Preparations for living with increased temperatures longterm

[ifonly4]

Moving forward, I wonder what preparations we can make to live comfortably with increased temperature, in terms of our own well being and around the home.

DD is 20 and living in a country generally warmer than ours - she reckons a good quality fan and stone tiles help in her flat - adamant she'll have an air conditioning unit when she's older if she has to.

Some countries serve highly spiced food as that's meant to help, but the thought of standing over a cooker doesn't appeal.

I'm a good drinker anyway, but been drinking loads, trying to rest and not have electrical items/oven on. Still I phoned in sick today, as I'm not feeling great - I've had sunstroke before and really don't want it again. Colleague was off with sunstroke a couple of weeks ago. I've only been out for work Sun&Mon, nothing else, and my body can't cope, but people have to manage in other country and we have to get on with it.

We’ve already been absolutely fine in this, we’ve not even needed to use a fan other than while exercising.

We’ve shutters, which we close when the sun is falling on those windows, we open everything at night, but keep windows and doors closed on the day.

It’s about 23 degrees in my home office right now, which is comfortable.

I grew up in the South of France, where it would often be high thirties for extended periods in the summer. The buildings were no different to those in the UK, and we had no air conditioning or fans. Yes, it got hot, but it was still fine.

Hopefully those catastrophising in recent days have been just fine.

Calling in sick every time it’s warm probably isn’t going to be sustainable.

I have MS so I think I'm allowed to say this is a bit shit. If any of you are women and have not yet reached menopause, you will find that this is also a bit shit when you are at that stage.
I had a jolly time in 1976 because I was a kid and got sunburned while paddling in fountains and ate iced lollies.

Moving forward, we have a few fans and I'm running them with ice blocks/frozen water bottles in front of them.
Shutters might be the answer but I think good practice with opening windows at night and shading closed windows in the day is probably cheaper.
I've been mulling over whether some kind of mini fridge run off solar panels is an option if the power went out too. Expensive option.
I have a cheapo camping solar oven but it's been too hot for me to go out and use it. Need to "train" less vulnerable in the household to use it

I'm looking at:

reducing my carbon output to lower my contribution to the high temperatures
-air source heat pumps
-solar panels
-triple glazing when we replace the windows
-moving the freezer to a cooler part of the house

ways to reduce the impact of heat on the house
-planting climbers on the sunny parts of the house
-shutters
-floor tiles and underfloor heating for a new room we are planning
-security grilles over some windows so I can keep them open at night

I can't do much to the flat but if I had a house:

Shutters on the outside of windows.
Those shade things above windows that shade in summer and let winter light shine in.

Covers on my (mum's) air bricks at ground level to protect against surface water flooding.
If I move to my mum's house, (and win the lottery)I would plant more of the front garden as plants not slabs. Plant a small tree in the front garden (research required as to drains/foundations etc. )

Reinstall the water butt piping from greenhouse to the butt.

Grow more of my own food.

Look to insulating the outside, loft and putting in solar panels.

Heat pump and restoring the larder to a larder. Not a boiler cupboard.

Actual achievable things:
Reduce energy use and consumption.

Get proper heat resistant blinds for the windows.

Plant small trees and shrubs near your house to create shade.

The coolest room in our house over the last week has been the sitting room, which is at the north end of the house and is shaded by two large trees. It never gets sun on the walls or roof and stayed at about 25 degrees although the temp outside was 35.

Planting trees, providing natural shade, and at the same time preventing soil erosion and mitigating the risk of flooding, seems to be the most effective measure.

The other major asset this week was our village church. 35 degrees outside, 19 degrees inside. The primary school moved all four classes into the church for Monday and yesterday.

The vicar held a drop in session both evenings for everyone else. It hasn't been that full since Christmas. 😀

Plant things - trees obviously provide the most shade over time, but any vegetation will help with heat.

Fit shutters on windows and/or get (retractable) awnings.

Get good portable fans and consider fitting ceiling fans (I think I'm the only person on MN who likes how they look, but everyone likes the motion they bring to the air)

Next time you're doing floors, consider getting hard ones, plus big rugs that can be rolled up when hot

Have good insulation

Look to how you can reduce consumption generally - aim to be carbon neutral. You can't fix the world, but everyone making small changes adds up. So choose renewables, fly less, get a hybrid or EV next time, buy local

Be careful about trees/shrubs near your house because they can undermine foundations.

I’m looking at external shutters. And a brise soleil over the large kitchen windows

we are lucky in that we have lots of established trees

This. Spaces with greenery, shade and water (ponds etc) are several degrees cooler than those with tarmac and concrete.

Highly unlikely. You’d have to make a major planting error like a leylandii or willow literally right up against the house.

Holly is notorious for this

Slightly different tack but I’m trying to lose the last stone and up my cardiac fitness. The heavier I am, the more I struggle in the heat.

I’d love shutters or awnings but I guess that’s not possible with bay windows?

Why not? Shutters could be hinged to fit.

Fly screens are a good idea because increased heat seems to mean more & sometimes larger insects in the summer.

Cooling mats are helpful in the heat, as is some thought to keeping things like routers & laptops cool.

It’s all about building design. I live in the Middle East where it’s incredibly hot for months in the summer and I rarely have my aircon on.

@BlackeyedSusan You can get tinted solar reflective window film to help reduce heat coming through the windows, it would work in a flat. It's pretty cheap and can be taken off for winter and replaced each summer if you don't want it over the winter. Thermal blinds and curtains help as well, plus opening the windows early in the morning and nights when it is cooler outside (if it ever is). I try to cool the house down in the days before the heat comes by opening windows when it's cooler and keeping windows/blinds/curtains closed when the sun is shining on the windows, it helps keep it a few degrees cooler.

Something like this one
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251420336989

Thanks. I think that is worth considering. There are strict rules here. I am thinking of writing to the directors of the flats association to consider a standardized installation of some sort of screening of windows from sun in future years.

I need to get proper thermal blinds but the windows are quite wide.

We did all the other cooling stuff before hand and still hit 32 indoors. We only open the small top windows for safety. But maybe look at installing some sort of temporary barrier.

I shall keep the security grill idea in mind if I move to mum's in future. I was looking at the ones they have on the university student flats.

I lived in France for many years, and the houses were adapted for the heat. Generally windows are smaller, they all have shutters, the older properties have very thick walls, the floors are all tiled, there are practically no carpets, and lots of people have either an above ground pool or an in-ground one.

I'm going to get blinds for my sky lighfs! My kitchen was 30 degrees on Tuesday & not even south facing!

Wow that's hot.

I need to get proper thermal blinds when I can afford the time/energy to get it done. The living room was so hot even with lined curtains and an extra layer of sheet. Got up to 30 degrees. I shall lobby for shutters on the flats. It would have to be on all of them.

Sorry, 32 degrees.