The infamous Indian summer rolls into our lives from April to often overstay its welcome. And, it is tough to cope with the sweltering heat, especially during the months of May and June. During this time, all air-conditioning devices rummage for respite but to no avail.
However, not many people know that insulating doors and windows during said scorching months can significantly bring down a home’s internal temperature. Through insulation, you can ramp up your dwelling’s thermal comfort and also reduce the stress on your cooling devices. It also helps cut down hefty energy bills and reduce carbon footprint.
What is Summer-Proofing?
In a nutshell, preparing your house to stay cool amid the summer season with the help of fenestration-related improvisations is called summer-proofing.
How Can You Prepare Your Windows for Summer?
Doors and windows are like holes in your wall that allow hot or cold air to seep in or leak out of a room. This circulation causes a space to heat up or become chilly with changing weathers. To counter this problem, check out the following tips and tricks for summer-proofing your windows.
Upgrade Your Windows
Modern advancements in glazing and framing technologies bring forth insulated windows, which are an excellent choice for your home. These insulated units are not only great for keeping the cold air from escaping outside during summer, but they also ensure that warm air stays inside during the winter season. If you want optimal thermal comfort all year round, install insulated window units.
The genius behind a fully-functional insulated window lies in the type of glass and frame used. Single, double, or triple-glazed energy-efficient or low-E (low emissivity) glass panes are often used to insulate windows along with aluminium or uPVC frames for extra snug fitting. These units offer exceptional insulation, along with a certain level of noise proofing and security.
However, it is essential to remember that only a quality glass expert must install said insulation units. You can also retrofit your home with these structures. Upgrading your windows is a highly-effective way to tackle harsh weather conditions and to keep your home from falling prey to scorching heat. Last but not least, your air-conditioning will be much more effective with insulated windows around.
Get Window Shutters
If retrofitting is too bothersome for summer-proofing your windows, get an expert to install wooden shutters behind them. Why wooden? Firstly, because they look spectacular and secondly because wood is a poor conductor of heat. Therefore, wooden shutters won’t allow a great deal of heat into your home.
Remember that a combination of insulated windows with wooden shutters can keep thermal comfort to a maximum. However, if you want a light and quick solution, go for just the shutters and leave windows for your next home improvement cycle.
Re-paint the Roof
In addition to upgrading your windows and getting wooden shutters, fortify your home from the top down. Meaning, get your roof painted white — the reason being that white colour reflects away any light that falls on its surface. You can even conduct a small experiment if you don’t believe us! Paint a patch black or grey and paint another patch white. Expose both surfaces to peak sunlight and heat. After a couple of hours, touch both swatches, and you will find a significant difference in temperature. The white surface would be much cooler.
Now imagine replicating this experiment on your entire roof. Several homes in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan often have terraces laden with shiny white broken tiles, cemented together to offer residents relief from the ever-soaring temperatures. You don’t need to go to the extent of fixing white tiles on your roof, but painting it white will go a long way in summer-proofing your home.
Over to You
As compared to upgrading your windows with the specific aim of enhancing thermal comfort, the other two solutions are less effective. A solid combination of all three, however, will offer exceptional insulation from the sweltering heat of Indian summer.
Are you looking to upgrade your windows, but cannot find the right expert? Or, do you wish to retrofit your windows with energy-efficient glass panes, but are unsure of the process? If yes, then reach out to AIS Windows for all your door and window needs! We are one of India’s leading glazing and framing experts with aeons of industry experience. Our team of experts are fully-equipped to offer help in every step of the way, and we offer a myriad of design and material choices that are sure to suit your design sensibilities.
If you wish to know more, reach out to AIS Windows by visiting our website or giving us a call at 1800 103 4805.
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