Alleviate Heat from Walls for A Cooler Home

The problem of warmth in the house, both in the afternoon and evening, may be a foremost issue bothering homeowners. Aside from alleviating the heat from the roof, reducing heat from the walls can also lessen temperatures in homes.

Aside from the roof, heat also enter homes through walls. This is especially true in walls in the west and south which faces the sun all afternoon. They accumulate heat, which causes higher temperature when compared to other areas of the home. Even in the evening, dwellers still feel the warmth as heat accumulated in the walls during the day begins the exothermic process. This means that the air conditioning is required to operate more in order to reduce the temperature. This is one of the causes of the increase in electricity bill. With this, we will discuss ideas on how to prevent heat from entering through the walls and other openings, as well as creating shading for the house.

Alleviating heat from walls

For newly built homes, choose wall materials with low thermal admittance such as Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. The exterior wall shall be painted with light or bright colors such as white, cream, pastel, or choose heat reflective paint. In older homes, double stud walls can alleviate the problem (the stud wall system). It can increase space in walls to lessen heat that enters the room. Also, it is advised to install insulation in walls facing towards directions with extreme sunlight to further reduce the heat.

Light colors on the exterior wall can help reduce heat accumulation as compared with dark colors

Alleviating heat from the glass

Glass areas are where sunlight easily enter through windows, doors, or glass walls in modern style homes. Installing double pane, laminate, Low-E windows, and UV protection films on the glass can help block the heat. Not only that, curtains can also definitely help alleviate the heat.

Shades for the wall

Installing planks or eaves in the appropriate direction can filter sunlight that shines on the walls and other openings, thus, lessening the accumulated heat. For newly built homes, design 1.5-2 meters of overhanging eaves, this can also help block sunlight. Moreover, if the house has surrounding spaces, it is advised to plant trees that provide shades. However, for large trees, plant them 2-3 meters away from the house to prevent them from blocking wind flow.

Shading planks around the home to hinder sunlight and rain

Shading planks

Overhanging eaves hinders sunlight

Moreover, designing openings in different directions and the position of the house or building also affect the temperature in homes. A good design is to avoid doors, windows, or openings in the west. Instead, it is best to build solid walls or storage and toilets in this direction. This helps block direct sunlight that enters the home. Additionally, openings are best positioned at the north or south wall to welcome wind all year round. This will provide good ventilation. For the east, planks or curtains can be used to filter late morning sunshine. As for the surrounding exterior space, grass lawn or paving blocks can help reduce the temperature. This is a better option as compared to concrete pavement that highly absorbs heat.

(Top) Solid wall in the west to block sunlight

(Bottom) Design the roof to block sunlight using curtains and planting trees