Looking at the scorching heat, one always wonders how to keep the house cool in the summer. With the increase in heat, the walls, roof, floors, and every other element of the house catch the heat. This gradually raises the temperatures inside the house affected by direct exposure to heat and sunlight. The answer to how to keep the house cool in the summer will eventually be related to better insulation. Installing natural and man-made materials and machines will better answer how to keep the house cool in the summer. The following factors can cause a home to get too hot in the summer, and many of them are energy efficiency issues.

Insufficient Attic Insulation

On hotter days, radiant heat from the sun can enter through the roof into the attic and heat it up as an oven. If there is not enough insulation, heat can pass to the living room and heat the space inside the house.

Inadequate Attic Ventilation

The radiation of heat in the attic due to lesser insulation can cause the living area to heat up due to the air leakage, if any, from the attic. The attic will heat up if there is not enough insulation provided.

Insufficient Wall Insulation

The south- and west-facing walls will heat up more with the exposed sun, which can heat the whole house with time. This will happen when the walls are uninsulated or under-insulated. 

Air Leakage

If there are air leakages in your home that occur under the doors, around the window, in the attic, and in the roofs, the air or heat can enter the house, gradually increasing the temperature inside the house.

Inefficient Windows

The windows facing the southwest direction of the house are likely to catch up more heat in the house, warming it up. If they are not covered properly, they can reflect more heat inside.

Insufficient ventilation

During the summer, if there is not sufficient ventilation in the house through windows, exhaust fans, or any other means, then the air might feel stale and fluffy.

All of the above challenges are faced in the summer due to the scorching heat that makes us think about how to keep the house cool in the summer. Looking at the above factors, we can see that the heat in the house is caused by energy efficiency issues. We can take a look at these 20 tips that will help one understand how to keep the house cool in the summer.

1. Use the Blinds

There are huge windows in the design of the house, right in the living room. If those windows face in the north direction, they will receive a lot of sunlight during the day. This will give one an ample amount of light but will also increase the heat in the house. Hence, one must use the blinds to cover the window. Also, one can use total blind-out curtains or blinds to cover the window and protect it from the heat.

2. Block the heat

Apart from using the materials internally, one must also focus on the exteriors. This will help in the use of less heat-reducing elements inside that are not natural. One can cover up the exteriors of the house with blinds, awnings, or large potted plants. Another way is to plant deciduous trees that cast shade over the house but still let the light enter the house. One can invest in window tinting and top up the ceiling insulation, which will help with heat reduction.

3. Install Air Conditioning

Whenever you use the air conditioning, you must set your thermostat to a higher degree, say 24–27, which will save more energy and balance the temperature of the house. Thermal cooling and air conditioning also help reduce the heat in the house during the summer.

4. Add Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans can be a good option to reduce the heat in the house. They must rotate in an anticlockwise direction in the summer to push down the air and create the cooling effect. The correct direction of movement for the ceiling fans will affect the temperature in the home.

5. Fill the gaps

One can keep the doors and windows closed after a certain time of the day passes. This will allow the house to keep the cool air inside intact during the hot times of the day. One shall also seal the gaps around the doors and the windows so that hot air cannot enter the house while destroying cool air. Also, there can be draught excluders that will ensure that the cool air does not pass out.

6. Let the air flow inside in the evening

The outside temperature gradually decreases once the sun goes down. The air starts to get cooler in the outside atmosphere. This air can be allowed in the house during the evening, and as such, it reduces the heat that walls have stored all day long. One can also allow the air to pass through various plants and the garden that is freshly washed into the house.

7. Add Creepers on the exterior walls

One can add a plantation just outside the opening, which is in the southwest direction of the house. These plants and greenery will help in the reduction of heat during the summer by giving shade to the house. One can consciously plant creepers such that they grow on the walls, which can be watered and keep the interiors cooler.

