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.

just thinking about the wild fires recently. the near black out in london and having to leave your home at really short notice. grab bags. going to be repacking mine this week and keeping it near the door.

I was thinking similar, about doing up grab bags, as there were big gorse/brush fires locally this week causing houses to be evacuated. Not right by us but close. And we are in an area with a lot of greenery/trees.

Dh has been talking again about finding someone to make a brise soleil on rollers for outside our kitchen windows, which have a lot of glass across the wall. But we had actually finally got around to getting blinds on them this spring and they were surprisingly effective in keeping the heat out.

We are in an urban flat. There are trees and a garden but not many natural areas.( Just remembered that we do have a small bit of trees/undergrowth which might be more at risk from kids setting fires which is probably as dangerous as people's gardens in London. )

But we have had two pan fires in kitchens in the block that thankfully did not spread, a gas leak, an arson attack (bonfire) we are at risk from other flats and other people. With increased heat flats will heat up and be more at risk.

Been trying to think about some kind of additional rainwater storage for the garden.

Also thinking about fly screens for windows so can have them open overnight without lots of bugs flying in.

As another poster said, losing some excess weight and improving cardiovascular fitness. Post lockdown am the heaviest I've ever been and it has been a shock how it has impacted my ability to regulate my body temperature.

I’ll be getting an aircon machine on Amazon for next summer!

Yep, not good

I have stone tiles. They’re bugger all use when the kitchen faces south and has Velux windows on the roof. It’s like a fucking greenhouse. Which was lovely until this insane weather started. During the recent heatwave we had to vacate the kitchen and sit in the bedroom. We even ate takeaway in the bedroom because the kitchen was over 45c.

If you want to prep for hot weather, forget the tiles and put an aircon unit in a north or east facing room. If you can even afford the electric to run the aircon next year that is!

Can you get blinds or curtains or both?

Take time to rig up a tarp/sheet to go over the top of the roof to shield the windows. (Dowel/bamboo pole/extendable curtain pole paracord contraption. ) a pp made a shade for windows on the outside. I pin up a sheet inside as in a flat.

Failing that a pot of the stuff decorators paint on windows and gardeners paint on their greenhouse.

I have mirror film on my windows it has really made a difference. I've still needed the curtains drawn so not enough on its own. It was easy to put up after watching a few YouTube clips.

Our house is in direct sunlight all day and we're not coping without fans, cooling mats and ice blocks. We've got mirror film on the glass and multiple layers of curtains, and we open strategic doors and windows to get an airflow.
I'm considering negotiating with the LL to use a redundant gas fire flue as passive air conditioning; it goes up a chimney, through the attic and out of the roof. I'd want to install some sort of valve in the living room so we could shut it off in winter.