Feeling the heat? Here are some cool ways to bring the mercury down
In many parts of Australia, we’re slugged with summer temperatures that exceed 35°C and even climb into the sweltering 40s.When the mercury hits this point, things start to get a little uncomfortable. You feel drained, sweaty and drifting off to sleep becomes a herculean task.
Ideally, living in a home designed to deal with the heat is the way to go – unfortunately, that’s not a reality for many Australians. The typical modern Australian home is well insulated and has high airtightness to comply with our national building codes. This is great for the cooler months of the year, as these elements work together to keep the house warm, but this can have a negative effect in the summer months as retaining heat is the exact opposite of what you want. If your home heats up like an oven, there are a few simple things that you can do.
Ventilation
Homeowners often rely on air conditioning to cool down the house, which is not a viable long-term solution, especially with the price of energy continuing to rise. A simple counter measure to reduce the internal temperature of a home is to open the windows and doors at night to allow built-up heat to be replaced with cool, fresh air.
Ceiling fans
The humble ceiling fan can help a lot with a hot home by circulating cool air. Why it scores so highly with experts, however, is the cost of energy – it uses a fraction of the electricity of a standard air conditioner.
Double glazing
Up to 87 percent of the heat gained in your home is thanks to your windows. Apart from exterior shading devices or closing the blinds during the day, an excellent way to reduce heat build-up is installing double glazed windows. There’s a space between the glass of double glazed products that acts as a thermal barrier, making it a fantastic insulator. The best way to management the temperature in your home is through smart design – however, if you live in a home that suffers from heat stress, the above tips will help make it more comfortable.