Maria Elenita Tetangco

Description: Wondering why your home heats up despite all your efforts to keep it cool? Read on to learn more ways to make your home cooler and more comfortable! The Homeowner’s Guide to Beating the Heat PART I What Makes Your Home Heat Up? Description: You think you’ve done all you can to make your home cooler,  but it’s still uncomfortably hot. Learn what makes your home heat up and ways to effectively cool it down! Delaware and Eastern Pennsylvania share something in common: a humid subtropical climate, characterized by hot and humid summers and mild to cool winters. Cooling your home during the hot months can be pretty challenging; if your house remains frustratingly warm despite all your efforts, then it’s likely because of some hidden issues you have yet to uncover. In this post, let’s explore some of the possible reasons why your home heats up, and what you can do to effectively cool it down. Cool air escapes your home Most of your cooled indoor air can be lost through the gaps in doors, windows, vents, and even electrical outlets. Aside from not helping cool your home, this also causes energy wastage and high utility bills. Your windows let in heat If you don’t have energy-efficient windows, know that your run-of-the-mill window units aren’t likely to keep the heat outside. Untreated glass conducts heat, so even with blinds and similar treatments installed, heat coming through the windows can still be excessive. This is especially true if you’ve got single-glazed windows that are prone to let in heat more quickly and easily. You don’t have adequate attic insulation and ventilation Roof shingles can get extremely hot during summer. The heat has nowhere to go but down into your attic. If your attic is not properly insulated and ventilated, the heat will then be pushed towards the indoor space below. Walls and siding are not insulated Your siding and walls also receive heat from the outside, and if the materials are not able to insulate the heat, it will be absorbed into your home. Poor indoor air quality Excessive indoor humidity can cause rooms to get warm. Not only is this bad for your utility bills, it also creates an environment mold and fungi love to grow and live in. Appliances are left running even when unused Appliances like ovens, washers, ranges, and dryers, among others that produce steam and heat, can contribute to indoor warmth. Thus, it is best not to use them during the warmest parts of the day. Other appliances such as computers and television also emit heat when left in standby mode, so make sure you plug them when unused. By this time, you have probably been able to pinpoint the culprits that make your home heat up.  In the next post, we discuss how your choice of roofing can help beat and protect the heat, so stay tuned! PART II The Roof: Your Home’s Shield Against the Heat  Description: Learn how your roof contributes to your home’s indoor temperature and comfort, and get some recommendations for the best cool roofing options. Summertime may bring a lot of wonderful things, but it also comes with extreme heat. You would most likely prefer staying indoors on the hottest of days, but what if your home also fails to give the comfort you crave? If your home heats up more than you want it to, it’s probably time to look at one of the largest parts of your home: your roof. Let’s see just how the roof affects your home’s indoor temperature and comfort. Roof Color Not all roof colors are the same when it comes to reflecting and absorbing heat. Some are more reflective than others, while some absorb more. Dark colored roofs generally absorb more heat, causing your attic to heat up -- and if you don’t have adequate attic insulation, this very heat will eventually descend into your living spaces below. Meanwhile, light-colored roofs are a popular choice for warm and humid climates, for good reason. Roof Material Even if you paint your roof white, performance may still vary depending on the material you choose to install. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, your attic’s temperature can vary by up to 50 degrees based on the roofing material. Below are some of the most common types of roofs and how they affect your home’s indoor temperature. Asphalt Shingles. Despite being one of the most popular roofing material in the United States, these have low reflective properties and can absorb a lot of heat. This is due to the asphalt granules that diffuse light and heat in various directions. Asphalt shingles can reflect about 30 per cent of heat, but the rest is absorbed and transferred into the home. Metal Roofs. These have outstanding reflective properties and even if you paint them a darker color, they can still reflect much of the sun’s light and heat, making them a viable choice. Flat roofs. These newer materials, though not as popular as the other two, offer high reflectivity. They are available in both light and dark colors, and they can be treated and coated with products that can improve its ability to deflect heat. Making Your Roof Work for You: Make it Cool! A cool roof is one that can maintain a lower surface temperature under bright sunshine through reflecting more sunlight and heat away. The easiest way to cool a roof is to apply a special coating on it. But if you are already set to re-roof, choose to install materials that are known to have excellent reflectivity. Find a reliable local roofing contractor who can give you recommendations that best-suited to the Delaware and Eastern Pennsylvania climate. Many of your home’ components, other than the roof that can also affect how hot or cool your indoor living spaces can be. In the next post, we discuss how your siding, windows, and doors also affect indoor heat. PART III Siding, Doors, and Windows: How They Work to Cool Your Home Description: Your siding, doors, and windows help beautify your home and keep your indoor living spaces more comfortable.  Read to learn more! In the previous post, we looked into how your choice of roofing can impact your home’s temperatures. But aside from the roof, there other components of the home that can affect how your indoor spaces heat up or cool down. Learn how siding, doors, and windows can be made to work to your advantage. Siding The siding can make for hidden energy leakage known as thermal bridging. Your cooled indoor air can also escape in the same way that energy leaks. The leak happens at the wood studs in the walls which are typically uninsulated. To eliminate this problem, you best choose insulated siding material that won’t let energy and cooled air escape or pass through. This way, the cooled air stays inside, maintaining comfort and preventing energy wastage and high utility costs. Doors Your home’s exterior doors can significantly affect air and energy leakage and wastage: gaps around the door and the material’s conduction contribute towards this. Older doors should be replaced with newer, better-fitting doors with higher insulation properties. If you can’t afford new doors just yet, at least have your weatherstripping replaced. Windows Windows can also let energy and air escape through the gaps around them. Furthermore, if the windows do not have glazing with coatings that reflect away heat, multiple panes, and framing that offer high insulation properties, heat is bound to be easily absorbed into your home. Improve the efficiency of your windows and its ability to keep the cool air in by caulking, weatherstripping, or getting new windows. Searching for the right materials and products can be a bit challenging, but with the right help, you will eventually find what works best for your specific climate and needs. Look for a local contractor that has adequate home improvement experience and knowledge, who can provide you with recommendations to make your home a lovelier, more comfortable, and more energy-efficient place to live in. References: http://mastersheatcool.com/3-reasons-your-home-is-too-hot-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/ http://www.justcalllink.com/webapp/p/665/uncomfortable-home http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/construction/green/10-ways-cool-roof.htm http://www.paramountbuilders.com/roof-colors-materials-how-they-affect-the-temperature-of-your-home/ http://energy.gov/energysaver/cool-roofs http://greenhomeguide.com/know-how/article/three-ways-to-make-your-roof-more-energy-efficient http://www.sidingpriceguides.com/which-type-of-siding-has-the-highest-efficiency-factor/ http://www.progressivefoam.com/thermal-bridging-solutions http://energy.gov/energysaver/doors http://energy.gov/energysaver/energy-efficient-windows