooling pressure current. You can make things even cooler by facing a box fan out the window.
FANS
1. Bathroom and kitchen fans can do more than help remove odors. They drag the hot air that rises and push it out of your home.
2. Ceiling fans: The blades on your ceiling fan are tilted slightly in order to push air either upwards or downwards. In winter, you'll want the blades to turn clockwise, which will pull the cooler air in the room upwards and displace the rising warmth. In the summer, you should switch the rotation to counter-clockwise, pushing more wind currents into the room below. The directional switch will be on the fan if not on the remote control. You’ll want to keep your blades dust-free, well-oiled, and secure – if it is wobbling now, it will only get worse and could lead to a dangerous situation!
3. If you are fortunate enough to have AC, and are home during the day (as most of us are these days) confine the coolness to where it’s needed. Shut doors to areas that do not need to be cooled.
BONUS HACK: Sometimes opening all the windows just doesn’t cut it, in which case, spray a sheet with cold water and cover the window’s opening. Spritzing or soaking your curtains, or leaving the bottoms to sit in buckets of water, is a great way to cool down any incoming sunlight or breeze from the outside. This trick only works if you can get air circulating to evaporate the water, so run a fan at the same time or chose a window with a draft coming through.
ELECTRONICS
1. Dehumidifiers suck the moisture out of the balmy summer air, making it much more comfortable, even at higher temperatures. Ideally, keep indoor humidity under 60%. To save on electricity costs, use a unit that turns off when humidity drops below your targeted level. Use the water gathered by the humidifier to water your plants.
2. With its easy plug-in-and-power-on design, installing a duct booster fan can draw more cool air into a room that’s too hot. Simply choose the design that’s right for you, place it in the register vent and plug it in for a quick and easy way to cool your space.
3. Get rid of incandescent light bulbs. They waste an estimated 90% of their energy in the heat they emit, so if you’re trying to keep your home cool without purchasing an air conditioner, small shifts like switching to compact fluorescent lamps can cool your home while also lowering your energy bill!
BONUS HACK: Plugged in electronics generate heat even when they’re off or not in use, which can make an already hot home even hotter. Unplug things like toasters, fans or device chargers when you don’t need them.
OUTDOOR SOLUTIONS
1. Planting vines will work similar to installing an awning. Vines like ivy grow quickly and provide cooling shade. The climbers reduce temperature by blocking the sunlight that heats up exterior walls.
2. Landscaping with trees can be great for privacy, but it can also keep the sun’s rays off of your house.
3. Install a water feature, such as a fountain, outside your living area. The ambient sound of water creates a refreshing backdrop to your day.
BONUS HACK: Don’t have a budget for a water feature? Create the illusion of it with a sound machine. You can alternate between thunderstorm, ocean waves or gentle rain.
LONGER TERM SOLUTIONS
1. Insulate: It keeps your home warmer in the winter, plus keeps your home cooler in the summer. Insulation can be surprisingly inexpensive, too. Weather stripping is in the same category: it’s thought of as a winter measure, but is equally helpful in summer, as it keeps cool air from escaping through doors and windows. Weather stripping is very inexpensive and doesn’t take much time to install; you can strip the area around an exterior door in less than half an hour.
2. Re-Roof: Traditional black roof materials can become over 100 degrees hotter than the air around them. A white roof can be a great way to keep your house cool in the summer because it reflects heat instead of absorbing it, keeping the warmth from seeping into the rest of your home. You can install white roof panels or apply white roof coating if you have a flat or metal roof.
3. Whole house fans use just 10% that is used by a traditional AC unit and are much cheaper to install. And unlike AC which uses chemicals to push cooled air into your home, whole house fans are designed to pull heat out naturally.
BONUS HACK: Basements stay fairly cool year-round. Use this to your advantage by creating a fun space to retreat. You’ll feel more comfortable while using less cooling power, saving you money on your electric bills. If your basement is a cluttered mess, start by organizing your storage and tossing what you don’t need – for a major decluttering, rent a dumpster for the weekend to handle your junk removal and get the whole family to participate (as long as you can manage it). Then, make the space your own: add a few fans, a rug, some chairs and a projector to hook up to your laptop and you’ve got your very own, literally cool movie lair for the summer.
CONCLUSION
When trying to keep a home cool without AC, it’s important to focus on keeping yourself – not the room – cool. Tell me what you think. You can always find me at Coldwell Banker Realty.
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