Kyle Hunt
Are you sick and tired of opening your utility bill and being sick to your stomach? Then listen up and make a few easy changes to your home that will help you pay less for air conditioning.
The best way to cool your home is to prevent heat from building up in the first place. To do this, start with the roof; about a third of the unwanted heat that builds up in your home comes in through the roof. Apply a reflecting coating to your roof. Your local hardware store should carry standard roof coatings.
Insulation, weather-stripping and caulking help seal and protect your home against summer head and keep your home warm through the winter. The attic is a great place to start insulating because it is a major source of heat gain in the home. For most climates, you want a minimum of an R-30 insulation level. An insulated attic protects the upper floors of the house and prevents you from paying extra money to cool your home.
Adequately shading your home can reduce indoor temperatures by as much as 20 degrees F. Exterior shading devices, such as retractable awnings, are more effective than interior shades because they block sunlight before it enters in through the windows. Retractable awnings, louvers, shutters, rolling shutters and solar screens are all excellent ways to block out the heat. Retractable awnings are very effective because they block direct sunlight. A properly installed retractable awning can reduce heat gain from 65- 77 percent. A light colored retractable awning does double duty by reflective sunlight as well.
Natural ventilation helps remove heat from your home. It is important to ventilate during the coolest parts of the day or night and seal off your house from the hot sun and air during the hottest parts of the day. To assist ventilation, try to use household appliances that generate heat only in the morning or late evening when you can better eliminate the extra heat.
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