How to keep my house cool in summer?

1. The power of exterior paint

Light colours divert and do not absorb the heat from the sun as much as dark colours, so a great long-term solution for keeping your home cool is to paint the exterior white or another light, reflective colour. This might seem like an extreme measure, but not only will painting your home help with temperature regulation, it can also help improve your home’s look — and it is great to tackle home maintenance in one go.

2. Insulate

It’s a misconception that insulation only works to keep your home warm in the winter. By ensuring that your home’s attic and walls are properly insulated, it will actually help to ward off the daily summer heat.

3. Cool roof

When summer is at its most intense, your metal roof cladding will likely feel too hot to touch — and so will the temperatures under the roof rise. There are a few ways to prevent your roof from overheating. Consider the first point on our list: paint or replace the roof in a lighter colour.

4. Landscaping

Consider landscaping like planting trees or growing a shade vine on a pergola to help provide shade and keep yourself, and your house, cool. Use grapes or wisteria with lots of leaves in summer but no leaves in winter, so you’ll still have the advantage of the winter sun.

Louvre roof systems are also a great solution — opened in winter time and closed during the summer, giving heaps of shade and providing a private exterior extension.

5. Windows

• Use exterior blinds or awnings to not let the sun enter your house.
• Interior blinds or blackout curtains are a second option. The sun will enter your house but will be reflected mostly outside.
• When designing a new house, don’t overdo it with the large window panes, especially on the New Zealand north side. Without shading or blinds in summer the temperature will increase drastically.
• Use Low-E glass for your double glazing.

6. Keep your heat pump in perfect shape

Clean your heat pump filters inside and outside. A clogged air conditioner filter can operate at a much lower capacity than one that is cleaned regularly and kept free of dust.

7. Ventilation

Ventilate your hot and wet spaces like the kitchen and bathroom to get rid of excess moisture. Whole-house ventilation can be effective, in particular in the evening and at night, bringing in fresh cool air.