With summer and the warmer weather just around the corner, what steps can be taken to stop overheating in our homes?

Overheating in our homes has become more of an issue due to the introduction of energy efficient measures. These measures can help save energy and reduce our monthly bills! Unfortunately, as with most things, they have a down side, which can leave our homes feeling hot and uncomfortable. You may think a cold home is worse than a hot one, but experts say future climate change will likely increase the risk of an overheating home.

So which properties are most at risk, and what key areas should you focus on to reduce that risk?

Location

The location of a property can have a huge effect on temperature. As well as the geological location, properties located in built-up areas such as city centres and housing estates will pose an increased risk.

You can reduce the risk by carefully planning where you will buy/build your home. And if you plan to choose these locations, then the below factors can be implemented to reduce the risk of overheating.

Type of property

The highest risk of all properties is a top floor flat, and which direction a property is facing.

Fabric

Homes with a dark coloured exterior are prone to overheating, as the dark colour doesn’t reflect the heat away. Other factors that are high risk are internally insulated homes, roof lights, large areas of glazing (unshaded) and a lightweight construction.

• •  The simplest one is to paint the property with a lighter, reflective colour, such as white. This will help deflect a large amount of heat           away from the property.

  •  Minimise the amount of roof lights and glazing on east facing walls/roofs.

  •  Consider installing shading devices or tinted/reflective glazing to windows

• •  Avoid internal wall insulation if possible.

Exposure

Homes with windows that face east are problematic during the day when occupied. And if the home isn’t surrounded with shaded areas, such as tree cover, then this problem is only worsened.

• •  As mentioned above, planting trees and reducing east facing glazing would help with overheating.

  •  As well as using reflective materials

Ventilation

Some properties, because of their location, can’t install openable windows for cooling, usually in high security or noisy areas. And if the ventilation installed isn’t sufficient for the property, then heat build-up is increased.

Make sure the ventilation installed can bring in fresh clean air, and extract stale warm air. This will help with health, as well as overheating.

Occupancy

If a property has occupants who are home all day, this could cause more overheating. And if a home has multiple occupants, it will have the same effect.

• •  Limit and control heat within the building by reducing internal gains. Do this by switching off lights and appliances when not in use.

  •  Open windows when external temperatures are cooler than inside

  •  Keep windows and curtains/blinds closed during the hottest part of the day

If you have any questions about overheating in your home and would like to find out how to reduce the impact, please call ATSPACE to discuss with one of our experts.