No Escape From The Heat
Here’s a fun fact for you: summer is hot.
When we’re not out in the elements repairing faulty utilities or working on the road, we’re back at home under a cool-blasting A/C, doing our best to stay out of the heat.
However, even if we’re avoiding the summer warmth by being inside, it doesn’t mean that the warmth remains outside.
Like an unwanted guest, the heat tends to find its way into our homes through unenforced areas.
Where’s Your Cool Air Going?
Heat can seep through your walls, ceiling, or floor, anywhere there’s a difference in temperature and nothing is blocking its entry inside.
By nature, heat consistently flows from where it’s warm to cool. So when you have your A/C running in the summertime to keep your home interior cool, there’s a good chance heat is still finding a way to get in while the cool air escapes, even in some other places you might not expect.
This happens to thousands of homeowners in the country and what they might not be aware of is not only how inefficient it is with energy and maintaining a cool home, it’s also costing them a lot of money during the summertime.
It’s safe to say that unless you’re proactively protecting your home from the summer heat, the cool air blasting out of your A/C is escaping outside while the heat is making its way to you and your energy bill is continuing to soar.
Insulate Your Home
It’s not just for keeping your house warm during the winder: insulating your house is just as important to keeping it cool and preventing heat drafts from entering.
When done right, the difference should be noticeable; not just in how much cooler it feels in your home, but by how much you save on your energy bill is by the end of the summer months.
Whether it’s through a crevice in the wall or door, or if your window is welcoming the heat as a guest, here are several ways you can better insulate your home for the summer (and the cold winter!)
Get An Energy Audit
Whether you DIY or hire someone to do it for you, an energy audit is a good way to detect where in your home might be using too much energy or if a certain room isn’t receiving enough air flow. An energy audit done right will diagnose inefficient uses of energy while providing a solid solution to fix that while reducing costs in the long run.
Caulking & Weatherstripping
A lot of the summer heat that enters your home finds its way through various cracks and crevices around areas like window frames. Use caulking that’s made specifically for outdoor use. Other areas with exposed gaps, like underneath your door, can be easily kept airtight by using a V-strip or foam tape. Make sure that when it’s fixed in place, there’s no light peeking through.
Check Your Windows
If your windows haven’t already been replaced in the last 15-20 years, it’s a great time to take care of that while managing efficient energy in your home by replacing your windows with some low-emission double pane windows. Adding some tint goes a long way as well. Most window companies offer up to a 25-year warranty, which is essentially the life of your new windows.
Plant Shrubs or Trees
Once you’re done replacing those windows, consider planting some tall greenery in front of them. Granted it takes a few years before they become tall enough to protect your windows from potential drafts, it’s ultimately an effective long term solution that also adds some natural beauty around your home.
Heat Proof Your Attic
Anyone who owns a home knows how the worst place to be inside during the summer is the dark, stuffy attic. With minimal airflow, unfinished space, gaps surrounding pipes and exhaust fans, and potential roof damage, the attic absorbs a lot of the heat. Some ways to displace the heat include installing attic fans or passive vents to allow the heat to escape. Former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu suggests painting your roof white. A black roof will absorb the sunlight and heat while a white one will bounce it back into space.
Invest In Cooling Curtains
Sunlight carries heat with it and can bump up the temperature a couple of degrees when it comes through the window. You can simultaneously keep your room much cooler and darker while giving your A/C unit a break by going to Amazon or any other retailer and investing in a set of blackout curtains.
Cool In The Summer, Warm In The Winter
We might be in the middle of summer at the moment, which is just another reason to get your home insulated properly. Improve energy efficiency, lower your utility bills and you’ll also be ready for when the winter hits.
However, due to global events and safety practices in 2020, many of us would prefer to practice social distancing which means you might not hire a company to do this for you.
If that’s the case and you decide to go DIY, make sure you take all safety precautions (especially if you’re going to venture into that attic space of yours!)
Our Indestructible Shoes will give your feet the ample protection they need while giving them a little space to breathe. It’s going to be hot up there!
