Make Your Home Cooler

Summer is around the corner, but it's been quite hot already. We had issues with heat in our house and found ways to make our home cooler. We got advise from architects and contractors. The most important thing to do is to make sure that the heat trapped in your ceiling has a way to exit. 

Here are some tips I learned the past few years:

• 
  Cross ventilation - the key to having a cooler home is to make sure that the hot air is not trapped inside your house. Air should be able to flow across the house. 
• Put vents on the eaves of the roof - an architect told us it is better to have bigger vents on the eaves of your roof. Even better if the whole stretch is a vent. The roof usually has a gap from the wall and that's how the hot air escapes out. 
• Use high quality insulation for the roof - insulation is sandwiched between the roof and the trusses, so it's best done while your roof is being built. The only way to add insulation is to physically remove the roof again. So don't scrimp on roofing. 
• Attach indoor vents to your ceiling - I see this more often in offices, but it can also be done for houses. If your home doesn't have windows across each other to allow cross ventilation, installing vents on your ceiling will help release hot air. 
• Whirlwind - most commonly used in factories, but there are available smaller whirlwind for houses. We went for this since it's cheaper and less obtrusive than other solutions. We opted for the non-solar whirlwind since it's windy in our area. 
• Tint your windows (window film) - this helps if you have a lot of windows for your home. If you're just building your home, you can order tinted windows/doors. If your home is built already, there are options to have this installed. Of course, don't use reflective window film for your house. Be nice to your neighbors. 
• Use block out curtains or blinds - we use both for our home. We normally bust out the block out curtains when the temp starts reaching 32'C. I normally make our curtains at home, but have also used the block out curtains from Ikea. They're really effective. 
• Air circulator - we recently discovered the availability of air circulators. We got one for our sala and have been happy with it. We like its timer feature the best and it also displays the room temperature. 
• Airconditioner - I think this is the most expensive solution to make your home cooler.

There are so many options, best though to integrate plans to keep your house cool from the time you build your house. It will be cheaper and you won't have to find solutions post-construction. 

#BeKind #StaySafe