More than half of homes in Britain overheat during the summer, creating an urgent health crisis, research reveals. Rising heat is already having serious consequences: an estimated 2,985 heat-related deaths will be recorded in 2022, the highest number in a given year.
With that in mind, Michael Wray, owner of National Insulation Supplies, outlined the common mistakes people make when trying to cool their homes and what they should do instead.
Ignoring natural ventilation
Mistake
You may think it makes sense to keep windows and doors closed at all times to prevent hot air from entering your property, but this tactic can actually trap excessive heat inside your home.
Solution
It may mean getting up a little earlier during the warm summer months, but it can be extremely beneficial to take advantage of cooler mornings and evenings by opening windows and doors to allow fresh air to circulate. By opening windows on opposite sides of your property, you can create something known as cross ventilation to create a breeze that cools your home naturally. However, it is important that you remember to close the windows and blinds during the hottest parts of the day to keep fresh air in and heat out.
Neglecting window treatments
Mistake
Opening your windows early in the morning and at night and closing them during the intense heat of the day is a great way to keep your home cool, but you can undo your hard work by leaving your windows uncovered and letting the sun warm you. inside your home.
Solution
To combat this problem, use blinds, curtains or reflective window films to block the sun’s heat, while blackout curtains are particularly effective at keeping rooms cooler. During the day, it is best to close the curtains on south- and west-facing windows to reduce the amount of heat entering your home.
Inefficient use of fans.
Mistake
Fans are one of the most common ways people try to stay cool in the summer and can be a very effective method, but people often use them incorrectly or leave them running in empty rooms.
Solution
Fans only cool people, not rooms. This is because they simply circulate the air in a room and produce a pleasant breeze, unlike air conditioning, which cools the air itself. Therefore, you should make sure that the fans are only on when you are in the room to feel the breeze. Ceiling fans should also spin counterclockwise in summer to create a wind chill effect, and it’s definitely worth considering using window fans to draw in cooler air from outside or exhaust hot air from outside. the room.
With a view to insulation and sealing.
Mistake
Modern insulation is now really effective and while it is designed to keep you warm in the winter, it is also designed to keep you cool in the summer. As a result, having poor insulation and gaps around windows and doors can allow cold air to escape and hot air to enter your property.
Solution
You may think that investing in more advanced insulation is an unnecessary expense, but it is essential that you ensure your home is well insulated to keep cool air in and hot air out. Seal gaps around windows and doors with weather stripping or caulk, as this not only helps cool in the summer but also retains heat in the winter, improving the overall energy efficiency of your home and reducing your energy bills.
Use of appliances and kitchen
Mistake
Using ovens, stoves, and other heat-generating appliances during the hottest part of the day can increase indoor temperatures and make your kitchen almost unbearably warm during summer heat waves.
Solution
All you need to do to avoid this problem is to cook meals early in the morning or late at night when the temperature is much cooler. You can avoid this by eating meals like salads during the day, opting for slow-cooking recipes that generate less heat, or making the most of the barbecue and enjoying dinner al fresco. It can also be very beneficial to minimize the use of other heat-generating appliances, such as dishwashers and dryers, during the hottest hours of the day.
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