Is this weather making anyone else consider changes to their house?

[Taggiesbeefdaube]

I’ve had a quote for air on for the bedrooms which isn’t cheap (£13k) but is doable. The units would also give heat in the winter. We have solar panels so don’t needto worry about the cost of running the air con.

also considering shutters or brise soleil (mini pergola like things above the south facing windows)

I have thermal blinds on the biggest windows which stop some of the heat in the house.

Wondering about planting for shade closer to the house.

It's lovely but it does need a lot of water in the summer. It seems to dry out very quickly.

I am really pleased with a ceiling fan that I had fitted in a small bedroom, big improvement compared with the tower fan used in there previously.

We're in a conservation area which makes it tricker to make changes like solar panels, shutters etc to the front of the house.

Contemplating a retractable awning to go over the patio - currently we have a gazebo over our table and chairs which is fab for shade but is a bit of a pain to take down every time there is more than the tiniest gust of wind.

The ground floor of our house is significantly cooler than the upstairs so considering getting black out blinds that would allow us to sleep downstairs when its really hot.

Probably going to try and get a portable aircon unit or two before next summer, will be watching the Black Friday sales like a hawk (obviously now is the worst time to try and get one!)

I walked down an alley between the houses yesterday which is shaded by large trees. It was unbelievably cooler under the trees than anywhere else that was in shade. The trees seem to stop the heat filtering through, as well as the sun itself, so I think I'm going to find out what tree I could grow in my small front garden that wont get too big but still stop the sun hitting my front windows.

We’ve budgeted £20k to future proof our house. Big spends, in order of priority are;

1. solar panels - this year
2. Proper air conditioning in the bedrooms - .later this year, We already have a couple of portable ones, but they have struggled in the heatwave.
3. blinds for the conservatory (or the furnace as it is now called) - next year
4. shutter blinds for upstairs - next 2 years
5. A few changes to the garden. More Mediterranean plants, water butts. shading - ongoing

Husband is keen on getting a heat pump, but I’m not. The people I know who have them, aren’t particularly impressed. Not sure £20k will be enough!

@toffeeappleturniptrees make a huge difference

The tricky part is finding out what type of tree would be best. My front garden is raised above pavement level and only 4x3 metres. It has fairly stony, very well draining soil.

I need a tree that won't produce roots that push down the wall. My front garden is like this ⬇(not my house). Any ideas for a suitable tree here very welcome!

@toffeeappleturnip Google trees that grow well in containers. I'd put a small silver birch or an acer that would grow to about 3 or 4 foot in there. In a seriously large container. Or build a raised bed for a tree.

Your soil sounds perfect for a grapevine. Either train the stem up over two years and run across to allow each years growth to fall down in a curtain (you will need a ladder to prune) or train up about 50 cm and then run horizontal which will requires to an overhead cross bar and train up and you can prune more easily.

Choose one that prefers spur pruning as it’s easier. Don’t plant hard up against the house wall. It can always be trained into place.

Lovely ideas thank you @WeddingInvitation and @TheSandgroper

I've been having a good search and quite like the idea of an Amelanchier lamarckii tree. Apparently very tolerant of strong sun, winter winds and have a small root system as well as being good for UK wildlife.

Amelanchier are lovely - I've got a mult stem lamarki and a Robin Hill. They can be a bit dull in summer, but you get lovely blossom in spring and great leaf colour in autumn. They stay nice and wafty...

@toffeeappleturnip I have been researching trees and a Catalpa bignonioides 'Nana' looks like it would be good dwarf tree that will tolerate being in a pot. It naturally forms a dense, umbrella-shaped canopy without needing pruning so great for providing shade. I have ordered two one for our small garden and one for our drive.

Our house is old and cool downstairs (dormer bungalow) but seriously considering air conditioning in our bedroom. We have a portable unit which is a godsend but will look at proper air con for next year

I just looked that up and I love the look of that one, it has a lovely shape and colour, thank you!
Looks like it will create some good shade. It's going on my list 🌳

I've got a similar little concrete front garden. I put a fig tree in a massive pot and the shade it throws is fantastic a few years later. Don't plant it in the ground though - you don't need to, as they manage really well in a pot. Whatever you decide to go for, consider that a deciduous tree will allow you to have sunlight in the winter.

A few years ago, I put greenhouse shading on our all glass conservatory. ( The company was a one man band and on the verge of retiring and I was his last customer). It is still going strong but I made the mistake of putting it outside and of course it has got rather mucky looking now. I think it reduces glare but the conservatory is still too hot to use in temperatures like this.

I don’t have a conservatory, but inherited a glass roof on the back extension of my main living area with no dividing doors. It’s been hell. I used some savings to get a warm roof put on and it’s much better with no glare and a few degrees cooler. The garden faces south west so it’s really daft to put extra glass in that area.

Thanks for the info!

We had aircon in our last house and when we moved to our current house 9 months ago it was a priority to get it fitted asap. I wouldn’t want to manage without it. I’ve had it for 6 years in total now. Best money we’ve ever spent

This thread is giving me some great planting ideas. I am also wondering whether to dig up our drive and try to plant a dense groundcover on there instead, with shrubs on the side, but worried about it being a mud bath in winter. Maybe just some more large well-placed planters is better.

I feel like actually trying to close all doors, blinds and windows during the hottest part of the day, and then opening after eg 8pm would help a lot but literally no one else in the house (DH and 2 late teen DC) will get on board. I tried during the last heatwave they all agree to the idea, but DH is constantly opening windows during the day and 3 times when I got home after midnight our windows were still closed! Its like banging my head against a (hot) brick wall!

Im also going to investigate ceiling fans.

I wonder if swimming pools will become more popular

ED to change poos to pools!!

Let’s hope not. 😬

😆😆😆

After several years of resisting air con, I finally had two units fitted in bedrooms as they have become unbearable to live in.

I had been conceded about the environmental impact of running air con… but as it’s turned out, I only need to use them for a couple of hours in the evening before bed so they aren’t consuming a lot of energy to run. In a very short time,it takes all of the heat out of the house and then I switch them off and the house remains cool overnight.

Im actually enjoying the heatwave as a result..lovely warm evenings in the garden… absolutely no heat in the house. Absolutely no regrets!