This week signals the official arrival of summer. For many of us -- including those of us in the Northeast who experienced a recent heat wave, and residents of the South and Southwest -- the summer months began a long time ago. We didn't want to do it, but we broke down sometime around late April or perhaps even earlier, and we turned on our air conditioners if we were lucky enough to own them. And then it seemed as if the air was always popping on. With visions of dollar bills in our brains, we began the annual game of determining just how much heat we could tolerate. So we cranked up the temperature on our air conditioning units, degree by degree, so that it wouldn't come on as often. Inevitably and soon, though, we'd find that we couldn't stand living with beads of sweat on our foreheads. At that point, we'd do one of two things: run to the air conditioner, resign ourselves to a big bill and lower the temperature to a wonderfully cool level; or go into denial, and claim that those drops of sweat on our heads were there because we were thinking hard about something.

The heat causing you to bake in your own home is trapped there when sunlight is absorbed by your home not just through the obvious suspect -- your windows -- but also through your roof and your walls. And if you've ever used your stove, operating the drying cycle on your dishwasher or dried a load of laundry on a hot summer day, you're probably well aware that your home appliances can heat up your home quickly and trigger your air conditioning unit to come on (again, that is if you're lucky enough to own one). Any existing drafts in your home can also cause hot air to make its way indoors. Your arsenal against this excessive heat must reflect the sunlight away from your home and block its entry. In addition, you take measures to remove the heat that's already trapped in your home, and which you can't really prevent from entering in the first place. You can also take a few practical steps to make sure that your home appliances don't heat your environment to uncomfortable levels and ultimately raise your energy bills.

Approximately one-third of the heat that has accumulated in your home has entered through your roof. So the materials you've chosen for your roof can have a dramatic effect upon your indoor temperature and energy bills. The vast majority of roofing materials used today absorb a large percentage of the sun's heat. Some hardware stores sell coatings for rooftops that can help reflect the sun's rays away from your home, and may be applied directly over common roofing materials. In addition to coatings applied on top of your roof, hardware stores occasionally sell what is called a "radiant barrier," consisting primarily of aluminium foil, and applied underneath your roof. Ask your local hardware store for recommendations on rooftop and underside coatings. Some coatings can be applied by a handy homeowner, but you may want to consider calling a professional to save yourself the hassle.

Most home exteriors are rather light in color -- whether it's a white clapboard house or a red-brick apartment complex, for example -- but some are dark. Such exteriors can absorb a tremendous amount of sunlight. Some energy efficiency experts estimate that dark-colored exteriors absorb as much as 90 percent of the sun's energy. That's good news in the wintertime, of course, but hot summers are a high price to pay for that trade-off. Light-colored exteriors reflect a significant amount of the sun's energy, and thus allow a lower percentage of sunlight to be absorbed by your roof and walls. If you have siding on the outside of your home, it will last longer if it's lighter in color, especially on the south, east and west sides of the house.

The colors of your interior walls can also help keep your home's interior at a cooler temperature. The exterior color of your home plays a more crucial role in the inside temperature than does the interior color, but wall color does play a fairly significant role in your energy bills. If white walls seem stark for your taste, you may want to reconsider. Not only will they absorb far less heat than a dark-colored wall; they'll also create the illusion of a larger room. If you don't want to go "all white," make sure that that the walls facing the largest windows in your home (and receive the brunt of the sun) are the ones you paint white.

Windows are another big heat-generating culprit. As much as 40 percent of the heat that is trapped in your home enters through your windows. And windows often play center stage in newer homes. Floor-to-ceiling glass adds a dramatic touch to any room. Current trends favor bringing the outdoors indoors, and primarily through the use of large windows. You don't have to shut your drapes or sacrifice your desire for light, however.

Reflective window coatings are probably your easiest solution to the problem. These coatings come in two primary varieties: sun-control and combination, and can be applied either by the homeowner or a professional (if you've never tried this at home, you may want to seriously consider calling a professional to make sure that the aesthetic integrity of your windows is protected). If you live in the desert Southwest or another region that experiences regular, steady and intense periods of heat, your best bet is to purchase tinted sun-control coatings for your windows, because they absorb a larger percentage of sunlight than do combination films -- more than 75 percent, in fact. While your rooms might appear darker, you'll feel cooler and reduce glare and faded furniture, drapes and carpeting in the process.

If you live in a climate that experiences the four seasons (in other words, a variety of cold and warm temperatures), your best bet is combination films. They don't absorb as much light and heat as do sun-control films. Depending upon the harshness of your winters, you may want to leave all southward-facing windows uncovered. That will allow you to take advantage of the full intensity of the sun's rays during the winter months.

If it's time to buy any new home appliances, consult the catalog or label on each appliance as you comparison-shop. They should tell you the relative energy efficiency of the appliance. Most labels list the estimated annual cost of operating the appliance. Older models of appliances are probably emitting large amounts of heat and humidity into your home. If new appliances are out of the question, shut the door to your laundry room, if possible, and isolate the heat source. Use your microwave as much as possible, and limit stove, dishwasher and clothes dryer use to the cooler evening hours.

Although the searing summer temperatures might have you feeling weary, your indoor temperatures and monthly energy bills don't have to. All of these measures are relatively low-maintenance, and the expense they require you to assume now can save you considerable money in wasted energy later -- not to mention sleepless nights and restless afternoons from rising indoor temperatures.

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Published: June 23, 1999

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Courtney Ronan is a freelance writer who contributes a weekly column profiling various communities. She also writes a weekly review of real estate related web sites. Courtney's career in journalism has included recent stints as managing editor of Agent News and as associate editor of Texas Business magazine.

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