Since the much-anticipated start of the rainy season this month hasn’t come yet, we are still struggling with the scorching heat outside our homes. But just because you don’t go out does not mean you are marked safe from the ruptures of the summer heat. Even at home, heat sears through, and the constant use of electric fans and air conditioners to somehow dampen the effect of summer are ripping our pockets apart. Perhaps, the best, most effective, and cheapest way to stay cool is to make your house “cooler for the summer”. But how to do that, you ask? Check out some of these tips!
- Adjust your ceiling fans
Sometimes you might feel like ceiling fans just push the hot air around your home rather than cool it down. Well, what you’re feeling actually has a scientific basis. Fans that aren’t rotating counter-clockwise may be the culprit of that hot air swirling around your home space. During the summer, or any time of the year, it is best to set your ceiling fan to rotate counter-clockwise to push air straight down, creating a cooling effect.
- Blinds closed or black curtains
Research shows that up to 30 percent of unwanted heat comes from your windows, and utilizing shades, curtains, and the like can save you up to seven (7) percent on bills and lower indoor temperatures by up to 20 degrees. In other words, keeping your blinds closed can help prevent your home from becoming a miniature greenhouse. Or better yet, you can use black curtains. It is scientifically proven that black, unlike any other color, blocks sunlight. So, black curtains can naturally insulate the rooms in which they are installed. Study recommends that neutral-colored curtains with white plastic backings can reduce heat gain by up to 33 percent.
- Don’t cook inside
Cooking in the kitchen can intensify heat swirling inside your home, especially if you don’t have an exhaust tube or enough windows to let the heat let through. So, if you don’t want to fry yourself up with the food you are cooking, try cooking outside. Oftentimes, these situations call for those outdoor kitchen set-ups. You should know that they are no longer just for barbecue nights these days, they are perfect for the summer heat too. And if you want to keep the summer dining al fresco vibe, you can move your dining area to the back of the house too and turn your simple lunch to a family picnic!
- Plant trees around the house
This may be more like a long-term plan, but if you are living in your own house, in your own lot, and with neighbors’ garage not sitting too close to your space, then you have enough space to plant trees that will give your home a natural shade after a few years. Take advantage of having your own backyard where you can develop and enhance, and what better way to enhance it with greens? Plant trees that are just narrow enough to be accommodated by your backyard garden but also tall and leafy enough to put shade over your home during the summer. This will not only help you cover your home from the heat during the summer, but will also give off a cool breeze.
