Preparing Your Home for Extreme Heat: 8 Tips to Stay Cool

As countries worldwide grapple with the impacts of climate change, Canada faces its own challenges, including increasingly frequent and prolonged heat waves. For homeowners, seeking refuge indoors during extreme heat becomes essential, but simply closing blinds may not suffice.

From enhancing insulation to caulking windows, there are several ways to prepare homes for extreme hot weather. These home improvements, many of which are feasible as do-it-yourself projects, can significantly enhance the safety and comfort of your living space, potentially even saving lives during severe heat waves.

Understanding the Threat of Extreme Heat While the definition of a heat wave may vary, it typically involves consecutive days with temperatures reaching 30°C or higher. Research indicates a concerning trend of rising frequency and intensity of heat waves across Canada, with projections suggesting a significant increase in extremely hot days in the coming decades. Such extreme heat poses multifaceted risks, including environmental challenges like droughts and wildfires, as well as significant threats to public health and safety. Vulnerable populations, including seniors, individuals living alone, and those with chronic illnesses or limited financial resources, are particularly at risk. Furthermore, heat waves can exacerbate mental health conditions and increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and premature deaths.

Preparing Your Home for Hot Weather To effectively protect yourself and your family during heat waves, it’s crucial to ensure that your home is adequately equipped to withstand extreme temperatures. While air conditioning is a popular solution, there are additional measures you can take to improve your home’s resilience to heat:

1. Opt for Lighter Exterior Colors: Painting your home’s exterior with lighter, reflective colors can help minimize heat absorption, keeping indoor temperatures cooler.
2. Enhance Insulation: Proper insulation in walls, attics, and other spaces prevents hot air from penetrating your home, reducing the workload on air conditioning systems.
3. Seal Windows and Doors: Caulking windows and doors and using weather stripping can effectively prevent hot air from entering your home, offering a cost-effective solution to improve energy efficiency.
4. Apply Roof Coatings: Coating your roof with reflective sealants helps reflect sunlight, reducing heat absorption and prolonging the lifespan of your roof.
5. Invest in Heat-Blocking Window Treatments: Installing window treatments designed to block sunlight and heat, such as cellular shades or solar shades, can significantly reduce indoor temperatures.
6. Maintain Air Conditioning Systems: Regular maintenance and cleaning of air conditioning units ensure optimal performance during heat waves, preventing system failures.
7. Implement Passive Cooling Techniques: Passive cooling methods, such as installing awnings or using natural ventilation, can effectively lower indoor temperatures without relying solely on air conditioning.
8. Promote Natural Ventilation: Encouraging airflow through natural ventilation techniques, such as cross-ventilation and strategically placed openings, helps cool indoor spaces efficiently, especially during cooler evening hours.

By implementing these strategies, homeowners can create more resilient living spaces, better equipped to withstand the challenges of extreme heat waves.

_{Repurposed article originally published in Nerd Wallet}