How to Keep Your Home Cool
The UK is in the midst of its warmest summer in years and with the heatwave rolling on, it Brits are already proclaiming it “too warm”! High temperatures are unfortunately affiliated with loss of life with the hot summer of 2006 showing an estimated 75 extra deaths per week for each degree of temperature increase.
June proved to be one of the hottest since records began in 1910 and July is set to follow that trend but it is in our homes where we can make a real difference. Public Health England suggests that one in five homes are prone to overheating with some properties more vulnerable than others. Top floor 1960s flats are most prone to overheating with research suggesting they can become six times hotter than ground floor flats, and nine times warmer a Victorian terrace.
Here are our handy quick hints for cooling your home down.
Shade
Research suggests that we can block out 30% of unwanted heats by blocking out sunlight through our windows. Don’t be afraid to close blinds or curtains during the day to block out this light as an easy way of reducing the temperature. Remember that dark fabrics absorb heat so using light-coloured curtains is better.
Move the Air Effectively
Opening windows when the air cools down outside is a great way of recycling air but ensure that your property is secure. Fans can just as easily make things worse by rotating warm air around the room. One method is direct fans towards the window rather than yourself to move the hot air away from you. Another hint is putting ice in front of the fan to create cool air.
Avoid Creating Heat
Keep lights off during the day to stop bulbs creating heat and also avoid long periods of cooking with ovens or slow cookers as they create more heat. Consider more summer friendly food such as salads.
Insulate
Insulation is often seen as a long term solution to keeping your house warm during the winter and reducing heating bills. But good insulation can also work by keeping heat out once you have a cool room.
Yourself
Remember to concentrate on keeping yourself cool and hydrated as well as the rooms in your home. Hot weather can cause a variety of changes to the human body and ensuring your body keeps at a cool temperature is the main battle. Also make sure you keep your food safely secured in fridges and out of sunlight.