7 Summer Tips for a Cooler Home
– 7 Summer Tips for a Cooler Home –
It is not always easy to keep your home cool, especially with the Greater Tampa Bay Area seeing record heat advisories this summer. Undoubtedly, air conditioning is essential in Florida. Our state has high temperatures and high populations of seniors, who are most susceptible to heat-related illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
Top Ways to Cool Down Your Home
Cranking up the AC is one option, but it can be hard on a fixed income or any homeowner’s budget. As your real estate professionals and trusted consultants in home matters, we want to save you from letting those dollars fly out the window. In addition to keeping hydrating and wearing light and loose-fitting clothes, here are tips for keeping your family safer, home cooler, and AC costs more affordable this summer.
- Cool Down and Close Up: Keep your AC unit well maintained by a professional, and keep the system running at a consistent temperature. Also, close windows and doors, including the garage door. You pay a hefty price for air conditioning your home, which means you’ll want to prevent any cool air from escaping and reduce any entry of heat and moisture.
- Dehumidify the Air: Expel extra humidity in your home by running your kitchen exhaust fan when cooking and bathroom fans when bathing. In addition to ventilation, consider investing in a dehumidifier for more humid areas of your home.
- Run Ceiling Fans: Sitting under a ceiling fan can help cool down your body temperature. Just be sure to run it in a counter-clockwise direction for downward airflow.
- Add Trees and Plants: Try adding trees, plants, or wide-spanning palms outside your first-floor windows to absorb and block the sunlight from shining through the window.
- Install Overhangs and Awnings: Beat the blazing heat before it penetrates the window. This can be done by installing fixed overhangs or awnings outside to block the high beams.
- Invest in Protective Windows: Consider investing in special window glass with a glaze to protect from unwanted heat and sunshine. Let us know if you would like referrals for a professional window installer to recommend the types that would work best for your home.
- Upgrade Roof and Insulation: Let us know if you would like to be referred to a professional roofer for discussing light-colored or reflective roofing materials. A new roof may also help provide improved insulation for your home. Also, consider adding an extra layer of protection to keep cool air inside your home by adding insulation in your attic and throughout your home.
It is our pleasure to align you with home-project experts across Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties. If you are a Florida resident needing help finding the perfect home or selling your current property, contact Dick and Karla Nielsen at 813-294-5786.
