1. Close Blinds and Curtains

Mini blinds or curtains can reduce the sunlight and heat streaming in through your windows.

At my house, simply installing blinds on the south-facing windows completely changed the temperature in that part of the house.

Make sure blinds or curtains are white on the side facing the outdoors white reflects the sun more than other colors.

Solar sun screens and window film are other options that can greatly reduce the heat coming through windows.

In addition to producing less heat, LED bulbs have another benefit: They drastically reduce your energy bill.

Incandescent light bulbs can significantly heat up a room. Thats just one reason why more and more homeowners have turned to alternatives.

Another reason is theyre not energy-efficient and alternatives, such as CFLs and LEDs, last much longer.

Replace standard bulbs with high-efficiency, low-heatLED (light-emitting diodes)bulbs, and turn off the lights when theyre not needed.

Cooking outdoors on a grill, rather than inside on a stove, keeps your house cooler.

3. Cook Wisely

Eat cold meals, cook outside on the grill, or use the microwave for cooking, when possible, to minimize heat indoors.

Heres how to beat the heat when you do cook indoors:

• Use pressure cookers and slow cookers
• Cover pots to minimize indoor humidity.
• Use a range hood or microwave vent fan to vent hot air outside.
• Check the oven by turning on the light and looking through the glass, rather than opening the oven door.
• Turn the oven off a few minutes before food is cooked to reduce oven heat.

TVs and other electronic devices can produce heat, even if turned off,unless unplugged.

4. Turn Off Electronics

Computers, TVs and other electronics generate quite a bit of heat when sitting idle or even when turned off, so unplug devices when theyre not in use.

Another easy way to beat the heat these electronics produce is to plug them into a surge protector that has an on/off switch, then turn the switch off when the devices are not in use.

Adding locks to windows can help them close tighter and reduce heat in your house.

5.Repair Windows and Doors

Windows and doors are a major source of heat gain in the house. Older single-pane windows and doors without proper weatherstripping are the worst culprits.

So keep windows closed and locked, and doors tightly closed to prevent cool air from escaping.

If you cant replace your windows and doors with more energy-efficient models, repair any gaps orreplace weatherstrippingaround windows and doors.

Also, dont open windows at night unless the temperature drops to the mid-70s Fahrenheit or lower.

When you are ready to buy or sell your next home, please call me, Marie McLaughlin 727-858-7569.

Source:https://todayshomeowner.com/how-to-keep-your-house-cool-during-a-heat-wave/