Ways to Cool House and Cut Energy Bill

The onset of summer can also bring on concerns about cooling costs, but take heart.

Some warm weather savvy from Home Plan Ideas magazine will allow homeowners to minimize their home’s heat buildup on hot summer days and will also help take the heat off their cooling budget.

Anything that stops the sun before it gets into the house reduces heat buildup dramatically. Here are a few additions that do the trick:

--Attach awnings. Buy either ready-made fabric awnings or aluminum models, or build wood awnings that tie in architecturally with the house. Concentrate on east- and west-facing windows.

--Mount outside sun screens. Block the sun by covering windows that receive direct sunlight with screening of bamboo, wood, fiberglass or polypropylene.

--Hang light-colored interior shades. Once the sun gets through windows, the object is to send it back out. Shades with shiny outer surfaces work best. Some roll-up fabric shades are backed by light-reflective material.

--Install heat-reflecting or low-emissivity windows. These windows contain a thin film sealed inside conventional double-pane glass to slow heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter.

--Insulate the attic. Proper insulation will help keep the heat that builds up in the attic (up to 150 degrees) from entering the house.

It’s easy to underestimate the importance of proper air movement in maintaining a comfortable indoor climate. The following suggestions are inexpensive, practical ways to combat the buildup of warm air.

--Cross ventilate. Exhaust air any time the temperature outside is cooler than it is inside. One open window won’t do; make sure air can come in one opening and leave freely through another.

--Install a whole-house fan. If the humidity isn’t too uncomfortable mount a whole-house fan in the ceiling just below the attic. These fans are designed to draw cool air in through open windows at night and push hot air out through attic vents.