Summer cooling tips

Last month we brought you our Summer Maintenance Checklist, so you can make sure your home is ready for the change in season. With the recent heatwave we’ve been experiencing in Metro Vancouver, we thought it would be a good idea to share our tips on how to keep your home cool during the summer.

It’s important to make sure your home is comfortably cool when the temperatures rise. This can be accomplished without a high-energy output by incorporating a few simple airflow updates and some common sense.

Summer Cooling Tips

  • Switch your ceiling fan to run counter-clockwise (the blades are tilted upward as they spin) to push air downward and create a stronger draft.
  • Get an attic fan. Just moving the air around and having good ventilation up there could eliminate the need for A/C. Run the blower fan on your furnace as well.
  • Replace your air conditioner’s filter and have your system professionally serviced. You’ll breathe easier with reduced possibilities of air-cooling malfunctions in the sweltering summer heat.
  • Use awnings or shutters to shade the home. Shutters can provide ventilation, security, shading and storm-protection in one simple device.
  • Cupolas can be as functional as they are decorative. As warm air rises, cupolas allow hot air to escape at the high points in the home, while bringing up cooler air from below. This also creates a steady and cooling air flow, even when there is no breeze outside. In some homes, cupolas also provide soft, indirect sunlight that illuminates the home without bringing in the heat. This same principle can work to help summer cooling in almost any home, if you can assist air flow by way of an opening skylight or attic fan.
  • Think about preparing easy, minimum-cooking meals like salads to keep extra heat out of the kitchen. Luckily there is a wide variety of healthy, nutritional options to choose from.
  • BBQ’s are a great way to prepare meals outdoors without over-heating your kitchen along with the rest of your home.

By following these simple tasks, you can ensure your home is comfortable for you, your family and any guests you have all summer long.

If you have any questions or concerns about how to keep your home cool in the summer, or if you have any other home inspection needs, contact Glenn at Duxbury & Associates today!