3 Ways to Cool Down Your Home This Summer
Hot summer days can feel unbearable if your house doesn’t have adequate ventilation. Instead of spending big money air conditioning, consider one of the products below to help cool down your home this summer. There is something on the list to serve every budget, and each product qualifies for a 30% federal tax credit!
Install a solar attic fan – A solar attic fan uses the sun to propel hot air out of your attic. During the Summer months, the heat rises, and often gets trapped in your attic, causing the upper levels of your home to overheat. This drives up the cost of air conditioning, which only marginally impacts the temperature. During the winter months, the solar panel can be covered, so you’re not losing your valuable heat. However, when it is cold outside and warm inside, moisture can collect in the attic. If the fan is left operable during winter months, it can reduce the moisture in your attic, and increase the life of your insulation!
Average Cost: $650 (Includes labor)
Add blinds to your skylight – The VELUX solar powered room darkening blinds do more than block out light. They provide an insulative barrier against heat as well. During the times of day when the sunlight is most direct, you can program your blinds to close automatically using the KLR 200 Touch Screen Remote. This program will activate, whether or not your are home, ensuring that your house is nice and cool when you return. You can also add a splash of color to any room, with over 75 different choices
Average Cost: $385 – $500 per bind (Does not include labor)
Install a venting skylight – Installing new skylights can solve two problems at once, if you do it right. The VELUX Solar-Powered Fresh Air skylight, and the VELUX manual venting skylight are both an excellent resource for filtering the hot air out of your home. As we know, heat rises. So when we sleep in a second story bedroom with no ventilation, summer nights can be miserable. The venting skylights create a chimney for hot air to flow out of the house, instead of getting trapped on your ceiling. When paired with open windows, a cross draft can cool down your home on those cooler summer days, negating the need for air conditioning.