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How To Protect Your Home From The Summer Heat

4 minutes
Air conditioning is a great ally during sunny days, but you can also protect your home from the heat with some other simple strategies. Keep reading to discover what they are.
How To Protect Your Home From The Summer Heat
Last update: 11 May, 2023

With the arrival of summer and its intense sunny days, it’s essential to learn how to protect your home from the heat so you can feel as cool as possible inside. By practicing the tips below, you can discover how to supplement your air conditioning and avoid overloading it during these dates.

Most people associate summer with outdoor barbecues, swimming pools, and sandy beaches. While this is true, sometimes the temperatures are unrelenting, forcing homeowners to crank up their cooling systems. However, maximizing cooling capacity is a decision that can increase energy bills.

Strategies to protect your home from the heat

According to information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), energy use is associated with global warming and increased greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to the burning of fossil fuels required to generate electricity.

Due to this, it’s important to find other ways to keep your home cool during the summer days. By doing so, not only will you be creating a more comfortable environment for yourself and your family, but you’ll also save money on your monthly utility bill. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Invest in high-quality insulation to protect your home

The common belief that insulation only works to protect your home from cold winter temperatures isn’t true. Insulating your entire home, especially the attic, helps keep out the harsh summer heat. However, you should make sure you choose the right material, for example, integrated structural panels are a good option.

Seeking the help of insulation experts to carry out a high-quality installation in your home is a functional alternative to keep cool air inside and prevent high temperatures from penetrating from the outside. In addition, it allows you to reduce the amount of air conditioning you need to keep your home cool during the day

2. Take care of your plants and integrate them into your home’s decoration

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There are a wide variety of plants that will help you to keep the air flowing indoors.

Instead of relying entirely on heating and cooling systems, take advantage of plants’ natural abilities to cool the temperature inside your space. Vegetation in gardens and indoors generates shade and humidity, which helps keep the coolness in and makes the summer heat more bearable. Here are some recommendations to keep in mind.

  • Put furniture on the east side: Most of your outdoor fixtures, such as the dining room, living room, kitchen, and fireplace, should be on the east side of your home to provide shade.
  • Place plants outside: Trees and shrubs in the garden or yard can provide shade and reduce the amount of heat that enters your home. Plant large, leafy plants near windows to block direct sunlight and keep your home cool.
  • Water frequently: Plants need water to survive, especially during the summer months when temperatures are higher. Try to keep them hydrated and cool. You can also place a dish of water under the pots to increase humidity at home.
  • Have several plants indoors: Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, and help keep the air fresh and clean. It’s a good idea to place small, decorative plants in different parts of your home to improve aesthetics and reduce heat.

3. Use heating and cooling systems wisely

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Only use air conditioning when you feel it is really necessary.

As tempting as it may be to turn the thermostat all the way down on a hot summer day, it’s imperative that you use heating and cooling systems wisely to protect yourself from the heat while saving money.

Be sure to clean the air filters in your heating and cooling systems regularly to ensure they’re working properly. Dirty filters can reduce the energy efficiency of these systems and increase the cost of your energy bills.

4. Choose light façade colors

Most homeowners don’t know it, but paint colors can affect the interior temperatures of their homes. Generally, light shades reflect direct sunlight rather than absorb it, which helps reduce the amount of heat that enters your home.

If you plan to paint the facade of your home before summer, choose white or other light colors to take advantage of their reflective properties. In addition to helping with temperature regulation, these tones make your home look brighter and cleaner, which can improve its aesthetics.

5. Invest in energy-efficient windows

While they can be expensive, these types of windows reflect the sun’s rays, have double panes, and are equipped with insulating gas. Additionally, by preventing minimal air leaks, they prevent warm breezes from entering your home.

By reducing the amount of heat that enters your home and the amount of air conditioning you need to keep your home cool during the summer, energy-efficient windows can help you minimize energy costs.

Protect your home from the heat with these recommendations

The sun’s strong rays and high humidity often make home interiors very hot during the summer. While you can rely on your air conditioning to keep your home cool, the above strategies are ideal for keeping energy costs down. Give them a try and don’t let the high temperatures ruin your days.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Akbari, H., & Taha, H. (1992). The impact of trees and white surfaces on residential heating and cooling energy use in four Canadian cities. Energy, 17(2), 141-149. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0360544292900636
  • EPA. Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Environmental Protection Agency. (Recuperado el 27/04/23). https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas- emissions
  • Lomas, K. J., & Kane, T. (2013). Summertime temperatures and thermal comfort in UK homes. Building Research & Information, 41(3), 259-280. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09613218.2013.757886