BEAT THE HEAT

It’s Not the Heat. It’s the Humidity!

          During the summer months, you may find that your home is too humid. But even if you can’t feel it, learn to recognize the signs of excessive humidity: condensation on walls, windows, and mirrors (when you’re not taking a shower or cooking); constant musty smells; damp floors; white powdery stains on exposed concrete walls or floors; rotting window sills; mildew growth and mold; ceiling stains; peeling paint or wallpaper; and bulging or rotting siding on the outside of your home. (In the winter, look for frost inside your home!)

          You can lower indoor humidity levels by: adjusting the setting on your furnace; using a portable dehumidifier (especially in the basement); opening windows; drying laundry outside; taking leftover firewood outside (one cord of wood can give off more than 60 gallons - 227 litres - of water!); and, using exhaust fans in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry areas.

          You might be surprised to know that your house plants look cool, but actually add considerable moisture to your air, thus raising the humidity and, consequently, the air temperature. Consider reducing the number of plants you have inside by moving some of them to your porch or patio.

Heat Wave!

          If you find your home is too hot, you should determine where the heat is coming from before looking for solutions to cool your family down. In the summer, there are three main sources of uncomfortable indoor temperatures: i) the sun shining through the windows; ii) heat from the sun that builds up in the attic (often reaching 130⁰F (54⁰C)) and radiates down into the living areas; and, iii) heat from appliances.

          To combat these problems: i) install awnings over windows not shaded by a roof overhang, and shut your curtains or blinds; ii) install roof vents in your attic, which allow air to circulate and the heat to escape; and, iii) minimize the use of heat-generating appliances (such as the stove, oven, dishwasher, washer, dryer and clothes iron), and/or schedule their use for early morning or evening.

          Why not use the barbecue, or include more non-cooked foods (cold cuts, salads) in your menu? Try sun-drying your clothes. And do not switch lights on until essential, as bulbs give off more heat than you might think!

Central Air Conditioning Tips

          If you are planning on getting central air conditioning, there are a few important things you should first consider.

It’s a Breeze!

          If you can’t escape summer’s heat even inside your own home, consider installing a ceiling fan -- the blades will draw up cool air and recirculate it around the room, while keeping a refreshing breeze over your head. They’re much cheaper than an air conditioner, and can also be used in the winter to circulate and force warm air downwards (a switch reverses the direction).

Colour Comfort

          Did you know that colours can affect your level of comfort? Light colours reflect and diminish heat, while dark colours absorb and preserve heat. If you’re planning on redecorating, consider painting southern- and western-facing rooms (which are often hot) in fresh bright colours such as meadow green, lemon yellow, sky blue or sunset pink. While this may not substantially reduce the room temperature on hot summer days, the colour around you will make you feel cooler. Comparatively, rooms that you find are usually cool should be painted in dark colours to make them feel warmer: brown, navy blue, and grey, or the warm fireplace colours of red and orange.

Windows of Opportunity

          Since windows last an average of 30 years, it’s not always sensible to replace them. But if you are planning on having new windows put on your house in the next few months, consider those with Low-Emissive (or Low-E) glass. Low-E glass helps to keep warm air in during the winter, and also filters out most of the damaging UV-sunlight, thus reducing the fading of your draperies and furniture.

Put Down Some Roots

          Believe it or not, another way to control the temperature inside your house begins with your garden and yard! Why not take advantage of the spring and summer months to landscape the area around your home?

          Deciduous trees and shrubbery placed near the walls of a house block solar heat and glare during the day, while keeping up to 70% of the sun’s heat from the ground below them. The east and west sides of your home are ideal for providing maximum shade -- it is there that nearly horizontal rays of the morning and afternoon sun are the harshest. If you’re patient, the trees can even grow tall enough to help shade your roof.

