Extra Steps to Keep Your Home Cooler...

 Portland has hot, beautiful summers to make up for the months of rain we often receive. Many Portland homeowners, because of the relatively livable temperatures in the summertime, live without air conditioning. However even homeowners with central a/c can benefit from these extra measures to keep your home nice and cool this summer. Think of it this way: even if you do have air conditioning, taking steps to make your system work less hard will save you energy costs.

1)      During the hottest part of the day:

Leave your windows shut and blinds closed during the hottest parts of the day. Instead of opening the windows to let the outside in, pour yourself a cool drink and enjoy the weather sitting on the patio. This will ensure you have a cool haven to come back inside to.

2)      Cool less space:

If you close the doors to any rooms or floors you don’t use often during the day, you’ll have far less square footage to worry about cooling.

3)      Landscaping matters:

Planting shading plants around your home is a great way to protect the structure itself from the midday’s hot sunshine.

4)      It’s BBQ season for a reason:

Remember: your grill is a big oven- instead of turning on your oven, get creative and make the same dish outside to avoid your oven jacking up your home’s temp.

5)      Designate special hours to appliance use:

Using dishwashers, clothes washers and driers, and other heat-generating appliances is best left to the very early morning hours or the late night hours when the temps outside start to cool down.