Summer is my second favorite season. Although I love the long days, I dread the increased temperatures. Especially the high degrees in Dallas, Texas. Check out these easy ways to keep your home cool during the summer.
Close Your Blinds and Shades
Heat enters your home through your windows. Close your blinds, shades, and curtains to help decrease the amount of heat that comes into your home.
Use a Ceiling Fan
A ceiling fan is an excellent way to provide air circulation in your home. Opt to use a ceiling fan or standing fan whenever possible.
Cook Less to Keep Cool
When you use your stove, the heat produced does not stay in your oven or on top of the stove. It circulates through the house. During the summer months, try to use your stove less. Opt to cook outside on the grill if possible. Consider eating meals that do not take long to cook or make sandwiches.
Turn Off Lights to Keep Cool
Turning off your lights is an excellent way to help keep your home cool during the summer months. It may sound like its not worth it, but you will definitely feel the difference.
Replace Windows and Doors
If able, consider replacing your windows and doors with energy efficient options. In addition to keeping your home cool, this action can also be a tax deduction.
Decorate With Blackout Curtains
Use blackout curtains to reduce the amount of heat that enters your home. Blackout curtains can also keep your home warm during the winter months.
Use Brighter Colors to Keep Cool
Lights colors such as white and yellow produce less heat. Therefore using brighter colors in the summer in your home will help keep your home cool during the summer.
RELATED POST: How to Transition Your Home’s Decor From Spring to Summer
Keep Interior Doors Open
Keeping interior doors open will help your home’s air flow and circulation. This will help prevent rooms from feeling stuffy and stale.
Change Your Air Filter Often
Changing your air filters often is important to make sure your AC unit is performing properly. A properly performing AC unit will help keep your home cool during the hot summer months.
Plant Shade Trees / Foliage
Planting shade trees and bushes in front of windows can help absorb some of the heat before coming into your home. There are several pros and cons of having plants in front of your windows.
Keep the Kids Calm
Kids are full of energy. As hard and sometimes impossible as it may seem, try to keep kids calms while they are in the home during the summer. If possible, try to implement quiet activities such as reading a book, completing a puzzle, or watching a movie.
Keep The Thermostat Temperature Steady
If you have a programable and/or smart thermostat, try to keep it set at a steady temperature during the summer months. By keeping it as a set 72 (or whatever), your AC unit will not have to work harder by constantly stopping and starting.
Utilize Your Vents
Be strategic with the vents in your home. Some people may suggest you close vents completely in rooms you do not occupy. I suggest the vents should not be completely closed. Yes, closing them will redirect the flow of air to a different area. However, it will decrease the flow of air and circulation in that room which will actually overall the affect of the entire home. Consider closing it half way.
Install Window Films to Keep Cool
Have you ever noticed how window tint helps keep your vehicle comfortable while parked outside? Window tint provides the same affect for you home. Consider installing window film or either window shades to your home to help keep your home cool.
Do Laundry at Night
Your washing machine and dryer uses a lot of electricity and brings in a lot of heat into your home. Opt to do your laundry after hours to avoid excess heat.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post on ways to keep your home cool during the summer. Please stay cool and safe.
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Yes, changing air filters regularly is an important thing to do. However, not only do dirty air filters make the unit work harder and consume much more energy to function, but they also cause poor indoor air quality, which is very bad for health.
Thank you for the idea of installing window films. Sounds like a very effective and at the same time budget-friendly way to keep house cool.
For this purpose, you can also consider installing windows with low-e glass. Most options with low-e glass have coatings on both the inside and outside glass panes. A low-e coating on the outside reduces the amount of heat transferred into the home from outside during the hot summer months. The great benefit of such windows is that they don’t deprive your home of natural light.
Thank you! Also, consider the air conditioning system itself. Make sure the system works properly as this is important to keeping your cooling bills lower during the hotter months. It can be costly to fix general wear and tear if you don’t catch it in time.
Changing air conditioner filters is an important job that many people overlook. Basically, they require to be replaced once every 2-3 months, depending on the filter type. If that sounds a bit troublesome and costly to you, consider upgrading to washable filters. It’s the most budget-friendly option, I think, as they last as long as the unit, around 15-20 years. All you need to do is to wash them from time to time.