A million dollar question of ‘how to keep house cool in summer’ from people in warm-humid or hot climates.A relaxed environment is the core requirement of a home.That should be confirmed when designing or building your house.In this article I will discuss the aspect,systems or ways to keep house cool in summer.
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Best Possible Ways To Keep House Cool In Summer
As we know that the climate is changing through the years and we are having a significant effect of global warming. The warm countries are burning in the summer season. To best possibly minimize this situation we have broadly two methods to keep the house cool in summer.
- Architectural Method
- Traditional Homely Method
- Artificial Method
I will Try to discuss it elaborately one by one.
How To Keep House Cool In Summer: Architectural Method
When you think to keep house cool in summer, you should start from the very beginning, start from the architectural design phase of your house.
Comfortable Space Design
The first and foremost thing is heat controlled architectural space planning. The more your space can reduce heat the more cool your house will be.Enough buffer space should be designed where direct sunlight will not be allowed but the air ventilation will be available.
Cavity Wall
It is an obvious solution to control heat into your house. The air gap between the external and internal walls can reflect heat and prevent it from entering into the interior environment.
Thick Solid External Wall
This system works for warm-humid climates like in the Indian subcontinent. It reflects the direct sunlight and some portion of the external wall surface absorbs the heat and radiates back to the environment before evening.This process keep house cool in summer. For the winter season it is a bit inconvenient but not so uncomfortable.
Ventilated Loft
It is a nice architectural solution to prevent heat consumption of the house. The hipped roof system with ventilation on the top part can reduce the heat gained all day by the loft space.It also makes a vertical buffer for the house interior.
Energy Efficient Windows
Using heat reflective windshields in windows can reduce heat inside of the house. The double glazing windows can work well as an insulator of heat inside.It reflects the major part of the solar heat and can keep the house cool in summer.
Maximizing Natural Airflow
During house design the natural airflow can be the key to reduce heat gain and keep house cool in summer. Make sure the air entered into the house should go out smoothly exploring the house interior.This also helps extinguish the odors and logged moisture of the house naturally. This is very important to make cross ventilation of the room as well as the air flow connection among the internal spaces of the house. This will keep house cool in summer naturally.
Use Efficient Doors
The material of the doors are very important, specially to keep house cool in summer. If you use a metal door then it would be a heat chamber for your house. Always use wooden doors with low heat gain capacity will help to keep the internal house environment cool.
Also try to install thick wooden doors that are heat efficient.
How To Keep House Cool In Summer: Traditional Homely Method
The traditional methods are old but very effective to keep house cool in summer.Her the prime methods are discussed.
Planting Trees
Planting large shaded trees can significantly improve the hot situation of the house inside. Large trees are the main natural elements to control heat gain for any place.Large trees not only provide shade to the house but also have the resourceful power like fruits and veggies along with woods. Trees have been called traditional money makers since ancient times. There are a lot of demands for wood around the world. So you can resource your planted trees both locally and internationally. Tree exhales oxygen and inhales carbon-dy-oxide and this process dramatically converts the adjacent environment to coolness. It protects the direct ultraviolet rays from entering into the house and keep house cool naturally.
Indoor Plants
The external trees can reduce heat and protect the external house envelope but the importance of indoor plants are notable.If you keep some indoor plants that do not require a lot of sun to grow, that will enhance your house environment and will work as natural coolant. The indoor plants also increase the interior beauty. It also increase the house’s oxygen level.
Positioning A Water Pool
Placing a water pool at a place from where wind flows run most of the time, can tremendously reduce heat gain of a house. A waterbody plays a very important role in the elongation of a house’s health.Try to put it where the summer wind flows maximum time. It will cool the air before entering the house.
Close the Window Blind
It is a basic home science to put blinds or curtains in front of windows to cut the sunlight from entering into the room or home. A nice ,light colored and heat reflective blind can reduce the significant amount of heat that comes from outside.
