Although many of us actively look forward to summer’s arrival, it can’t be denied that the extreme heat the season brings can cause its share of problems. For example, if you live in an area that’s prone to intense summertime heat, keeping your living space consistently cool can be a season-long challenge. Needless to say, cooling a small living space can prove much easier and far less costly than summer-proofing a larger residence. So, if you live in an apartment, condo or any other type of compact dwelling, beating the heat this summer shouldn’t prove challenging or financially strenuous – provided, of course, you have the following tips at your disposal.
Utilize Ceiling Fans
Although people tend to view them as a less effective alternative to air conditioning, ceiling fans are invaluable home cooling aids. Furthermore, they can prove particularly useful for people who occupy smaller living spaces. For one thing, reliable ceiling fans play a vital role in distributing cool air from your AC throughout your entire residence. If your living space lacks air conditioning, set the fan blades to rotate counterclockwise, as this will enable them to produce a downward-flowing cool breeze. Additionally, during periods of cool weather, they can prove useful at circulating the refreshing air from outdoors.
Since ceiling fans come in a variety of sizes, you should have no trouble finding ones that are uniquely suited to your residence. For example, if you don’t have much ceiling space to spare, a dependable low profile ceiling fan is sure to suit your needs perfectly.
Don’t Use Your Oven During the Day
Using an oven during the daytime hours stands to increase the temperature in your living space. This can be felt particularly hard in studio apartments and other compact residences. The less space there is in your home, the more likely you are to notice the aforementioned temperature increase. To avoid making your home uncomfortably warm, take care to avoid using your oven during daylight hours throughout the summer months. If this isn’t an option for you, try to use the oven as sparingly as possible during the daytime, and whenever you do use it, use your exhaust fan.
If you do a fair amount of cooking, this is liable to seem like a punishment. However, rather than view it as such, you’d do well to regard it as an opportunity to try new oven-free recipes. Additionally, if your apartment or condo complex allows outdoor grilling, this may be a good chance to hone your skills as a grill master.
Minimize Sunlight
Despite being conducive to creating beautiful scenery, the blazing summer sun can prove inconvenient in a number of areas. For starters, the fact that it comes out so early can make sleeping through the wee hours of the morning nearly impossible. In addition to waking you up earlier than you’d prefer, the summer sun can also make your residence uncomfortably bright throughout the day and contribute to excessively warm indoor temps. That being the case, you should seek to minimize the amount of sunlight that finds its way into your residence.
There are two simple ways to go about this: installing blackout screens and/or blackout curtains. While blackout screens are both useful and extremely cost-effective, they can give off a messy appearance, and if they’re of the stick-on variety, they generally can’t be reapplied to windows after being removed. Conversely, despite costing a little more, blackout curtains are likely to last a lot longer, ensuring that you ultimately get more for your money. Furthermore, blackout curtains that are composed of thermal materials can help seal cool air inside and prevent warm air from outdoors from finding its way into your living space.
There are a number of upsides to inhabiting a small living space. Among other advantages, smaller residences are generally easier to care for and more budget friendly than larger homes. In addition, the utility costs associated with smaller living spaces are often far more agreeable than those paid by owners or more spacious residences. Never is this more apparent than during periods of extreme weather – particularly the sweltering summer months. Anyone looking for ways to keep their compact living space comfortably cool all summer long should consider the measures discussed above.