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Part 4: Keeping Your House Cool
1. Use fans. While the efficacy of fans during extreme heat and humidity has been debated, some research suggests fans are beneficial up to 97 °F (36 °C) with 80% humidity, and 108 °F (42 °C) with nearly 50% humidity. Whether hand-held or electric, fans can keep you cool by continuously circulating air. In your home and office space, locate fans in rooms where you are working or resting to keep the air circulating freely and to reduce the mugginess of heat.
Try making your own "swamp cooler." These evaporative coolers can reduce temperature by significant amounts. They range from the simple (i.e. a bowl of chilled water in front of a fan) to the semi-complex. With just a few PVC pipes, a bucket, an electric fan, and a frozen gallon of water, you can create mid-40 °F (4 °C) wind. However, keep in mind that swamp coolers will not work with humid heat.
A fan should not be the primary source of cooling down in extremely hot weather. Fans work well, but only if the weather is not too hot.
2. Use air conditioning. Even if your home does not have central air, placing a small window air conditioner in one room of your home may help to keep it cool during the summer. For example, you could place the air conditioner in the room where you spend the most time, such as the living room, kitchen, or your bedroom.
You can also try running the air conditioner at the highest comfortable temperature to avoid racking up a high electricity bill.[21]
Visit public buildings if you don't have adequate air-conditioning at home. A few possible locations to avoid the heat:
The library is a great place to get cool and learn new information.
Grocery stores are air conditioned well. And if it’s particularly hot, visit the freezer section and peruse for a while.
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3. Close curtains and blinds. The sun’s rays convert to heat. However possible, you should block the rays coming into your house to keep the temperature down. Closing curtains, lowering shades, or even blocking windows can significantly reduce the heat in your house and keep it cool. Awnings work as well, because they keep the direct heat off the windows without blocking out all light.
4. Minimize the effects of sunlight on your roof. Changing the color of your roof can decrease the temperature in the house. Cooler colored roofs are approximately 50 degrees lower during hot summer months. You can put a special coating on your existing roof to lighten the color, or replace the traditional darker shingles with a lighter color.
If you are interested in getting a special treatment for your roof to reduce the temperature in your home, then contact a roofing professional to find out about your options. You might want to wait until you need to replace your roof to make these changes.
5. Insulate well. Better insulation means less heat in the summer. If your house is hot, you can cool down easier with better insulation. Less crevices and avenues for the air to escape means the cool air stays inside.
Ensure there is some air between the insulation and roofing material.
In this block, I explained how to keep my room cool so that it is not too hot. Tomorrow, the final part of this topic.
Artemus Vazhui