Architectural Designs

What Are Some Good Tips For Keeping My House Cool In The Summer?

I don't have ac & don't plan on buying one as of right now. Any ideas?

Public Comments

1. use the blend or curtain to stop the sunlight from entering the room.
2. A fan and try and keep blinds and curtains closed while you are not at home :]]
3. Fans, Ice Cream, and a woman to fan you, ya dig? Dondi be available if needed shawty, just holla...
4. just make sure that windows and doors are open, don't make a fire and DON'T turn the radiators on. And make sure that there's plenty of water etc around, mainly if you are cool then so is your house.. xx :)
5. Keep the house closed up tight and the curtains and blinds closed during the day. Only open your windows at night after it cools down. But how depressing would that be! I'd open the windows anyway and buy a lot of fans.
6. Curtains when the sun is out but keep doors and windows open with fans blowing some of the hot air outside and sometimes have a few blowing inside.
7. Leave the windows (and doors if you feel safe doing so) open at night when it's cool, and closed during the day when it's hot, including during the morning when it's warm but not yet hot: you want to trap the coolest air in the house. Close all blinds and draperies, and add them over sliding or french doors) during the day. There are "films" you can smooth on window/door glass that reflect sun rays and/or otherwise help minimize the heat entering through windows/glass doors. If you have draperies and metal blinds, experiment to see if the space between the draperies and window is cooler with the blinds down and closed or pulled up to the top of the window: metal is a good heat conductor. If you have storm windows and doors, keep them closed during the hot part of the day. Turn off lights, unplug TVs and cable boxes and other "instant on" electronics because their "sleep mode" produces heat. Remove area rugs because hard-surface floors (tile, wood, vinyl) are cooler than carpet, especially if your house is on a concrete slab. Less humidity feels cooler, but a dehumidifier's motor adds heat, so ... (waffling hand). Circulating air (ceiling or floor fans) feels cooler. Notwithstanding what I said about humidity, having a fan blow across ice directly on you feels cooler than only the fan. Exterior awnings or closed shutters to keep direct sunlight off windows/glass doors help, as does extra insulation in the attic if you don't already have a really thick layer. If you have a two-story house, heat will rise to the upper level, so keeping bedroom doors open will help cool the lower floor (but open the windows early enough to let the heat out before (kids') bedtime. At night, put fans in windows positioned to blow air OUT. This will help pull cool air in other windows and is more efficient at cooling the entire house. (You want cool air pulled in windows where it will blow over sleeping people.) Attics can reach 120 degrees and more, so adding a (thermostat-controlled is nice) fan to blow attic air out air out one opening and pull outside air in another (24 hours a day if needed) will help. To cool people directly, sit/lie in tubs of cool water, drink cold drinks, eat cold foods. Wear loose-fitting, light-weight fabrics that breathe, like cotton, and the fewer clothes the better. Don't use the oven, use the stove efficiently to reduce extra heat (microwave when possible), and run the vent fan when cooking if it exhausts to the outside of the house (and doesn't just filter and recirculate air inside the house.) If the water heater is not in the basement, garage or an exterior utility room, insulate it (and buy a timer and set it to heat water only when needed, at night or early morning). Use fluorescent lamp bulbs. Use enough fans to blow out all the hot air and fill the entire house with cool air overnight. Have window and door screens on all windows and doors so they can be open when the air is cool. Have a(n above-ground) pool, even a wading pool, to cool off in. Position a patio umbrella to shade a window or glass door. Grab the kids and go to the mall or movies where there's air conditioning.