How to Make a Room Cool Facing the Sun.

It is for a fact that everyone loves it when our rooms are bright and airy but there is always that time of the year where the heat of the sun just becomes unbearably hot especially if it is your room facing the direction of the sun and there is no possible way of just moving your room from the adverse effect of the sun like some hulk or sorcerer.

A lot of things could go wrong, ranging from uncontrollable sweating to loss of coordination for others, etc. everything just becomes uncomfortable and to others very miserable.

Ordinarily, our human instinct will tell us to just open the doors and windows to let the ‘fresh’ air in but then again, what blocks us from the UV rays of the sun that are known to be harmful especially when there’s no form of shade?

This is not just some regular random topic as it may sound. Houses come in various shapes, sizes, and designs as the case may be and what may work for one may not work for the other.

And so, it often boils down to trying out various methods or ways and seeing which one works. Hence, this article on How to make a room cool facing the Sun.

See also Does a dehumidifier cool a room? The answer is strange

How to make a Room Cool Facing the Sun

1. Employ mother nature

One of the ways of making a room cool is employing the help of mother nature and by mother nature, I mean trees, shrubs, plants, etc. One may ask how? Easy, we make use of these vines, shrubs, and trees as shades. This will limit the adverse effect of the sun from penetrating the rooms which are directly facing it.

These trees should be strategically placed on the northeast-southeast or the northwest-southwest part of the house to achieve effective cooling. The roofing also would need some shading by using dense-canopied trees. By planting these trees, the interior temperature was reduced by approximately 20 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Examples of plants that are known to produce some of the best shade covers are palms, mimosa trees, sunflowers, banana plants, and a host of others.

2. Shield Windows

This is done by making use of a film-like, reflective material on the windows of the room facing the sun. This can also go a long way in reducing the heat gain in the room.  By insulating the windows with these UV protective films, the extent to which heat from the sun can penetrate the room is greatly reduced.

Also by using double-pane windows, the sun’s light is kept and at the same time reduces the heat. These windows provide brightness to the room while greatly reducing the amount of heat in it.

3. Use Awnings

Since trees could take several years to mature, an alternative to this would be to make use of an external shade like awnings. With these, a similar result is achieved. It blocks out the harsh sun and in turn, makes the room cooler. This simple construct can reduce the heat in the room by almost 77%.

Some may not like its appearance but when considering its advantage at this point, you’d be left with no other choice. And for the insides of the windows, one could use curtains, blinds, or roller shades all bright colors. Some other forms of exterior shades like louvers, or shutters could be used to block out the sun.

With window shutters, the windows can always remain open while it remains closed or partly closed which in turn will protect the room from heat and also filter the amount of direct light entering the room.  will allow you to have your windows open, while your shutters are closed or adjusted. Apart from keeping the room considerably cool, window shutters also protect furniture from the damaging effect of direct.

4. Install fans

This small wonderful piece of equipment can go a long way in curbing the heat in a room. It is more or less often disregarded nowadays, but in situations like this, a properly placed fan could make you comfortable in your room. T

o improve cross-ventilation, it is advisable to install fans on the side of the house with the prevailing wind.

Some important tips to aid achieve optimum fan performance include,

• If your room is on the upper floor, place these fans to blow out towards an open window.
• While on lower floors, these fans should be placed in such a way that they blow inward.
• For ceiling fans, they should be installed at about 12 inches below the ceiling and about 7ft – 9ft above the ground to obtain an optimum result.
• For larger and longer rooms, it is required to install multiply fans to counteract the effect of the sun.
• Make sure they are no furniture or objects obstructing the air blown by the fan.
• If possible place a bowl of ice and cold water in front of your fan’s blades, so the air blows across it.
• It is known that heat rises, meaning the hottest air in the room will be up there and so ceiling fans are best to tackle this.

5. Use of Insulation

This is yet another cost-effective way of making your room cool. By adding at least 1 foot of any form of insulation material one desires to roof. This would act as a thermal absorbent and in exchange maintain an adequate cool temperature in the room.

6. Use of fluorescent lamps

Not only are fluorescent lamps energy efficient, but they also do not generate much heat as incandescent lamps. Hence, making the room cooler than if it were incandescent lamps being used.  Also, it is advisable to turn off any form of lighting and any form of heat-generating appliances when not in use.

7. Make use of bright roof colors

Bright colors are known to reflect heat and painting the roof of your room white or any bright color, will help reflect the heat from the sun and in turn, keep the room cool.

8.  Do Chores as early as possible

Since most chores at home such as cooking, using the dishwasher, etc. are heat-generating. It is, therefore advisable to postpone every heat-generating chore to as early as possible or as late as it could be.

Conclusion

So far, there are so many techniques that could be used to achieve a cool room that is facing the sun. So, what works for one is dependent on the region, location of the house, the size of the room that is facing the sun, and of course one’s budget.

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