          But the benefits of planting trees are not limited to warm-weather months. The pockets of dead air they create also help to insulate your home against winter’s cold. Evergreens make excellent windbreaks -- they prevent gusts by slowing the wind and allowing it to pass through gently.

In the Mood?

          Don’t put off until the fall what you can (and should) do today! Here are three simple things you can do yourself over the next few months to ensure that you’ll be ready for winter:

THUMB YOUR NOSE AT OLD MAN WINTER

What’s Hiding in Your Attic?

          Many attics are responsible for 10-15% of the total heat loss in your house, so it pays to insulate. (Good insulation will not only keep your house warmer in the winter, but cooler in the summer, too!)

          Fibreglass offers great thermal protection, and is also reasonably priced: about 23% of the cost for polystyrene foam boards. And, unlike polystyrene, fibreglass will not burn, does not emit any noxious gases, does not absorb water, and does not support fungus growth. As well, rodents and insects don’t like to eat fibreglass or make nests in it. But be sure to wear protective clothing, goggles, and a mask when installing fibreglass, because the fibres can irritate your skin, eyes and nose.

Stop That!

          On a cold day, run your hand over your electrical outlets and light switches; you may be surprised at how cold it feels. In many homes, up to 20% of draught leaks occur from behind these areas. Weather-stripping your outlets and switches is one of the easiest, fastest, and most effective jobs you can do. You can use foamed plastic (which comes in a convenient spray can) or pre-cut foam gaskets.

Do You Know Where Your Damper Is?

          Does your fireplace have a damper? Don’t assume that it does. Many fireplaces were constructed by inexperienced craftsmen or thrifty builders who left the damper out. To check whether or not you have a built-in damper, look up inside the chimney (when the fire is out!) for a heavy metal object where the chimney narrows -- there should be an easy-to-reach handle or chain which you can pull to open and close the damper.

          If your fireplace has a damper, be sure to close it as tightly as you can.

          If you can still see daylight, or there is no damper, you’re wasting a lot of warm, cosy air. Have a damper installed as soon as possible, or add a tempered glass or plexiglass fire screen that fits snugly across the opening.

Make Your Thermostat Work for You

          Did you know that for every degree above 20C (68F) that you set your thermostat, your heating costs rise approximately 5%? Regardless of the type of heating and cooling system you have in your home, you can save money by taking charge of your thermostat.

          If possible, program your thermostat to automatically raise and lower the temperature at selected times of the day -- timers are inexpensive and easy to install. If your thermostat can only be controlled manually, lower it during the day if no one is at home, set it slightly lower than to what you are accustomed during the evening, or lower your thermostat by 5C overnight.

To Hang or Not to Hang?

          Though many methods of preserving heat require a major expenditure, you may already have an effective means of controlling window energy consumption. Your drapes, shades, or Venetian blinds can be an effective barrier to heat loss from a heated room, if properly utilized -- they must be sealed as tightly as possible at the top, bottom and both sides. In fact, heat loss through a draped window is actually greater than a window with no curtain at all! Unsealed window-coverings create a freely circulating current that sucks warm air in at the top, drags it across the cold surface of the window, chills it, and sends the cold air back into the room at foot-level.

          This problem can be remedied by sealing the edges of your curtains with staples, tacks, tape or Velcro. You can also keep heat from being drawn down behind your curtains by adjusting the rods so that the fabric meets the moulding above it, or by placing a light board along the top of the rods to seal the gap between ceiling and fabric.

Windows: Panes or Pains?

          Storm windows can reduce your total heating and cooling costs by 10-20% throughout the winter. When it’s 0F outside and 68F inside, the interior surface temperature of a single-pane window is 15F. This rises to 45F with double-glazing, and to 55F with triple-glazing.

Love’s Labour’s Lost

          One of the greatest misconceptions about home heating is the value of your fireplace. The crackling flames may sound and look beautiful on a snowy winter night, but they are extremely inefficient as a heating system -- about 2/3 of the heat in a fireplace escapes up your chimney.