For many people, the return of summer means trying desperately to find ways to stay cool, whether that’s keeping the house shut up like a tomb, or running the air conditioning twenty four seven.  However, this is not a comfortable way to live and keeping the air con on can soon result in shock and horror when the electricity bill is received!  Reclaim your comfort and banish nasty bill surprises by following our top summer insulation tips.  For more advice or information on these, speak to your local insulation professional who’ll be only too happy to help.

Switch to Double Glazing

If you have standard single glazed windows, chances are that in the summer, heat will just be pouring through them, raising the temperature in your home significantly.  The solution is to switch to double glazing.  Double glazed windows have two panes of glass that are separated by an air filled gap. The wider the gap, the more effective it is at insulating.  Double glazing stops the heat from being conducted in by the glass, making the room cooler in summer.

Roof Insulation

If you haven’t already got it, or it’s been years since it was installed, it’s time to install or top up your roof insulation.  There are several different types of roof insulation that you can choose from including batts, reflective foil, sheep’s wool, polyester, and loose fill insulation.  The insulation is laid in between the roof joists and it has millions of air cells within it that trap the heat and stop it from transferring into the home.  The effectiveness of roof insulation is measured by its R value.  The higher the R value, the more effective it is!  Good quality roof insulation can cut the temperature inside your house by several degrees in summer.

Use Your Window Coverings Properly

It can be tempting to have your window coverings thrown open in the day to let the sunlight in and so you can take advantage of your views.  However, while the light is pleasant, it’s also letting in heat, and quite a lot of it.  It’s actually much more effective to draw your curtains, blinds or shades during the hottest parts of the day to block the sun from entering the home.  Open them back up at night time and throw your windows open to take advantage of the cooler night air to cool your home down after its been hit by the sun all day.  Just remember to close your windows and curtains or blinds before you go to bed or the sun may undo all that good work in the morning!

Shade Your Windows

Sometimes, external shading on your windows is vital, especially on north and west facing windows.  It is especially important if you are in a home that has no eaves, as eaves are the traditional way of shading windows.  It is easy to shade your windows externally though and you can do this by installing awnings or solar blinds.  Adding one of these simple shade methods will also help to stop the heat from hitting your windows and transferring into the home!

Block Up Any Gaps

Warmer air naturally wants to move to cooler air and in summer that means that the hot outside air is trying to get into where the cooler inside air is.  You can prevent this from happening very simply by sealing up any gaps.  Use door snakes to block the gaps at the bottom of your doors, or use sealant or silicone to ensure that windows are weather tight with no tiny air gaps around the frame.  If you have window air conditioners, make sure these are sealed right around.

Is Summer Insulation Different to Winter Insulation?

In most cases, you’ll find that the summer insulation tips that we’ve outlined here are also ideal for use in winter.  It’s just that in winter, the insulation works the other way around.  Instead of stopping the heat from getting in, it stops it from getting out!