How to cool a house in summer?

We all love summer! But heat waves can be overwhelming. To make the most of the nice weather and the benefits of sunlight and heat while remaining comfortable, you need to take shelter from the sun and regulate the temperature inside your home. Here are some tips for making summer a joy without dealing with its disadvantages.

Criteria to consider for a cool home even in the middle of summer

Being too hot in your home can be down to several factors. Some are easy to correct, while others are inherent to the home itself, and you need to get around them to find satisfactory solutions and cool down.

Orientation

South- and west-facing homes are the most exposed to the sun. This natural light is greatly appreciated in the winter for heating up the home, but it can quickly become uncomfortable when the summer arrives.

Insulation

The quality of a building's insulation depends on the materials used for its roof, attic and walls containing windows and glazed doors. Insulating an already-completed building tends to be complex and costly, so tricks to overcome these insulation faults need to be found.

Ventilation

As well as renewing the air so that your living environment stays healthy, good ventilation can cool rooms down, especially at night.

Some tips and tricks to cool your home in summer

There are a number of solutions for cooling down your home, without taking on major structural work or resorting to traditional tactics like placing wet cloths on the windows!

Here is how to reduce the temperature on your terrace and in your home by several degrees:

Paint the façade of your home and your shutters light colours, which will reflect the sun’s rays rather than absorbing them.
Ventilate your home by creating a draught. But only at night! During the day, even if there is a draught, heat will also enter your home.
Keep your shutters closed during the day to prevent the sun from entering your home. Close the blinds or draw the curtains if you do not have shutters. Close doors and windows.
Open as much as possible in the evening, once the air is cooler, and during the night to bring cool air into the home.
Try a living roof and walls
Apply an anti-heat film to glazed surfaces.

Adopt an exterior solar protection: awning, parasol, pergola...

Now, all of these tips are common sense, but then how can you enjoy the sun and make the most of its health benefits? Spending all day inside with the shutters closed is hardly a tempting idea.

So, by using outdoor solar protection, you will be sheltered from the heat, UVA and UVB rays. With a high-quality folding-arm awning or pergola, you can block out up to 95% of the sun's rays and cool down your interior by up to 5 degrees!

You can choose from a wide range of solutions that will enable you to enjoy your balcony or terrace while keeping your home cool. Parasols, pergolas, folding-arm awnings, blinds or shade sails: you just need to find the right setup for your home and your lifestyle among these attractive, dynamic, modulable, energy-saving solar protection solutions. And they are much more environmentally-friendly than an air conditioning system!

Parasol

The easiest solution to install, as you just need to open it to benefit from its cool, pleasant shade. Nonetheless, unless you move it to follow the sun's movement across the sky, this solar protection system is less efficient for inside the home. On top of that, it can take up a lot of floor space.

Folding-arm awning for terrace

The modulable, flexible, discreet solution: it offers plenty of shade on a terrace and can cool your home down, especially if you choose a darker fabric. Another advantage: the folding-arm awning can be hidden away in its cassette during the winter for maximum protection

Shade sail

This stylish solution creates a fun, easy holiday feel and invites you to sit back and relax.

Pergola

It is a lasting solution that creates extra living space on your terrace. All you have to do is choose between a retractable fabric and one that rolls up.

These solutions are relatively easy to install and will expand your living space, turning your balcony or terrace into another room. They also enhance your home's décor and adapt to your lifestyle to maximise your enjoyment of your outdoor space.