Blog
How to keep my house cool in summer?
1. The power of exterior paint
Light colours reflect the sun rather than soaking it up, so painting the outside of the house white or another pale colour is one of the best long-term ways to keep it cool. It sounds drastic, but you get a better looking house out of it as well — and a chunk of your maintenance done in one go.
2. Insulate
Insulation is not just a winter thing. A well insulated ceiling and walls keep the day’s heat out of the house just as effectively as they keep warmth in.
3. A cooler roof
At the height of summer a metal roof is too hot to touch, and everything under it heats up with it. The simplest answer is the first point on this list: paint or replace the roof in a lighter colour.
4. Plant for shade
Trees, or a vine grown over a pergola, will shade both you and the house. Grapes or wisteria are ideal: heavy with leaves in summer, bare in winter, so you keep the winter sun.
A louvre roof does the same job mechanically — open in winter, closed through summer, giving deep shade and a private outdoor room.
5. Windows
- Exterior blinds or awnings stop the sun before it gets in. This is the one that works best.
- Interior blinds or blackout curtains are the second option — the sun gets in, but most of it bounces back out.
- Designing a new house, go easy on the very large panes, particularly facing north. Without shade the room will overheat.
- Use Low-E glass in your double glazing.
6. Keep the heat pump in good order
Clean the filters, inside and out. A clogged filter makes the unit work far below its capacity for the same power.
7. Ventilate
Extract from the hot, wet rooms — kitchen and bathroom — to get the moisture out. Ventilating the whole house works well too, especially in the evening and overnight when the incoming air is cool.
