DIY, Frugal, and Other Ways of Cooling Your Home This Summer
Summer is just around the corner and that can mean very hot weather. Our hot weather came earlier this year and it only makes sense to find beautiful ways to cooling your home and saving on energy.
Porch Umbrellas
Porch umbrellas are a quick, least involved way of getting shade outside and even possibly of cooling down your home. There are now umbrellas that bump up against the side of your home so you can place that right above and outdoor (ground level) window or your patio doors. This is ideal if you need a portable solution.
Thermal Curtains and Shades
[simpleazon-link asin=”B001A662BE” locale=”us”]Thermal curtains[/simpleazon-link] and shades can help with cooling down your home from the inside. Heavy curtains will work a bit also but thermal curtains are specially treated for blocking outdoor weather. Also an easy way to redecorate thermal curtains blog the heat from the sun and can keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Cut down on your electrical use
Cut back on using your dryer during dog days. Dryers can really heat up the house. Try line drying. If you're not allowed to hang one of these outside you can also dry clothing indoors if you have the space for it (and even if you think you don't).
Try not to use your oven. Grilling and meals such as supper salads are cools ways to eat when it's hot.
Go a little further in cooling your home…
Adding and awning to your home is one way you can save and cool down your home.
Awnings have been around for a while, and are making a comeback. Back in the 1930s, when summer temperatures were at record highs across the US, they were a common sight on the fronts of businesses and homes. Awnings are not rocket science. It's a simple concept. Shade keeps things cooler and doesn't require electricity.
You can save a lot of energy savings from using awnings. And a lot of awnings are retractable, which means you pull them back and allow the sun to filter in through your windows during the winter months when you actually welcome the sun's warmth in your home.
But how do awnings save energy?
First of all when sun comes in through your windows it heats your home up significantly. An awning will shade your windows and keep the level of the sun way down. Do you have an air conditioner? If you use awnings, your air conditioning bills will decrease quite a bit. Your house will simply be cooler without all that sunlight pouring in. IN some cases people have said that your house will be anywhere from 8 to 15 degrees cooler!
Here are some of the types of awnings available.
1. [simpleazon-link asin=”B005QDLCEO” locale=”us”]Rectractable Awnings[/simpleazon-link] are good for RV owners and those who want to block the sun only at certain times of the day. Retractable awnings are less expensive than permanent ones. They have supporting arms that attach to the structure and a hand-crank type of mechanism for rolling the awning up. Some of them are motorized where you press a button and the awning will retract.
2. [simpleazon-link asin=”B00BN103PW” locale=”us”]Aluminum awnings[/simpleazon-link] are usually enameled in a variety of colors. They do not roll up, but they are tough and durable. Some manufacturers claim that aluminum awnings actually increase air circulation, helping to cool the home.
3.[simpleazon-link asin=”B008Q1MD96″ locale=”us”]Canvas awnings[/simpleazon-link]are perhaps the most familiar to many of us. They can also be colorful, and come in retractable or permanent styles.
4. [simpleazon-link asin=”1461086558″ locale=”us”]Patio Covers[/simpleazon-link] are simply really big awnings, and have the effect of adding another room to your home – a room that doesn't require air conditioning! Patio cover awnings come in aluminum, wood, and vinyl.
More neato ways to cool down outdoors
Check out these pins on my pinterest board of cool DIY ways to make shade on your porch or in your yard.
[alpine-phototile-for-pinterest src=”board” uid=”vintageabode” board=”frugal-outdoor-shade” imgl=”pinterest” dl=”1″ dlstyle=”medium” style=”vertical” size=”192″ num=”4″ curve=”1″ max=”100″]
So get moving and pick up a few new ways to cool down your home.
