Summer is not far off and it’s time to start worrying about how to prevent yourself from getting all hot and sticky. We deal with the summer heat in the car, on the bus, on the tube and on the street, but there’s ones place you should never have to worry about being too hot, and that is your home. Loft conversions have a tendency to be one of the hottest rooms in the house due to the fact that heat rises and they sun is always going to pierce the windows at the top of the house.
Here are four ways to keep your loft conversion as cool as possible this summer.
Ventilation
The best way to ensure that you have a well ventilated room is to make sure that you have the right windows. You can now buy smart windows that can be set to automatically close after 15 minutes or even sooner if it starts to rain. Not only this, but they can also be closed with the click of a button if you happen to leave the house. Passive slack ventilation can also be used to add vents throughout the room, drawing cool air down and forcing hot air out.
Control direct sunlight
You have to let in as much natural sunlight as possible in order to make the loft feel light and airy. Although, more sunlight can mean that the space gets heated in the summer. You are able to prevent this from happening by purchasing sun screening products that can be set to keep the heat out during the hottest hours of the day.
Solar-powered air conditioning
Air conditioning is not usually environmentally-friendly. Although, you can prevent damage to the environment by purchasing solar powered air conditioning. This will save you money on your energy bills as the device is generating its own power to run itself. It also drastically reduces your carbon footprint compared to getting a normal air conditioning unit.
Insulation
Good insulation is important when it comes to controlling the climate in your home. A high-performance insulating board will lock heat in during the winter months but will prevent the build of heat during the sweaty summer. This will also mean that you will drastically save money on fuel bill during the colder months whilst maintaining a hotter space during the hotter months.
The only way is white
Steal designs from our neighbours in the Mediterranean. White outside walls and white window fittings work to reflect the light. Take the dazzle out of your white house by planting climbers, shrubs and trees – they’ll soften the crispness of the white and have the added benefit of providing shade in high summer.
As we know, we Brits aren’t at all used to dealing with any form of hot weather. This comes as no surprise, given that we don’t experience it very often. Countries more used to heat and sunshine have air conditioning systems not just in offices and shops but the home as well. Small touches can work wonders when it comes to cooling your loft. Fitting either ceiling fans, if the ceiling height of your new room allows, or even desktop or floor-standing fans will help to circulate cool air, for example. If you do have worries about how your loft conversion will fare during the summer months, speak to your loft conversion specialist before work commences.