by Ashley Houston
Have some redecorating in mind, or possibly a bigger and more extensive home improvement project?
If so, then you should keep in mind the impact of the sun and solar energy on your home.
Right now, there's really not much you can do about the orientation of your home, but what you can do is to manage its features so that solar energy doesn't drive your cooling costs through the roof.
If your home is greatly affected by heat during warm months, always remember to shut the blinds on the side of the house where the sun is striking. Sunlight as it passes through glass is converted to heat, so unless you have low-e windows that block this heating, your home will be much cooler if the sunlight is stopped at the window. Double paned and containing a thin metallic coating that blocks some of the UV and infrared light, low-e windows basically reflect the heat back towards its source so that your home stays warmer in winter and cooler during the summer.
If you don't have good blinds on sun drenched windows, then install or replace them. Installing mini blinds is easy with just a screwdriver. You need to measure the width of your windows first, both the glass and the entire frame. Knowing the width of the frame means you can buy blinds that are a little wider but at least buy one that's as wide as the glass portion of the window. If you can stay away from ordering custom blinds, they're a cheap method to keep out the heat.
Perhaps your house faces west and you're baked by the evening sun streaming through your front windows, as many homes have more or larger windows in the front. Blinds might leave you feeling claustrophobic even if they keep out the sunlight and most of the heat, especially if the living area is in front of the house.
There are two options to help make your living space more enjoyable if you have a covered front porch. A cheap fix is to install outdoor blinds on your porch, which will keep the sun out of the windows and off the front wall as well. So that the porch roof provides shade for the front of the house during the hottest times of the day, you might consider extending it further from the house if it is too small.
The same solutions can be used in the back of your home if you have a sunny porch there. Another option for decks and patios, which don't offer any shade, even when it's needed, is to consider installing an awning. Growing in popularity, retractable awnings, are great protectors from rain or sun when you want it, or be hidden away against the house to allow the sun in and avoid damaging winds. If you want the area covered all the time, fixed awnings are also an option.
Awnings are also an option for shading windows and doors where solar heating is a problem and can be color coordinated with metal roofs, shutters, or trim to cut cooling expenses by as much as 20 percent.
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New Unique Article!
Title: Chill And Cool Down
Author: Ashley Houston
Email: uaw@commercepublishing.com
Keywords: Home Improvement and Environment,Home Decor,Energy and Environment,Energy,Environment,Environment and Nature,Energy and Nature,Home Improvement,Home,Family,Home and Family
Word Count: 523
Category: Home & Family
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