The anticipation of the first rays of sunshine usually can not be greater. When the time finally comes, disillusionment soon follows. Although the heat is easy to bear when visiting the beach or swimming pool, it is often a different story inside your own four walls. The following are selected methods to effectively keep your home cool in the summer, so you can manage the stress of everyday life with a cool head even at the highest temperatures.
Ventilate and darken
Shutters make the difference between heated or pleasantly tempered apartment- ©Ralf Geithe | Fotolia
Protect your home from the sun’s rays. To do this, simply lower the blinds or shutters during the day. If none are available, curtains or snap blinds will also help. Especially those with a bright exterior are a good protection, because the sun’s rays are reflected. Otherwise, it’s a matter of getting creative. Sheets or blankets are less effective, but certainly not a deterioration. Before you start darkening, ventilate once strongly. In the best case, early in the morning, when temperatures are not yet too high. If it cools down again in the evening, it’s time for another wave of fresh air. By the way, a parasol set up on the balcony also helps against the heating of the facade and window surfaces.
The bed sheet trick
Spread lightly dampened sheets or towels around the room. Hang them in the apartment, where there are no electronic devices. The drying process ensures that heat is extracted from the air. You can further optimize this process by using a fan to circulate the air or by opening the window for a short moment.
Interior design and electronic devices
Avoid loose carpeting. These act as thermal insulation in the summer and prevent the floor from absorbing heat. As a general rule, rooms with open spaces feel cooler. Furthermore, electronic devices should be turned off. They generate a lot of heat, depending on the device. A device that is not in use should therefore remain switched off. You can even do without certain ones altogether on hot days, such as the dryer. Damp laundry dries quickly in the summer and can therefore be easily hung indoors or outdoors.
Air conditioners
Air conditioning is definitely the most efficient way to keep the home cool. This allows you to regulate the temperature at will. Disadvantages are on the one hand that the power consumption is enormously high and on the other hand that the purchase is expensive. Both can be reduced with smaller, more portable specimens. However, their range is then limited to one room.
Fans
It should be said in advance: fans do not cool. They provide a fresh draft and make the air in your home circulate. This will not effectively lower the temperature, it just feels cooler. However, there are tricks to using the fan in such a way that it also helps with cooling. It can assist you with evening airing and blow the warm air out of the room faster. To do this, you just need to put it against the window. Another trick is to put a bucket full of ice cubes on the floor and let the fan work in that direction. With it you produce a particularly cool breeze.
Natural coolers: plants
If you have trees outside the window, consider yourself lucky, as they are natural shade providers. Otherwise, wild ivy or vine on the outside wall can serve as additional insulation.
Are you lucky enough to have trees casting a cooling shadow on your home? – ©dawnwind | fotolia
In the apartment, plants are not a great cooling factor, but they provide oxygen and regulate humidity. Thus, they support for a pleasant indoor climate.
Insulation and insulation
Leaky windows are a problem not only in the heat, but also in the cold. Therefore, it is worth investing in good insulation. Make sure that it is not too tight, otherwise the air exchange will be too low. Among other things, this can lead to mold. Therefore, seek professional advice. The same applies if you want to have better insulation installed. Thus, your apartment would also be better protected from heat and cold. However, both options are extremely costly.
General household tips
In addition to the ways already presented to keep heat out of your home, there are other tips that can be easily incorporated into everyday life:
- Light painted walls absorb less heat than dark.
- Do not use the open refrigerator for cooling. This consumes more energy and generates heat accordingly.
- An extractor hood prevents the hot steam generated during cooking from additionally heating up the air in the room.
- So there are numerous ways to keep the apartment cool in the summer. Many are also associated with minimal effort.
Image credits Cover photo: Cooling and climate electric devices on the wooden floor ©alexlmx | Fotolia
