Have you ever found that going outside on a hot day makes you feel your home is hotter than it should be? I have and believe me, it gives you a new perspective on your home’s exterior. Seeing how hot it was, I understood that I had to change some things in my house to keep it cool and just turning on the air conditioner wasn’t enough. The first thing I did was add shade and improve ventilation around my home.
I’m going to explain how I cooled my home’s outside using shade and ventilation. No more suffocating inside or battling the heat. This is how I completed the task and how you can do it as well.
Using Shade to Protect Your Home From the Heat
Here’s the part I didn’t expect... Having shade is necessary, especially if you want to keep your home cool during the summer. In fact, it’s better to have a natural barrier to prevent the heat from the sun from hitting your walls. I used to think shade was only for relaxing in the backyard, but it turns out, it’s crucial for keeping your house temperature-friendly too.
Making shade around your house is the initial way to keep it cool. You could achieve this by planting trees and bushes or by installing awnings and shade sails above your windows. I discovered that placing a few trees around my house helped to keep it cooler. The main thing is to prevent sunlight from reaching your exterior, mainly the windows and the roof.
Shade Ideas That Worked for Me:
- Trees and Shrubs: A tree’s leaves can shield your house from much of the sun’s heat. It’s like nature’s air conditioner!
- For windows that get hit by direct sunlight, installing awnings and shade sails is the best choice. I chose a retractable awning so that I could block the sun or leave it open for the sun to shine through.
- Green Screens: You can use ivy or climbing plants to grow a wall of shade. I was surprised at how much cooler it felt to have vines on my house walls.
Have you ever thought about increasing the shade around your home? It’s a simple fix that makes a huge difference.
Ventilation: Letting Fresh Air In and Heat Out
It started with something I thought I’d hate... I didn’t feel like opening my windows wide when it was so hot outside. I thought it would only allow more hot air to enter the room. However, after studying proper ventilation, I understood that my ideas were not correct.
Ventilation is essential for cooling your home. If you allow fresh air in and hot air out, your house will feel much cooler. This made a big difference for me, especially when I discovered how to balance the airflow and temperature.
The solution is to have windows or vents on different sides of your house so that air can flow through. In this way, cooler air can get in from one direction and warmer air leaves from the other. It was surprising how much better the air felt in the rooms after opening a few windows.
Simple Ventilation Tips That Worked:
- Cross-Ventilation: Let air in through different windows to help cool the room. I realized that opening the windows at night made a big difference.
- If your house lacks windows, putting vents in the roof or walls will help a lot. After installing a couple of roof vents, the heat in the attic stopped building up.
- Ceiling Fans: They do not cool the air, but they move it around so that it feels like a breeze in the room.
This is where it all shifted for me. After realizing how important airflow was, I could easily control the temperature in my home. Have you ever tried cross-ventilation in your home?
Insulate Your Home From the Beginning
That’s when I finally saw what was missing... Even with plenty of shade and airflow, your battle will be lost if your house’s outside materials are taking in heat. I saw that I should consider using different materials for the outside of my house.
Light-colored or reflective materials on the outside of your home such as your roof and walls, can keep your house cooler. I decided to replace the dark shingles with lighter ones that reflect the sun’s rays. It made my home cooler and also made my energy bills lower.
Materials That Make a Difference:
- Changing to a light-colored paint or siding is the simplest thing you can do. I reduced the amount of heat absorbed by painting the outside of my house a light color.
- Reflective Roofing: With reflective roofing, sunlight is reflected away from your house. I felt that the roof was no longer absorbing all the heat. Instead, it acted as a barrier.
- Adding insulation to the attic helps to prevent heat from moving into the house. It was an effortless and simple way to see real improvement.
I didn’t realize how important the outside materials are for the comfort of my home. Selecting the proper materials is like providing your house with a cool and safe coating. Consider replacing some of your home’s materials to help regulate its temperature.
The Power of Greenery: More Than Just Decoration
Let me show you how that worked out… I planted trees and bushes in my yard to provide shade and to keep my home insulated. What surprised me the most was how plants didn’t just cool the immediate area but also helped regulate the air around the house.
Plants are natural air conditioners. They give off water vapor which cools the air. They also block sunlight from hitting your home’s walls. I found that my garden helped me survive the hot summer days.
How to Use Plants for Shade and Cooling:
- Planting large trees around your home helps to reduce the amount of heat your home receives. I placed some around the southern area of the house.
- Climbing Vines: If you put ivy or similar plants on trellises, they will help cool your walls. They help to cool your home and still look attractive.
- I used low-growing plants to block the sun from getting into my windows.
Would you try adding more greenery to your yard? During the summer, I could always find my kids hanging out in the garden.
The Right Outdoor Structures: Creating Permanent Shade
This is where things got really fun… I thought a cozy outdoor area was great, but I didn’t know they could also help reduce the temperature inside the house. Adding permanent shading structures like pergolas, gazebos, or even shade sails can make a huge difference in your home’s temperature.
I built a pergola on my patio which gave me a nice place to relax and also shaded part of the side of my house. The coolness from the patio area reached the rooms that were next to it. I felt I had made a shady garden that shielded my house from the hot summer sun.
Shade Structures That Helped Cool My Home:
- Pergolas and Gazebos: They provide shade and also help keep the nearby areas cool.
- Shade Sails: If you are on a budget, they are simple to install and offer quick protection from the sun.
- Curtains for the Outdoors: Curtains made for outdoor use can be hung on a porch or pergola to block the sun and make it cooler.
A pergola seemed like a simple choice, but I was surprised by how much it improved the temperature inside the house. Have you ever considered building some outdoor structures for your home?
Conclusion
When you know how to cool the outside of your home, the heat will have no effect. I made my home pleasant and comfortable during the summer by using shade, fresh air, reflective surfaces and plants. Consider your house as a system where all the parts cooperate to keep the temperature comfortable.
Pin this if you’re planning to update your home’s exterior for the summer! What is one simple way you try to keep your house cool during the summer? I’d love to hear your tips in the comments!
