Wiltshire residents have endured a few heatwaves this summer. While that may mean trips to the beach, days out at the park with the family and long, lazy walks by the river, it also means your home is frequently becoming an oven.
Modern homes, particularly those with double glazing, offer excellent insulation which is perfect for keeping the house warm and heating bills low during the winter. But when the summer rolls around, keeping cool becomes a challenge.
Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to keep your Wiltshire home cool this summer.
Avoid opening windows
This might seem counter-intuitive. It’s hot, so why wouldn’t you want to let some of the warm air out?
But in truth, by opening your windows, what you’re actually doing is letting the hot air in.
Instead, keep curtains on south facing windows drawn, in order to keep too much heat from radiating through your windows.
The exception to this is if you have sash windows. If you do, open the top and bottom an equal amount. This will create a convection effect, with the denser, cool air entering through the lower opening, while the lighter, warm air is pushed through the top.
Insulate your home
You read that right! Again, it feels like the opposite to what you need. After all, insulation is what keeps your house warm in the winter. But in the summer, it works the opposite way around and prevents the hot air from entering your home. As long as your home is well insulated, the warm air won’t get in and the cold air won’t escape.
Reflect the heat
When sunlight is constantly shining through your windows, it creates a greenhouse effect, with the warm air, heated by the sunlight, having nowhere to escape.
You can avoid this by installing solar reflective glass on any south-facing windows which get the most sunlight during the day. This can also be retrofitted as a film applied to the glass.
Switch off electrical products
Nowadays, we have so many electricals in the home and it’s just a habit to leave them on standby when they’re not in use.
However, this could be generating unnecessary heat in your home. When not in use, power off games consoles, televisions, and computers in order to eliminate the heat they generate in your home.
By following the above tips, you should be able to enjoy a cooler home this summer, so even when the day is at its hottest, your Wiltshire home will still offer a bit of respite from the hot summer sun.