Summer is about to begin and temperatures will begin rising. In Wisconsin, we can go from heat to air conditioning in a matter of days. What is the best way to keep your custom home cool during the dog days of summer? We want to be cool, but we also want to do what is best for conserving energy and saving money. Here are some of the best ways to keep cool in your custom home this summer. 

Keep Cool in Your Custom Home

Keep your home cooler by planting shade-protecting trees by your east and west facing windows. If the sun is blocked from coming in, your home will stay cooler.

Keep tasks such as running the dryer and the dishwasher to later in the evening when it starts to get cooler out.

Keep the cool air inside and the warm air out by keeping windows and doors closed.

Run ceiling fans at a low level to keep the air circulating throughout the home. On cool nights, shut off the air and use fans to pull outdoor temperatures in doors.

When building your custom home, be sure to install a high-efficiency air conditioner: for room air conditioners, the energy efficiency ratio (EER) rating should be above 10; for central air conditioners, look for a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) rating above 12.

Clean your A/C’s air filter every month during cooling season. Normal dust build-up can reduce air flow by 1 percent per week.

Install white window shades or mini-blinds. Mini-blinds can reduce solar heat gain by 40-50 percent.

Close south and west-facing curtains during the day for any window that gets direct sunlight. Keep these windows closed, too.

Install awnings on south-facing windows, where there’s insufficient roof overhang to provide shade.

Hang tightly woven screens or bamboo shades outside the window during the summer to stop 60 to 80 percent of the sun’s heat from getting to the windows.

Follow these tips for a cool summer, and when the air conditioning is  just not cutting it any more, go jump in the lake!