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Keeping Your Richmond Home Cool: Smart Solutions for Warmer Summers
Ideas to keep your house cool in the heat.
We have all noticed that our summers are getting hotter, and the summer temperatures seems to increase year on year.
Most of our houses and flats in Richmond are Victorian and these are designed to retain heat, which is excellent for our typically cooler winters. More modern buildings are also designed to keep us warm in winter as consistently hot summers are a relatively new phenomenon.
It is easier to keep warm in winter as we can always ‘put an extra layer on’. Keeping cool can be more difficult: Cantell & Co have some ideas that we think will help.
Windows and curtains
A simple and effective cooling strategy is to keep all windows and curtains shut during the day.
This keeps the warm air out, so whilst it feels counter-intuitive, it is highly recommended. Once the evening cools down open all the windows and blinds – letting the warmth out and hopefully creating a through breeze.
Sash Windows
On moderately warm days sash windows have old-fashioned air conditioning properties.
You can partially open both the top and bottom sashes to achieve a gentle breeze while maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature.
In contrast, during colder weather, you can partially open the top sash while keeping the bottom sash closed. This “trickle ventilation” technique allows fresh air to enter from the top while preventing cold drafts from the lower part of the window.
Plants
Having plants outside the house that can provide shade on the windows and help to keep the house cool by reducing the sunlight is an obvious idea. But also, inside the house they are remarkably effective at reducing the heat. Indoor plants are natural dehumidifiers. Their leaves absorb water from your home's surroundings then release moisture into the air through a process called transpiration. In the hotter months, the increased atmospheric moisture through transpiration can have a cooling effect, reducing the need for air conditioning.
Air Conditioning/Air Cooling
Air Conditioning systems can be impractical in a conservation area. As they need an outside unit, you may require planning permission.
There is a practical solution, an internal air-cooling system, so no need to navigate planning regulations.
Cool You Direct manufacture systems using environmentally friendly refrigerants that are electrically rated A++. coolyoudirect.co.uk is a company that has fitted one of their systems in a house in Richmond, so we know how effective it is. We are happy to recommend them; Cantell & Co never accepts referral fees.
We believe that the cost would be recouped on the sale in the future and it is a fantastic selling point, aside from the enjoyment you will get for having a cool home.