Cooking Outside
I know it sounds a bit odd but if you have any option to cook outside the house, then I will tell you to do so. Because cooking inside the house increases the heat and take time to normalize the home temperature.For this option you have to have enough space at the back of your house.
Using Kitchen Canopy
This is a nice option to keep house cool for any time of the year. Having a canopy with a strong exhaust fan above the cooker, extracts all heat along with the bed smells to the outdoors.This prevents heat from spreading to the entire house.
Hang Wet Cloth In The Window
This sounds a bit hilarious but works for under-developed countries or villages.But you can use it too. Covering the window by a wet thick cloth at the mid time of the day can help your room get cooler. The airflow with moisture can reduce some amount of heat from your room.
Read More About: Sustainable House Materials For Home Renovation
How To Keep House Cool In Summer: Artificial Method
With the upgradation of science there evolved some artificial cooling systems and are used almost all around the world.
Ceiling Mounted Fan
Ceiling fans are used widely in almost all countries of the world. Especially in hot and warm humid countries. The very first electrical ceiling fan we know today was invented in the year 1882, by Philip Diehl, a German-American Electrical Engineer. Since then it has evolved every year and transformed into today’s modern ceiling fans. A well engineered ceiling fan can make a home much cooler without harming your health. But the fact is it has to be installed in individual rooms and spaces to get the best output.
Wall Mounted Exhaust Fan
It has similar characteristics like ceiling fan but has a reverse character to extract interior wind to blow outside. This process works very well to circulate the internal wind of the house from one portion to another and ventilate the external wind flow into the house. The exhaust fan is generally used where no window can be installed or there is no scope for windows.
Installing Solar Screens
Solar screens can be an effective way to keep house cool in summer.Install solar energy consumption plates on the external surface where lot of sunlight reflects in the day time. By this process you will have two advantages.
- Firstly, you can have a shield to protect direct heat from entering into your house.
- Secondly, you can have electricity from solar radiation that can be very helpful for some of the daily electricity requirements.
Installing Air Cooler
It has some similar characteristics with the ceiling fan but it has an extra cooling feature that you can put cold water into the machine and circulate cold wind to your home.But the only disadvantage is that you can use it only for a particular small space.
Installing Air Conditioner (AC)
This is now the most common and widely used mechanical cooling system all around the world. This machine is a complete mechanical system. It has two units, one for the indoor and one for outdoor.
Some Characteristics Of AC
- Small AC unit can only cool a particular room or space that is completely airtight.
- A central AC system can make your whole house cool but your house should have an option to be airtight.
- AC can keep a constant temperature into your room whatever the outside temperature is.
- It has a significant fixture to control moisture and humidity of the particular room or space.
Some Disadvantages Of The AC
- AC is not a solution for a long time. It can cause serious health issues, especially for the individuals who have nasal constraints and cold allergies.
- This can cause serious headache issues because of the internal and external temperature differences.
- It may damage your health gradually if you use it consistently.
Installing A Smart Thermostat
Thermostat is not a direct cooling system of your house. But if you install a smart thermostat then it will provide the temperature data of your house everyday that will help you to decide how to keep house cool in summer.
How To Keep House Cool In Summer: Some Tips To Follow
There are some certain tips that you can follow to keep house cool in summer
- Keep All windows open in day time and particularly in night time, especially the windows that do not have direct exposure to the sun.
- Keep the house clean everyday to avoid dust and odors. This indirectly helps to keep house cool in summer.
- Try to use Marble or Granite as floor tiles.This reduces house temperature significantly.
- Plant the trees that have low maintenance and have dense branches and leaves.
- Try to avoid placing your house west facing. And put the service functions like bathrooms, laundry rooms etc at the west to make a buffer to the living space.
Culmination
House warming is a serious issue all over the world nowadays, especially after raising effect of global warming.The above described processes are researched and well implemented to the hot countries that will help you significantly to keep your house cool in summer.