fbpx Skip to content

Four ways to summer proof your home

Four ways to summer proof your home

Here comes the sun! With summer well and truly here, it’s time to turn your attention to beating the heat. Electricity prices can spiral in a heatwave, so get ahead of the game with four great ways to summer proof your home.

Curtains, Blinds and Window Shades

Quality curtains or blinds can dramatically reduce the temperature of a room, especially on windows that the sun hits directly. Look for curtains or blinds made from block out material for the best results. Keep them closed during the heat of the day and open them up in the late afternoon or evening once the sun is lower in the sky.

For windows that receive direct sunlight, you may want to consider installing an external shade or blind for extra protection. Options range from simple fabric awnings to timber or aluminium privacy screens to automatic security blinds. Some of these can be installed yourself, subject to council or body corporate approval, and others are better left to the professionals.

Finally, you could consider using plants in pots, containers or in the garden, to cast shade on your windows and provide a cool, green outlook.

Fabrics and Furnishings

A cost-effective and easy way to make your home feel cooler is to take a look at your fabrics and furnishings. Swap out heavier fabrics, like flannelette sheets, heavy throws and thick rugs, and replace them with lighter options such as cotton and linen. Replace the throw on your couch with a few bright cushions, swap the thick pile rug for a flat weave rug and use cotton sheets instead of flannelette – you’ll feel much cooler.

Have your air-conditioning serviced (and consider ceiling fans)

It can be difficult, if not impossible, to get through an Australian summer without air-conditioning in some areas of the country. So, if you do have to turn it on, you want to make sure it is working efficiently.

Make sure the filters are cleaned regularly and the area around the outdoor unit is free of debris. Having your air conditioner checked by a qualified technician, before the most extreme summer conditions hit, will ensure your air-conditioning is running well. After all, you don’t want your air conditioner breaking down in the middle of a heatwave!

Ceiling fans are another efficient and effective way of cooling your home. They are quite affordable to have installed, will enhance the performance of your air-conditioner and allow you to take advantage of cool morning and evening breezes. You may not need to use the air-conditioner at all on some days.

Of course, make sure you engage a qualified professional to service your air-conditioner and install ceiling fans.

Double-glazing

Switching to double glazed windows is a somewhat more expensive project, but incredibly effective. Many houses in Australia are built with single glazed windows. Double glazed windows are used extensively in homes across Europe and the UK.

They use two panes of glass, hermetically sealed with a space in between filled with argon gas. This technique dramatically improves the insulation properties of glass – maintaining cooler temperatures in summer, reducing heat loss in the winter and reducing external noise.

There are several double-glazing solutions on the market that can be retrofitted to an existing house, many of which won’t change the appearance of your windows at all. If you have a little bit of cash in the home improvement fund, this is definitely a project worth investigating.

A few changes can keep the power bills down so you can relax and enjoy the sun!

Related articles from the view

Jan 4, 2019

5 ways to summer proof your garden

With January upon us, the long dry Australian summer is now in full-swing. Unless you’re in the Tasmanian mountains, that’s going to mean high temperatures and very little rainfall until autumn. For gardeners, it’s time to think about summer proofing your garden. Preventative measures now mean that you’ll preserve your verdant greenery until the autumn…
Read more
  • General
  • Residential
Dec 17, 2019

Backyard toys for the whole family this summer

With the festive season upon us, no doubt you’ll be planning a few get-togethers with family and friends. No matter who you’re entertaining, backyard toys are a great way to bring people of all ages together. Unleash your inner kid with toys that have been scaled up for adults as well. Here’s a roundup of…
Read more
  • General
Jul 19, 2018

Keen to be green? Tips for an eco-friendly interior

Keen to be green? With our awareness of environmental issues rising all the time, it’s no surprise that more and more people are keen to make sure the inside of their homes are eco-friendly. Whether it’s because you’re preparing to sell and want to present your property as squeaky clean in the greenest sense, or…
Read more
  • General
  • Residential
Sep 18, 2018

Making Your Garden Pet-friendly

As any long term tenant knows, it’s hard to keep pets in a rental property. That means that if you want anything larger than a goldfish, you’ll need to own a home of your own. But if you’re hoping to go straight from the settlement room to the pet shelter, there are a few things…
Read more
  • General
  • Residential
Sep 10, 2019

Perfect outdoor living for every size garden

After months of being cooped inside in front of the fire, it’s finally time to throw open the windows and head outside. What better time to reimagine your outdoor living space? With one in two Australians saying they use their outdoor space for entertaining, it’s important to have it shipshape for summer. Whether you have…
Read more
  • General
  • Residential
  • Rural