How To Help Your House Beat The Heat Of Summer

June 7, 1986|By Better Homes And Gardens

There are lots of ways to keep your house cool in the summer without resorting to central air conditioning.

Windows recessed to a depth that lets the summer sun strike the outside wall above the window prevents heat gain through the glass below, says Better Homes and Gardens Remodeling Ideas.

If recessed windows don't complement your house, plant trees to shade south-facing windows. Deciduous trees shade your house during the spring, summer and fall, then drop their leaves to let the winter sun in. It also is important to shade east and west sides from early-morning and late-evening sun.

While you're waiting for shade trees to grow, consider an old standby -- the awning. It can reduce heat gain through windows by up to 75 percent. Buy those you can open and close easily or remove when cold weather sets in.

Overhangs also are effective sun barriers. In northern latitudes, where the sun follows a lower path, an overhang should be slightly deeper than in southern regions. Before modifying the overhangs on your house, consider one disadvantage: Although an overhang might allow all of the sun past it on Dec. 21, on many other days it will block or allow more sun than desired.

Adjustable overhangs can solve this problem. You can make them out of canvas or slats that can be pivoted to block out the sun. A vine-covered trellis also keeps out unwanted sun in summer yet allows winter heat gain.

A forced-ventilation system lowers the temperature in the attic and reduces the amount of heat radiating into your house. To do this, install soffit vents to take in outside air and add ridge vents or gable-end vents as exits for the hotter attic air.

Another option, a whole-house fan mounted to the ceiling of the uppermost level, cools by pulling hot, stale air up into the attic where it exits through vents. The moving air draws in fresh air through open windows in the lowest levels.

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