How To Reduce Cooling Needs

Planning on redecorating some of the rooms of your home, or maybe a more extensive remodeling project?

If so, then it is important to remember how the sun and solar energy can affect your home.

All things considered, there's really not much you can do about the general orientation of your house anymore at this point, but you can manage the features so that the solar energy doesn't send your cooling bills skyrocketing.

If your home is hot during warm months, always be sure to close blinds on the side of the house where the sun is striking. Your home will be much cooler if the sunlight is stopped at the window, since sunlight as it passes through glass is converted to heat, especially if you don't have low-e windows that block this heating. Low-e windows are double paned and contain a thin metallic coating that blocks some of the UV and infrared light, reflecting the heat back toward its source so that your home stays warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

If you don't have good blinds on sun drenched windows, then install or replace them. Installing mini blinds is easy with just a screwdriver. You need to measure the width of your windows first, both the glass and the entire frame. Knowing the width of the frame means you can buy blinds that are a little wider but at least buy one that's as wide as the glass portion of the window. If you can stay away from ordering custom blinds, they're a cheap method to keep out the heat.

As many homes have more or larger windows in the front, maybe your house faces west and you're baked by the evening sun going through your front windows. Even though blinds keep out the sunlight and most of the heat, they might leave you feeling claustrophobic, especially if the living area is in front of the house.

If you have a covered front porch, there are two options that can help make your living space more enjoyable. A cheap way to keep the sun out of the windows and off the front wall is to install outdoor blinds on your porch. If your porch is small, you might consider extending it further from the house, so that the porch roof provides shade for the front of the house during the hottest times of the day.

The same solutions can be used in the back of your home if you have a sunny porch there. Another option for decks and patios, which don't offer any shade, even when it's needed, is to consider installing an awning. Growing in popularity, retractable awnings, are great protectors from rain or sun when you want it, or be hidden away against the house to allow the sun in and avoid damaging winds. If you want the area covered all the time, fixed awnings are also an option.

Used for shading windows and doors where solar heating is a problem, awnings can be color coordinated with metal roofs, shutters, or trim to cut cooling expenses by as much as 20 percent.


Search for the perfect Arlington Floor Plansto build your dream home.