As Peter Kay would say 'I like it warm but I don't like it this warm'
Is there any better time to get excited about summer? Now the sunshine has been making are reoccurring appearance you'd be daft not to buy those flip flops and last minute BBQ's. The only thing is because we rarely get these sunny days, we brits aren't very well prepared for hot weather. Soaring temperatures are ready to strike in the coming months and instead of complaining about stickiness, tossing and turning in bed all night or sitting in front of fans in a bid to cool down we have some top tips to keep your house cool. A cold beer in the sun does sound tempting but is it really worth tackling the discomfort and restless nights to come? Save that for later and react wisely to the heat!
With this in mind, here's our guide to a cooler house this summertime:
Windows
Appealing as it is to throw open your windows at the first sign of heat, whether it's for a slight draft or having the sunshine lighten up your house, this is a plan likely to backfire on you. We get it, it feels wrong to keep your house in relative darkness while the glorious sun sparkles outside however to keep your house cool you need to keep the hot air out! Keeping windows – particularly south facing closed and covered with curtains or blinds during the day.
Ideally we'd like to think everyone would be out enjoying the hot weather nevertheless if it does get a bit too hot during the day and you really must open a window, make sure you encourage a draft throughout the house – moving air is cooler than still air therefore opening windows at opposite sides of the house and keeping doors open so the air can move through freely is the best way.
The good news is, once the temperature has dropped at night time you can open as many windows as you like. This will give your house a good airing but make sure your valuables are not left on show, we wouldn't want to encourage burglaries (we know this goes without saying but always good to reinstate the obvious).
Switch off
We want to avoid those internal heat gains therefore turning off all appliances not in use will lessen the surprising amount of heat that is being generated from them. We are all guilty of leaving these on standby but to keep this simple if it's electronic and you're not using it, turn it off. Another suggestion would be to ensure the backs of fridges and freezers have plenty of ventilation space – pull them slightly away from the wall so unnecessary heat isn't being pumped into the room.
Be a fan of the fan
We might not have the luxury of air conditioning in this weather but what we do have is cheaper alternative and when fans are used correctly they are proven to be a summertime godsend. Be strategic with the placement of your fans, yes it's tempting to sit there with one directly in front of your face but in the grand scheme of things is this going to keep your house cooler? No, no it's not.
Heat rises therefore the coolest air in your house is going to be at floor level, so we would advise setting your fan on the floor and pointing this upwards. Position this so that it points outwards towards the opposite wall. If you position these right you create a cross breeze, mixing the warm air with the cooler air to help cool the temperature altogether for a longer lasting cooling sensation. Another idea would be to place a bowl of icey water in front of the fan, it might not look so tidy but allowing the air to blow across this will speed up the process.
