3 Green & Cost Saving Ways to Keep your Home Cool

Entry #1432, August 2, 2012

The summer heat brings discomfort and inconvenience to everyone.  Whether you have air conditioning or not, trying to bring coolness to your home and reduce your energy bill are top priorities for many. Running your air conditioning all day will definitely cost a lot. This is why you need to find ways and means to cool down your home with spending a lot on your energy bill. Try a few of these green ideas that will help the environment and your wallet.

Keep your home cool and assess your windows

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Here are some effective ways in keeping your home cool and comfortable:

Assess your windows

Your windows are not just for the sake of decoration. The primary purpose of your windows are to provide view and ventilation. The more windows, the better cooling effects it brings. However, there are some cases where windows are not strategically designed or placed to provide ventilation. For instance, Glass windows that are fixed and have very small openings. In this case, consider a window makeover. The labor and materials cost in reconstructing your windows may be cheaper than your electric bill over time. If your current windows are older – over 20 years old, consider replacing with energy efficient and ultra violet ray blocking varieties. This will keep your home cooler and will save your furnishings and textiles from fading from the sun.

Paint your roof

This is one of the most overlooked ways in cooling your home. When your roof is not painted, your roof may absorb the UV rays of the sun instead of reflecting it. This absorption causes heat to penetrate in your home and may result to a greenhouse effect. You can certainly feel the difference when you have your roof painted. Look to an exterior paint colors that reflect light rather than absorb it. Darker roofs absorb more light than reflect. Choose lighter colors for maximum benefit.

Keep your home cool this summer

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Plant trees

This may be an elementary solution but is often overlooked. Trees provide shade and absorb the heat within its area. Although this may take time to grow but it is worth the wait. It is better to plant few months ahead before summer to experience a cool summer at home. Also consider planting shrubbery, grass, and other green foliage to absorb heat as well as create a cooling effect visually to you and your family.

Try these tips for creating a home that will be cooler this summer, save you money and just may make the summer heat more bearable to get through!

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.