Of course, even a dry heat needs to be regulated, especially to keep your home comfortable for yourself, your family, and any friends who may be stopping by. There are quite a few ways that you can improve your ability to cool your home in the heat of the summer. Many of these make great weekend projects if you are a do-it-yourself type. If getting your hands dirty isn’t your cup of tea, any handyman can make short work of these without breaking the bank.

Without further ado, let’s tear into the details so that you can get your home ready for summer!

* Think WHITE

– White paint, blinds, roofing tiles, etc. reflect heat away from your home. By adjusting your blinds in east-facing rooms in the morning and west-facing rooms in the afternoon you will help your home’s A/C function more efficiently.

– If you’re getting a new roof, consider white shingles. They look a little strange (most seem to be black/brown) but it will likely make a very noticeable difference in the indoor temps. Be sure to check with your HOA depending on where you live to ensure you’re not getting yourself into trouble down the road.

– Not a white item, but along with roofing, check your attic spaces for suitable insulation. Moving from 3″ to 12″ of attic insulation could cut cooling costs by up to 10%

* Move AIR

– Stagnant hot air is much less tolerable than moving hot air. While most designers seem to hate ceiling fans, they can be a great way to move air and make a room feel 5 to 7 degrees cooler. A power estimate I saw online puts the most power hungry fan, running 12 hours a day, at $10 or less per month for electricity.

– Can’t stand ceiling fans, consider a portable fan (available at any big-box or hardware store) that you can place strategically and remove when no longer needed.

– Summer mode for your ceiling fan should be pushing air downward.

* Don’t Generate HEAT

– Face it, it’s easier to maintain a pleasant indoor temp if you’re not generating an abundance of heat in the first place. Anymore we have so many gadgets and appliances plugged in that generate radiant heat constantly that it makes a serious impact on the temperature of your home, even when off.

– Keep appliances, lamps, or other “hot” items away from your thermostat. These items will convince the HVAC system that it needs to continue cooling due to the inflated temperature near the thermostat and increase wear on the system.

– Keep those lights off, where possible switch to compact fluorescent bulbs as they generate the same amount of light without nearly the heat and consume less energy.

– Try to avoid generating heat in the first place. The biggest culprits are likely going to be your oven and your dryer. Operating these appliances in the mid afternoon, when it’s already hot as the sun in your living room will make it that much harder for your A/C to maintain a comfortable temperature. Where possible, try to do the bulk of your drying in the morning when it’s still cool. Avoiding the oven in the afternoon can be tough, consider warming leftovers in the microwave or focus on salads, sandwiches and anything that won’t require major cooking if it’s really hot. Who wants a hot meal when it’s 100 degrees anyway?

* Landscape, Landscape, Landscape

– Landscaping around your A/C unit to provide shade (without blocking airflow) will help it operate more efficiently.

– Pergolas and trees that shad east-facing windows in the morning and west-facing windows in the afternoon will help to keep the heat outside in the first place. Face it, you’re going to plant things in the yard anyway… you might as well place them so that you get the maximum benefit for your $$.

Depending on how many projects you tackle, you should be able to make at least a small dent in your utility bills and make your home that much more comfortable at the same time. Seriously, there are better things for you to do with your money than sending it to the power company. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

This is in fact true, but what qualify for by doing x, y, or z improvements does vary depending on where you’re located. If you are considering improvements keep in mind the tax incentives are only part of the equation. Switching to high efficient windows, appliances (fridge, washer, dryer, water heater, etc) or the like will not only have positive tax consequences but you can almost certainly expect to see a reduction on your utility bills immediately that will also continue to save money over the long term. Programs range from personal deductions, private grants, tax exemptions, sales tax refunds, utility loan programs and rebates.

Check out the specifics at the DSIRE website. For the Idaho specific info go HERE.

Along with the automated trucks that will be rolling up and grabbing our trash cans from their quiet resting places on the sidewalk, we’ll see a completely new recycling program roll out. Not only will we be parting company with the barrage of small blue bins (we have 4 here at my house) for our cardboard, cans, plastics, paper, but once the change is in place sorting recyclables will be a thing of the past. Brand new huge blue cans, similar to the new garbage bins, will be delivered to residents wishing to participate. All recycling will be deposited in the solitary recycling can and collected every other week. Sorting of the various recyclables to be handled offsite. This move alone cuts half the amount of recycling trucks roaming neighborhoods in half, add to that that the new collection trucks added to the fleet will run on compressed natural gas. A double win for those keep score on environmental impact.

Full details, ordering options and more is all available at the http://www.curbitboise.org website. Check it out, it’s worth noting that here in the lovely City of Trees, residents that do not participate in the recycling program do pay a premium on their garbage bills, so get with the program and start recycling.

Now… if only we had a real mass transit system!