There’s nothing quite like Southern summers. Between the Texas heat and humidity, it’s essential to make sure your house is a cool oasis. But how do you keep the temperature and the air conditioning bill down at the same time?
We’ve compiled a list of the best ways to renovate your home to help keep cooling costs down.
Treat Your Windows
Having a home with plenty of natural light is essential, but in the summertime, that natural light can make your house hotter than it needs to be. You can treat your windows by installing shutters, blinds, or even drapes. Light-colored drapes, thermal blinds, or cellular shades are all effective in keeping the heat outside.
Or, if you don’t want to change the curtain design on your windows, you can get thermal tinting for your windows. Thermal tinting is an energy-efficient way to block the sun’s rays from heating up your home. You can choose the kind of tinting you want as well, so you still take advantage of the natural light you get.
Replace Your Windows
If your house is overheating, the issue may be that it’s time for your windows to be replaced. You may not have to replace the windows completely; you simply may need to seal or repair your older windows. If you do choose to reinstall new windows, pick double-pane high-performing glass options that fit the style of your house.
Upgrading your windows can reduce your electric bill by up to 10%, so it’s a fantastic long-term investment.
Insulate Your Home
Most people assume that insulation only works to regulate the warmth of your house, but insulation can help you maintain overall temperature. Whether you choose to use spray foam, rigid foam boards, or batt insulation, you’ll be able to keep your house cool no matter what the thermometer reads outside.
If you are completing a massive home improvement project and you’re renovating the outside of your home, use materials that absorb heat, such as cement, brick, stone, and ceramic tiles. This will help your house keep the heat outside where it belongs.
Plant Trees
Cooling down your house doesn’t necessarily mean having to gut your home from the inside out. Strategically planting trees next to windows that receive a lot of direct light can offer shade and protection from the sun. Plus, the trees are aesthetically pleasing, and if you choose a fruit tree, you can reap more than one benefit from it.
If you don’t want the work of maintaining a tree, you can always look into awnings that reflect light away from your windows.
Upgrade Your Attic
If your home has an attic, it needs to be adequately vented, or else it traps heat and spreads it through the rest of your house. Attics are generally 20-30 degrees hotter than the rest of the house, and in the summer, that can make you miserable. A simple fix is adding a fan or smart attic fan to dispel some of the heat before it travels to other areas of the house. Similarly, it’s essential to insulate attic walls more than any other walls in the house.
Swap Out Your Ceiling Fans
Another great way to keep the AC from working too much is to install ceiling fans designed to give your AC a break. It’s essential to make sure you pick a fan that’s the appropriate size for the room it’s going in. For small rooms, you’ll want a 52” ceiling fan; medium rooms should have a 60” fan; large rooms should have an 84” fan.
Strategically placing your fans in rooms where the whole family tends to hang out—like the living room, kitchen, etc.—can keep you from cranking up the AC when the temperature rises. Ceiling fans are incredibly energy efficient, and fans with Energy Star Certification will give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to keeping the energy bill low.
On top of Energy Star Certification, look for DC-powered fans that have fewer blades with at least a 15-degree pitch. These blades will run more efficiently and move air around better.
If replacing your ceiling fans doesn’t do the trick, you can consider installing a whole house fan. A whole house fan uses 10% of the energy an air conditioning unit uses and works to cool down the house instead of simply trapping cold air inside. Whole house fans pull heat out of your walls and furniture and vent it through the attic to keep you cool while improving the air quality in your house.
Making the Right Choice to Stay Cool
As you can see, you have multiple options for reducing the temperature in your house. Sometimes it can be hard to know what the most efficient and affordable option is on your own.
That’s why we’re here to help. Our experts can help you figure out the best Home Remedy for your slice of heaven. There’s no reason you should have to sweat through the summer or fork out loads of money on your AC bill. Reach out to us today, and we’ll set up a consultation to figure out the best way to get your house feeling incredible.
