Managing Heatwaves the Easy Way

Managing Heatwaves the Easy Way

The following contribution is from another author.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past five years, you can’t fail to have noticed the furor surrounding global warming. With summers becoming hotter year on year, more people than ever are struggling to cope with freak heatwaves globally. As such, people are trying to come up with ways to make their lives more bearable when the climate soars and the heat becomes unbearable. Rather than keeping your fridge door open, there are some nifty little strategies you can have in your armory to manage the heat in your home.

Air Conditioning

While air conditioning used to be a luxury for those who could afford it, nowadays the concept of AC can be realized by nearly everyone. You might not be able to get the most advanced Wi-Fi enabled home wide pieces of kit, but head onto the new AC unit blog, and you’ll be able to investigate the sorts of portable or in-built units to suit your budget. Even having just one room in your home cool and fresh to escape the heat is a blessing when it’s thirty five degrees outside. Air conditioning units can be pricey, but they can enhance your quality of life, meaning that you can sleep in those uncomfortable, sweaty summer months.

Windows

You may think that you should have your windows wide open to let the hot air escape. In some instances, this may work. However, on the hottest of days, it might be more worthwhile closing the curtains, drawing the blinds and keeping the windows closed. Have you ever been in a car and the sun is beating down only for you to get a sticky back because it’s so humid? This can happen within the home too if you allow the strong sunlight to flood your rooms. Consider installing shutters or blinds to allow a greater degree of flexibility with the amount of sunlight you allow into your home. You might not want to spend every sun filled day in total darkness indoors.

Garden

If you are blessed with a south facing garden, you could have quite the sun trap on your hands come any heatwave. While this sounds like bliss now, after two weeks of constant sunshine, you might be needing shelter. As such, consider installing an awning or a canopy to provide you with some shade from the sun. This is perfect for your brood who might want to enjoy playing outdoors without the fear of sunburn or heatstroke. Plant a few trees, and you could even have a natural canopy to shield you from the sun’s rays.

It’s only natural that you will want to spend time outdoors in the heat of the summer, but you also need to consider your safety. Install the canopy and educate your kids on sun safety. Ensure there a ready supply of sunblock and keep the paddling pool at the ready to cool off.

Heatwaves sound glorious when we are experiencing a chilly winter. However, the reality can be all the more perilous with dehydration and heat exhaustion being a real danger. Heed this advice, and you could manage heatwaves the easy way.

 

Author

Eric is the creator of At Home in the Future and has been a passionate fan of the future since he was seven. He's a web developer by trade, and serves as the Director of Communication and Technology for a large church in Nashville, TN (where he and his family are building a high tech home in the woods).