Is your house ready for the unprecedented summer heat?

Last summer, we suffered from exceptionally hot weather in Australia with the warmest summer on record, warmer than the previous record breaker in 2013. Then we had one of the warmest autumns, followed by one of the driest winters, and then spring has brought little rainfall with a continuation of the dry and unseasonably warm conditions.

Fire danger has been extreme and bush fires have been rampant, continuing to plague the SE of Australia, and with little chance of rainfall, this situation isn’t set to end soon.

BOM forecasts for the summer don’t bring any relief with rainfall predicted to be below average and summer temperatures above average. It’s partly due to a strong positive Indian Ocean Dipole and a negative Southern Annular Mode that has led to below average spring rainfall and warmer than average temperatures.

If you are hoping that the future may bring some relief, then you are not going to like the long range CSIRO climate predictions. That’s because they predict that Melbourne’s temperatures will increase by as much as 1.6 degrees by 2030 and by 2.7 degrees by 2050. These predictions are based on high global carbon emissions, however without a clear climate change policy, there’s not much that will negate these predictions.

Keeping your home cool with external awnings

When the temperatures are rising, you need to do everything possible to keep your home cool. One of the best strategies is to prevent direct sunlight from entering your home through glass windows by installing external awnings. These awnings are available in many different styles: fixed awnings, pivot awnings, folding arm awnings, and motorised awnings. They are not only ideal for cooling the inside of your home, but also create cool shady outdoor spots for alfresco dining.

Other ways to keep your house cool this summer

Here are six other strategies that will help to keep your home cool this summer.

• Window dressings: Install blinds and curtains on all your windows as an added measure to prevent the sun’s rays from passing through the glass and raising the internal temperature.
• Keep doors and windows closed. You might want to open the windows to catch any errant breezes, but they will only be hot breezes! So keep your home locked down, so that you prevent even more heat from entering your home.
• Check your roof insulation: The better the rating of the insulation in your roof, the more it blocks the heat. However, if you don’t know the rating of your insulation, then touch your ceilings on a very hot day and if it feels warm to your touch, you need better insulation.
• Ceiling & standalone fans: Fans use much less energy than A/C units., so crank up your fans and keep your home cool this summer.
• Change your bulbs: Every little helps and if you are using the old incandescent bulbs, swap them for LEDs, because they don’t radiate heat like the older bulbs.
• Plant trees and bushes: Increasing the greenery around your home can help to significantly lower the temperature in your home, and they look fabulous as well.

For help selecting blinds and awnings for your home this summer, call Royal Blinds on 03 5941 8070