Design Choices That Will Keep Your Home Cool Throughout the Summer Months

As any homeowner can attest, keeping a residence consistently cool throughout the summer months often entails putting your air conditioning setup through its paces. Not only can this be hard on your AC, it can also result in exorbitant power bills. If you live in an area known for brutally hot summers or a part of the country that receives summer-like weather year-round, some smart design choices can help give your AC a break and keep your energy costs in check. So, if a comfortably cool house is what you’re after, the following measures can help make this dream a reality.

Energy-Efficient Windows
Also known as double-paned windows, energy-efficient windows can help your home maintain a comfortable temperature and save you money on cooling costs. Since energy-efficient windows tend to be more expensive than traditional windows, many homeowners are turned off by the high price-tags. While reluctance to part with large sums of money is perfectly understandable, these windows more than pay for themselves in the form of reduced heating and cooling bills. Thanks to being double-paned, energy-efficient windows are perfectly-equipped to prevent cool air from escaping and warm air from entering. Similarly, during the frosty winter months, these windows will keep heated air inside and cold air outside. In other words, spending a fair amount of money in the short term stands to save you a king’s ransom in the long run.

Heat-Friendly Bedding
If you’re sensitive to heat, getting a good night’s sleep during the summer can be an arduous undertaking. Furthermore, sleeping with the same sheets and comforters you use throughout the winter can be downright torturous. When shopping around for the right summertime bedding, you can’t go wrong with linen and cotton. Both of these fabrics are ideal for summer sleeping, as the natural fibers from which they’re woven breathe incredibly well. Linen’s natural cooling properties can be a tremendous boon to anyone looking for a comfy summertime sleep. Additionally, since it’s a natural temperature regulator, it can also help keep you warm throughout the winter.

Ceiling Fans
Dependable ceiling fans can be invaluable tools for beating the summertime heat. A good ceiling fan can help circulate cool air throughout your home, which can help relieve your AC of some of its burden. Additionally, when set to rotate counter-clockwise, ceiling fans can produce a refreshing cool-breeze effect. If you live in an area in which the temperatures drop overnight, consider turning your AC off when the sun goes down, cracking some windows, and allowing your ceiling fans to circulate the cool air from outside.

Awnings
Thanks to its abundance of agreeable weather, summer is the perfect season for outdoor relaxation. However, depending on how much time you spend outdoors and how hot your area gets, extreme heat is liable to throw a wrench into your fun. This is where resilient awnings enter the picture. Outfitting your front porch or backyard leisure area with a solidly-built awning will provide you and your family with some much-needed shade and pave the way for some prime outdoor relaxation.

Sun-Blocking Curtains
Summertime has its fair share of picturesque scenery. From endless blue skies to sun-lit landscapes, summer is undeniably one of the prettiest times of year. While wanting to gaze upon the majesty of summertime is perfectly understandable, constantly leaving your curtains open will let in excessive sunlight, which will make your home even hotter. In addition to leaving your curtains closed during the sun’s peak hours, you should invest in specially-made sun-blocking curtains. As the name suggests, these curtains are designed for maximum UV blockage and can help you maintain consistently cool indoor temperatures. If you don’t feel like shelling out the money for new curtains, consider investing in cheap, easy-to-install blackout screens for your windows.

Comfortably cooling a home throughout the summer is liable to seem like an uphill battle. Although most homeowners strive to save money on energy costs, consistent air conditioning often seems like the only viable option – particularly for people who hail from the hottest parts of the country. While there’s no definitive substitute for dependable AC, there are numerous design and décor choices that can effectively lessen the burden on your home’s air conditioning system.

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