5 tips so you & your home survive the heat (without AC)

We’re going to state the obvious: it’s hot. And humid. Our Midwestern
summer is in full swing, and the heat and humidity can feel suffocating and even damage you and your home. That’s right, the heat can even take a toll on your home, especially your floors—unless you use these tips to get you and your home through another heat wave.

Use fans.

Get your fans out and keep them going. Set your ceiling fans to operate in a counter clockwise direction, which directs cool air down on to you.

Keep the moisture in your air low.

Drier air is cooler air—for you and your home. The proof is in your air conditioner which cools the air by dehumidifying. Another motivation for dehumidifying: it’s better for your wood floors so they don’t get damage from the humid air (more information on wood floors and humidity here).

Take a dip in the pool (but don’t bring it inside).

There is no doubt that a quick dip in the pool—even a kiddie pool—does wonders to cool a hot body. However, just like you want to keep the moisture out of your air (or low anyways), you also need to keep the water off your floors—especially off laminate and wood floors. Try to dry off outside as much as possible, keep rugs by all your doors, and put floors that can handle water inside your entry doors (including sliding doors).

Take advantage of natural ventilation.

If you don’t have air conditioning—or simply don’t want to turn it on—use natural breezes to your advantage. Open windows on sides of your house where the breeze comes in, cooling you and your home. (Make sure you watch the weather and have them closed when there is rain so you don’t have frantically clean up your windows and floors full of water!)

Use curtains and blinds.

Try to avoid the greenhouse effect in your home. Keep your curtains and blinds closed during the day when the sun shines in and bakes your home. Don’t worry, you can have functional curtains and blinds that cool and look beautiful at the same time; use these tips to select the best curtains and blinds for your space or visit the professionals and let them assist you. They’ll help you and your home look beautiful and stay cool during our summer heat.