Tips to Keep Your Home Cool Without Cranking the AC

Summer should be a time of long days by the pool, neighborhood barbecues, and family vacations, but if you’re looking to stay out of the heat, these tips should help you keep cool.

Enjoy Food Fresh Off the Grill

A huge heat source for your home is the kitchen. The heat given off by cooking with the oven or stove has a bigger impact on your home’s overall temperature than you think. Since it’s summertime, take advantage of summer nights and cook food outside on the grill! It’ll switch up the meals you usually have for dinner, and keep the heat from cooking outside rather than in. Bonus Tip: food cooked on the grill is often leaner and healthier, because the fats and oils don’t accumulate in the pan!

Adjust Your Fans

Ceiling fans need to be adjusted seasonally, so if you haven’t already, adjust yours to run counterclockwise at a higher speed. When running counterclockwise, the fan’s airflow will create a downward flow of cool air. This cools down the room overall, just as a clockwise fan creates and upward flow in the winter. After you’ve adjusted your ceiling fans, remember to adjust your thermostat to save energy and money.

Light Linens

There’s nothing like cozying up with flannel sheets and down comforters in the cold winter temperatures. But when the cold temperatures leave, it’s time for the heavy blankets and sheets to be put away. Swapping out flannel sheets for breathable cotton will make a world of difference in keep you covered without trapping all the heat around you. To go the extra mile, treat yourself to a buckwheat pillow! Buckwheat hulls naturally have air space between them, preventing them from holding onto your body heat like conventional pillows.

Pay Attention to Your Windows

As windows can be a source of both warm and cool air in the summer, make sure you’re utilizing them to help keep your AC bill low. During the day, use blinds or curtains to keep the heat out. If you just can’t live without the summer sunshine in your home, limit open curtains to north-facing windows. This will let some light in without the direct hit of heat. At night, open windows to let the cool breeze in.

In Shoreline homes, it’s even easier to keep temps down. We build each of our homes with 2×6 exterior walls (deeper walls = more insulation to keep the cold in and the heat out), low-E Pella windows, and other green building practices to make your home as efficient as possible. Interested in owning your own Shoreline home? Great! Contact us to learn more at https://shorelineparkcity.com/.