How to Keep Your House Cool in Summer and the Warmer Months

Summer brings heat and humidity in equal measure to homeowners in North Carolina. Even though you might be used to flipping on your home’s AC unit to beat the heat, there are better – and sometimes more affordable – ways to do so. Let us show you 10 excellent ways to keep your house cool for this summer and all the summers to come.

1. Open windows strategically to keep house cool in summer

There’s a reason windows are still the best no-power tools for cooling down your home. To get some airflow going, open some of your west-facing windows, then a few of your east-facing windows. Since most wind moves from east to west, this simple trick will create a cooling cross breeze in no time. Opening those vinyl sliding windows, especially, could be the perfect solution when it comes to bringing fresh airflow into your Wilkesboro home and staying cool during the summer!

Don’t forget screen doors!

If you have a storm door with a screen installed, you can also open that up and boost your ventilation even more. Ventilating storm doors protect you against the heat and act as a secondary shield against the heavy summer rains that crop up in Blue Ridge.

2. Place window films

Window films are some of the most affordable and easiest ways to “hack” your windows and keep excess heat out. In fact, the right reflective window films can do wonders for blocking both heat and harmful UV radiation. Just stick these on your picture or casement windows, and they’ll suddenly be much better at keeping the sun from toasting your home all day long.

3. Install energy-efficient windows

If your windows are on the older side, exchanging them for new energy-efficient windows could be a wise way to insulate your house against excess heat for years to come. Energy-efficient windows do a stellar job of keeping heat from the sun outside.

Alside’s Mezzo Energy-Efficient Vinyl Windows could be just the ticket for this summer and beyond. Or, you could try Wincore’s 5400 Series Windows, which are available with Low E glass and Argon gas fills. In any case, there are dozens of different energy-efficient windows you could pick for your home remodel.

4. Place a bowl of ice near fans

Have countertop fans? You can make them much more cooling by putting a bowl of ice in front of them. This basic trick is highly effective and a perfect way to cool down a specific, small space, like a hot kitchen, while you’re cooking up dinner.

5. Close the blinds to keep house cool

Closing your blinds is a classic, cost-free way to keep your house cool in the summer. You don’t have to keep them closed all day, though – for example, just close the blinds or curtains of east-facing windows in the morning, then open them up around noon. Do the reverse process for west-facing windows to maximize the value of this simple trick.

6. Adjust your ceiling fans

You might already use your ceiling fans to keep air circulating. But did you know that if your fans rotate clockwise, they aren’t as cooling as they could be?

It’s true. Adjust your fans so they rotate counterclockwise in summer. That way, the blades of those fans will push colder air down and create a cooling effect in your home. Once winter arrives, do it the opposite way to pull colder air up and away from your main living spaces.

7. Install weatherstrips around doors

The interior and exterior doors of your home are some of the worst spots where AC air can escape, or hot air can infiltrate, especially if they aren’t properly fitted or sealed. If you notice a draft, or if you can see gaps between your doors and frames, install some weatherstripping to close those gaps.

Weatherstripping is great for trapping AC-cooled air within the home. But, this affordable investment is also useful come winter, as it’ll keep heated air inside your house and cold air out once that season rolls around.

8. Use a smart AC controller

In the hottest part of the day, odds are you’ll still need to kick on your air conditioner from time to time. But you can keep your energy bill and the temperature from getting too high by installing a smart AC controller.

Smart AC controllers let you set cooling schedules for the week or month, plus they can be primed to automatically turn your AC on when you get back from a trip. Used wisely, AC smart controllers could save you tons of energy.

9. Switch off unused appliances to keep house cool

Did you know your largest unused appliances, like your PC, your dishwasher, and your clothes dryer, collectively emit a ton of heat? When you aren’t using them, consider switching them off. Again, this saves energy. But more importantly, it reduces the amount of wasted heat warming your home from the inside out.

10. Swap incandescent bulbs for LEDs

The lights throughout your home do more to keep the temperature up than you might think. If your house is equipped with several incandescent bulbs, bad news: those bulbs give off about 90% of their energy as heat. Swapping them out for LED bulbs is better for the environment, your home’s temperature, and your energy bill!

All in all, any combination of these tricks could help you keep your home’s internal temperature down. Combined with strategic pulses from your air conditioner, you’ll be more comfortable than ever in your home, even when it is sweltering outside.

If you do decide to take the plunge and get new, energy-efficient windows, Window World of the Blue Ridge is here to help. Stop by our showroom today or contact us if you have any questions!