The UK weather is notorious for being fickle, and we can sometimes have what feels like endless weeks of gloomy weather followed by a burst of sun. While many of us are happy to see the warmer weather, most of our homes are designed to retain heat, rather than keep us cool. If you’ve found yourself in this position before, we have some tips to help you learn how to keep your house cool during summer, without forking out for air conditioning.
1. Close The Windows And Draw The Curtains
While there is nothing better than flinging open your curtains and letting the sunlight in, this could backfire on you. To keep your house cool, you need to keep the hot air out, so this means keeping windows closed and covered with curtains or blinds during the day. Once the temperature drops at night, you can open everything up to let some fresh air in and help with cooling your house.
2. Keep Direct Sunlight Off The House With An Awning
If you don’t have curtains or blinds on specific areas of the house, such as on French doors or sliding patio doors, you can use an awning to keep direct sunlight at bay. Our patio awnings are designed to help you enjoy your garden in rain or shine, but they are also ideal for shading and cooling your house. We have a variety of garden awnings to choose from, each one tailored to your specific needs, so we can give you a head start on staying cool this summer.
3. Unplug Devices
It may surprise you that a lot of heat is generated from appliances around the house. Switching them off can help to avoid increasing internal temperatures, as well as decrease any chances of a home fire. You should also make sure the backs of fridges and freezers have plenty of ventilation space as these appliances in particular can create a lot of heat.
4. Invest In A Fan
Fans are great for moving cool around the room, but they can consume a lot of energy, so it’s essential to be as efficient as possible. Set your fan on the floor and point it upwards and towards the opposite wall, as this will bounce the air off the wall and back into the room. You can also try placing a bowl of ice and cold water in front of your fan to send icy water droplets through the air like a homemade conditioning unit. Aim to set your fan on a timer if possible to be energy efficient.
5. Create A Cross-Breeze
If you’ve tried keeping your windows and curtains closed, and still find the heat stifling, you can try to create a cross-breeze through the house. This means opening windows at opposite sides of the house and keeping doors open so the air can move freely. If you can, still keep your curtains or blinds closed to deflect any direct sunlight, and you should feel a lovely cooling breeze on your skin.
At Regal Awnings, we specialise in providing bespoke awnings for the home, glass rooms, and commercial awnings for a range of enterprises, so we know shading and how to keep your house cool during summer like no other. For more information on cooling your house or our range of adaptive system awnings, please don’t hesitate to contact us.