Another year, another season of blazing summers. With the summer days soon approaching in the southern hemisphere, a lot of homeowners are trying to find ways to seek refuge from the hotter weather.
And this is all for a good reason! Besides the intense discomfort caused by hot and potentially humid weather, there’s also the potential risk of health issues like heat strokes, sunburns, and dehydration that may arise under these scorching circumstances.
If you want to protect yourself and your house from the harsh weather, we got you covered. From positioning your curtain the right way to giving your room a fresh coat of paint, we’ll get down to business and provide you with seven tips to keep your house cool during the summer.
Let’s jump right into it.
Use Reflective Window Film
A quick and easy fix to prevent your house from getting too hot during the summer is by applying reflective window film to your windows.
Heat tends to penetrate through any exposed area, and a window without protective film is a common pathway for UV rays and intense sunlight to penetrate.
During a hot summer day, high levels of heat can enter and increase the temperature of your home’s interior through these unfiltered windows. This is the case even if you have an AC on in full blast.
To combat this, installing a reflective window film is a viable solution. Reflective films block solar heat and radiation from passing through, keeping your home’s interior sufficiently protected from the intense sun and minimising heat transfer.
Furthermore, these window films are also effective in blocking UV rays from entering your home. UV rays not only pose a risk to human health, but they can also damage wooden furniture and paints. The usage of these reflective films effectively blocks and reduces these risks entirely.
The good news is that these reflective films come in different tint levels. This means that you can balance light reduction and visibility to your liking. So if you have a lot of windows around the house, consider putting up reflective window film on them to prevent the escape of cool temperature.
Fix Your Air Conditioning Unit
A no-brainer, but it needs to be said: if you have an AC unit that’s not cooling your house efficiently, inspect it and have it fixed!
An air conditioning unit should be able to cool an entire room over the course of several minutes. If yours doesn’t operate at the same capacity that it used to, it may be time to start cleaning the unit or fixing an underlying issue.
The first thing to do is to identify your AC unit. Split ACs are among the strongest AC types out there, whereas box ACs are the most economical and accessible. Each AC type has a different mode of repair, so be sure to know what you’re dealing with before undergoing repair.
For minor fixes like cleaning and replacing air filters, you can consult with a DIY air conditioning repair guide for added tips on how to remove dust and debris from the unit.
In a lot of cases, fixing your AC unit will usually entail removing debris blockages that have restricted airflow in the appliance. It could also be low refrigerant levels due to compressor problems.
In any case, prioritising to fix these issues can help you achieve a comfortably cool house—and less energy costs to boot.
Keep Your Curtains Closed
Another way to keep your house cool is by closing your curtains during peak sunlight hours. While the filters may help, they don’t always fully block out sunlight—particularly if you haven’t chosen a high tint.
To help fully separate your house from the harsh effects of the sun, spreading the curtain during the tip of the day can help a tonne. In particular, blackout and thermal curtains are ideal since they have heat-blocking effects that can reflect and absorb sunlight without distributing it to the room.
By keeping your curtains closed, you’ll be able to maintain a cool indoor temperature for longer, making living at home feel bearable even during the height of summer. Couple that with a working AC unit and some reflective window films, and you’ve got yourself a very pleasant house temperature.
Furthermore, if you have an AC unit that’s functioning optimally, be sure to keep your room door and windows closed throughout its operations. This way, you can retain temperature and save on energy costs.
Improve Wall Insulation
Do your upstairs rooms and attic get unbearably hot during the peak summer months? Do you feel that there’s a lot of hot air circulating around your house, with some parts even emitting a foul odour?
If you said yes to both, this is highly indicative of a wall insulation issue.
Certain construction materials can inadvertently increase the heat transfer from outside to inside, thus leading to a temperature increase. During the height of summer, this is exactly what you’d like to avoid. Fortunately, there are solutions to this dilemma.
You can consider undergoing a retrofitting renovation to add insulation around parts of the house that are close to the outdoor walls. Furthermore, you can also use materials like fibreglass and spray foam to reduce the rate of heat permeating through the walls.
By adding insulation, you can better control the temperature entering your home. You can also benefit from an insulation project in the winter months, as the insulation helps retain warmth during the winter. This makes this move a great way to maintain a high level of energy efficiency while staying cool.
Use Fans or Portable AC Units
Don’t want to turn on your AC unit to save on costs? No problem. Another way to keep cool at home is by using a standard fan or portable AC.
A ceiling fan allows air around a room to circulate, cooling it and creating a cooling effect to the place it hits simultaneously. You can also use a floor-mounted fan to produce the same cooling effect, with added flexibility to boot.
Another alternative is portable AC units. These AC units come with an internal mechanism that condenses air and blows out a cool breeze. This type of AC can be brought from place to place within the household, making it a great versatile addition to a summer home.
Switch to LED Lights
If you want to save on energy costs during the summer while simultaneously removing the heat in the house, then you should consider switching to LED lights for your lighting needs.
Typically, incandescent and halogen bulbs—common LED substitutes—use up a lot of heat. This heat, regardless of the weather outside, can raise the temperature of the room if left unmaintained for a few minutes.
In contrast, LED lights produce next to no heat and are fairly energy-efficient in their own right. In fact, they can use up to 80% less electricity than standard lighting pics—making them a great long-term investment.
Furthermore, LED lights also come with the added benefit of coming in different colour levels. This allows you to choose your aesthetic and preferred lighting for increased home comfort during the heat of summer.
Use Light Coloured Paints
If you’re willing to undergo a major household redesign to cool your home, then you may consider repainting your room’s walls with a lighter shade of colours.
Dark-coloured paints like dark blue, black, and dark grey tend to absorb heat. Over time, this raises the room’s temperature, particularly if insulation is low and windows are open.
In contrast, light colours are more reflective of sunlight. Think of colours like white, beige, sky blue, and pastel pink. These colours help reduce indoor heat, especially if the paint is made from reflective or thermal properties designed to repel heat.
By choosing a light-coloured paint for your bedroom or living room, not only will you have a brighter space, but you’ll also save on energy costs and enjoy a heat-free home in return.
Conclusion
Keeping your home cool during summer doesn’t have to be a struggle, especially with these straightforward and effective strategies. By making small adjustments, like using reflective window films, updating to energy-efficient LED lights, or repainting with lighter colors, you can create a cooler, more comfortable environment that lets you enjoy summer without the sweltering heat.
While it may take a little effort to prepare, the benefits are well worth it—not only for your comfort but also for potential energy savings and even improved health. So, why wait? Start implementing these tips today, and enjoy a refreshing and relaxing summer indoors.
