Our upstairs is too hot, can anyone help?

[TheBreezeTheBreeze]

An issue we have had for a while now. 20's semi, carpeted upstairs. The upstairs traps heat due to the position of the house, which literally bakes like a bloody brick kiln on the front end most days when it's even mildly warm. Since early March it has been incessant.

We have recently had new windows and doors fitted and really need to pull in the purse strings, so can't afford to do anything elaborate.
Unfortunately, opening a window, however slightly, introduces insects, honey bees and wasps, but mostly regular flies that are a severe irritant. And often, even if we do open a window, depending upon the weather, it doesn't make much difference.
The upstairs rooms are extremely humid, so we run a Dyson fan in the bedroom when it get's quite warm (like tonight).

Are there any cheap fixes that can help us out? Someone mentioned placing a bowl of cool water beneath the fan, but it doesn't seem to do much. I would prefer not to splash out on an expensive dehumidifier at this point as we really do need every penny for other priorities atm. Any kind of air conditioning unit would really set us back.
Until we can do something like this, I would love to hear any tips or advice to get us through this summer.

You have my sympathy, I've had hot houses in the past and yes, because heat rises, the upstairs always catches it.

Sadly, the cheap solutions don't work although opening the loft hatch can help take the heat into the roof space.

Do use fly netting at all the windows, I have all my windows netted. You can buy it on Amazon, it comes in a box around £6-10 in price. There's some narrow velcro-type tape which you put around the window edge and the netting (very fine mesh) is then cut to fit, the edges secured by the velcro. It does at least mean you can have windows open and nothing will fly or crawl in.

However, the only way you will cool the place down is an air conditioner. Cheap ones do not work (they often don't have enough strength nor the room size capacity) and air coolers are pretty useless. (Air coolers are filled with water or ice and blow air over it in an attempt to cool the air, a proper air conditioner will have a refrigeration unit and will actually cool the room).
A fan really only blows the same hot air around the room to create a bit of a breeze, it won't actually cool anything if it's really hot.

If you can't afford built in air conditioning, the portable ones are the way to go. The strongest ones are usually 15000BTU and take temperatures down to 16 degrees. The secret is to buy them in about March time when they are at their lowest in price (last year's unsold units usually). When the hot weather comes, they shoot up in price, often by several hundred pounds.

I have two portable air conditioners and they keep my apartment really cool as it's south facing and today was 26 degrees here, the air con kept it at a pleasant 18 degrees. If we get a hot summer they are worth their weight in gold.

I follow the advice of my friend in Spain. All windows shut during the hottest part of the day, and curtains closed.

As soon as the temp drops, open windows and keep opened until hot again.

It makes a big difference, in my opinion.

Thanks everyone.
The cheap netting from Amazon and opening windows Spanish style seems the least expensive way to go for the time being.

Am also going to keep a few bowls of iced water in the room just to help mitigate a fraction of the humidity at night.

I envy those of you in cool houses! Then again, this is the cosiest little pile of bricks in Britain during the cold months.

I have the same issue. My bedroom is south facing. I’ve had the curtains closed all day and have not long come up to bed to find it’s 27 degrees in here! Come summer, it’s unbearable and I’ve spent many nights on the sofa. Just ordered a thermal blind and going to get some of the reflective film to put on the windows as well. I have insect screens to fit as I’m very allergic to wasps, so scared of sleeping with a window open.

A dehumidifier might help if it's the humidity that's making it unbearable. Insect screens should help a lot so you can air it out but try getting one if it's still not quite cool enough.

Fly screen and open window, if you have children have smell fans for them, 20 quid Amazon

I don't do heat well, this is what I do.

Open the hatch in to the loft, mine comes off completely but I just turn it to an angle.

First thing in the morning open the windows and put a fan facing out, the idea being to push the warm air out. Ideally do this before dawn, which I know is impossible in the summer but do it as soon as you get up.

Then close the windows and pull down the blinds, I have thermal blinds. Close the door, you are trying to keep the room cool.

If you can afford it get a portable air con (I have 2) or hire one.

You can arrange the air con to blow in one direction and then place a fan to push the cool air in the direction you want. Air con works by taking moisture out of the air so it would help with your condensation problem.

Also for the condensation make sure the air vents in your windows are open.

Air con units are coming down in price, you can get them new for about £160 - £200. They are noisy but once you get used to the noise you can sleep through it.

If you can rig something up, putting something on the outside of the windows helps with preventing the solar gain through the windows. Even a bed sheet draped over the outside window can help. We have this problem in my DDs room, it bakes from lunchtime and it’s unbearable. Ideally we would fit wooden shutters on the outside, but a bed sheet trapped between the windows on the outside has made a huge difference.

This. Makes a big difference

Humidity will be high if you don’t ventilate your house. Twice a day open all the windows in the house for 10 minutes (early morning and evening). Make sure bathroom windows are open during showering and you’re using extractor fans in bathroom and in the kitchen when cooking.