8. Use wet clothes on windows

If one wants to keep the house cool without using the air conditioning, or when they are not using the air conditioning, they can use wet clothes on the openings. This will let the air be cooler when it enters the house the house during the day.

9. Install an Awning

Awnings are a new trending material found in the market as an alternative to trees. When there is not enough space to grow trees near the house, inserting awnings will help. Awnings generally fit above the window, which will let less light enter the house. They reduce 65% to 70% of the heat during the summer.

10. Have Cool Roofs

Roofs that have reflective tiles or shingles, reflective paint, or roof coverings can be cool roofs. Cool roofs reflect the sunlight in the summer, keeping your house cool. It can also be easily installed in any type of building that does not have AC, for example, garages.

11. Close the Doors

When not needed, one must keep the doors of the unwanted rooms closed in order to stop the circulation of heat. And it also prevents the circulation of cool air to parts where you do not need them. It also lowers the amount the air conditioner has to put in to cool the excessive areas.

12. Installing window films

It is an easy and cost-effective option for reducing the amount of heat entering the house during the summer. It will also include itself in the look of the window as it is available in various patterns and sizes.

13. Install a duct booster fan

This device is easy to plug in, and the power-on is designed to reduce the heat in the house. Where there is too much heat, the duct booster fan can reduce a large amount of heat out of the house.

14. Change the light bulbs

Switching to conventional incandescent light bulbs with LEDs is a good idea to reduce the amount of heat generated. Incandescent bulbs will give 90% of their energy as heat, increasing the house’s temperature. It is also the best option to use energy-saving LEDs in the house for regular use.

15. Insulate the areas

One must always check the areas that are insulated in the house. Areas such as the attic and walls will make a significant difference to the environment of the house on warmer days. Thus, it cuts back on cooling and heating costs and is cost-effective to install.

16. Install Attic Ventilator

The heat of the attic spreads throughout the home, heating up the whole house during the summers. Along with insulating the attic, one can also install an attic fan or attic ventilator. These fans work by evacuating the hot air from the attic and absorbing cool air from outside.

17. Insert Indoor plants

Plants do play a significant role in keeping the temperature of their surroundings cooler. One must have plants in the house that will result in lower temperatures in the house. Moreover, indoor plants will circulate better, and cooler air will circulate in the atmosphere. The water that is retained in them will lower the temperature during the summer in comparison to outside.

18. Plant the foliage outside

Trees keep the sun out of the house; they cut off the direct sunlight that is reflected on the walls of the house. One can also choose fast-growing trees such as maple and poplar trees that will help shade the house in the summer.

19. Choose cotton fabric curtains

A tiny thing but has a larger impact on the balance of the house’s temperature. This will be in every choice of fabric one makes, but most importantly with the fabric of the curtains. The curtains are largely a part of the aesthetic nowadays. Cotton will breathe in cool air and let the temperature inside be cooler than the outside during the summer.

20. Install a dehumidifier

The humidity level in the house must be 40% to 50% in the summer inside the house. Dehumidifiers remove excess heat from the house keeping the temperature of the house normal. Most dehumidifiers will come with a sensor that will turn off when the ideal level is matched.

The above points are tips on how to keep the house cool in summer that will be cost-effective and easy to maintain. There are some natural ways how to keep the house cool in summer that are as easy as planting trees and covering the walls.There are some basic solutions one can have while designing.

• Keeping water bodies can always be a good design idea that will pass cooler air into the homes during summer.
• One can always give southwest direction openings that will continuously help in circulating the air.
• There can be cool roofs that can be implemented in the homes with reflective tiles and other materials.
• Installing and designing high-performing windows that will help in reducing the heat by 8% is also a good idea.
• Exterior shades are the most important element that will help cover the extra sunlight coming into the house.
• Planning a good landscape will also help in reducing the amount of heat in the house.

Learning these hacks of design on how to cool the house in summer and keep the temperature comfortable will help everyone in a very good amount.

Content Writing And Research By: Ar. Rajeshwari Pandya Modi