On a sweltering summer day, is your home unbearably hot? Do you find it virtually impossible to sleep? Do you settle for band-aid solutions like letting your air-conditioner run non-stop while saying that you’ll “just deal with” the energy bills when they come?
Make your home a cool haven with these 5 tips for keeping your home naturally comfortable without the need for extra air-conditioning.
Does your home quickly become hot again as soon as your air-conditioner thermostat switches off? Draught is invisible and can be responsible for up to 50% of your expensive heating and cooling being lost to outside. This can happen through gaps in doors, windows, architraves, wall vents and more!
What to do about draught: Real Draught Proofing goes beyond door snakes and sticky foam seals. Seek professional, architectural solutions to properly and permanently seal your home. This will help you to control your home’s ventilation and reduce your air-conditioning bill.
Do you feel the radiant summer heat coming in through your glazing despite having your blinds and shading in place? Glass is an excellent conductor of heat, and if your windows are single glazed, heat will be radiating into your home and making it hot and uncomfortable.
What to do about your windows: Don’t worry, you don’t have to replace your windows. Secondary Glazing or (retrofit double glazing) is a great alternative to double glazing, it delivers all the same thermal benefits without needing to replace anything. Remember to choose a secondary glazing system that still allows your windows to open and close as they did before so that you can take advantage of that evening breeze!
As your roof space heats up, heat is pushed down through the ceiling into your home, you may even feel it building up overhead. The heat from the sun is stored in your roof tiles and ceiling space and continues to heat your home, not allowing it to cool down overnight and making it very uncomfortable inside.
What to do about a hot ceiling: Ceiling Insulation is the most important insulation in your home. Many of us believe we have it but often it isn’t enough, or it has moved over time. Consider augmenting your existing ceiling insulation with something that is non-allergenic, moisture and rodent resistant and maintains its shape long-term.
If your home is built off the ground, (e.g. on stilts), you’ll be aware that hot air can build up under your floor, rising through your floorboards and heating your home from below.
What to do about heat coming in under the floor: Properly insulating under your floor will prevent heat entering your home from underfoot. For the best possible results, ensure you use a high-quality polyester insulation, stapled firmly and permanently beneath the floor.
Uninsulated walls conduct heat into your home extremely easily, especially if you’re in full sun. If you have brick walls, you’ll know how hot those bricks can become when the sun starts to heat them up. This heat is stored in the brick and continues to push itself into your home making it very hot and night and hard to sleep comfortably.
What to do about heat coming in through your walls: Retrofit Wall Insulation can be applied to weatherboard and brick walls, it’s pumped in via a hose to ensure it can be filled to the brim for optimum coverage and effectiveness. This insulation creates a protective barrier between the hot outside sun and a cool and live-able interior space.
