Nature Canada

6 Hot Home Tips for Cool Summer Living

Image of Samantha Nurse

Samantha Nurse, Web and Social Media Coordinator

As summer begins, it means that we’ve only recently dusted our standing fans, planted our vegetable gardens, and started planning our weekend getaways.

But what about all the time that we’ll be spending indoors when the thermostat is pushing 30? With a little planning, you can easily keep your home cool and your energy bills down.

If you’re looking to beat the heat naturally, stay cool while keeping these green tips in mind:

Create a stir. Circulating air keeps you cooler, and fans use 90% less energy than air conditioners. If you can, set up a cross-current with window fans.

Get with the program. On days when air conditioning is an absolute necessity, set the thermostat to 25C and leave it there. If you’ll be away from home for more than four hours, turn the a/c off and program it to turn on an hour before you return.Image of a Green Roof

Invest in low-E. Windows with low-E films keep out the summer heat. As a bonus, they’ll also keep heat inside during the winter. Make sure all windows are properly sealed to avoid drafts.

Reflect on your roof. If you’re planning on updating your roof, choose light-coloured materials to redirect the sun’s heat away from your home. Alternatively, install a radiant barrier inside your roof to accomplish some of the same goals.

Go green – from the top down. Consider a green roof that will not only cool your home, but can provide habitat for wildlife if you plant native, drought-tolerant species. Environment Canada research shows that a typical one-storey building with about 10 cm of grass and growth medium on its roof cuts its cooling needs by 25%.

Don’t forget the garden. Plant shrubs and trees that will shield your house from the sun and keep it cooler while attracting beneficial birds, insects, and other nature neighbours.

As an added incentive, following these green tips for staying cool and you’ll be contributing to the global effort to fight climate change. Much of the energy that we use during the summer goes into trying to stay cool and comfortable indoors. Reducing our household energy consumption makes sense for the planet and the pocketbook.

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