Homes & Gardening

Austin Hay is still in high school, but he’s building his own house. It’s only 130 square feet, but it makes him a homeowner without a mortgage at just 16 years old.

Right now, it’s in his parents’ backyard, but he’s built it on wheels so he plans to take it to college and then wherever he goes after he graduates.

Moving out at 16

He’s been sleeping in his tiny home for a few months now and he’s already decided not to return to big (his parents’ home is 1800 square feet). “Living small means less bills, living big means more bills. I don’t want to pay big bills,” he explained from the tiny stoop of his new home.

Hay’s 130-square-foot home may make him the youngest member of the growing Small House Movement. Perhaps not coincidentally, Hay has spent his childhood at one of the movement’s epicenters (See Land of Tiny Home People).

From the land of the Tiny Home People

In his county (Sonoma), there are at least three tiny homebuilding companies (not to mention the independents), as well as the founder of the Tiny House Blog and the country’s biggest Tiny Home star Jay Shafer. Shafer, owns Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, has been something of a role model. Take a tour of Jay’s 96 square foot house here.

Before breaking ground, Hay attended one of Shafer’s monthly tiny open house tours and Shafer gave plans to build his home (it’s a Fencl design like the one Shafer lived in for years).

A $12,000 home

Hay expects to spend about $12,000 building his home (the used trailer cost him $2000) and he’s paying for it working two summer jobs (at a camp and at a park snack bar). He’s cut his costs in half (the home’s estimated DIY price is $23,000) Though this is a considerable discount from the home’s estimated price of $23,000 because Hay has scavenged everything from doors, windows and flooring to the kitchen sink (the hardwood floors were $25 at a salvage yard and so was the stainless steel sink).

Tiny construction waste

Like most in the Small House Movement, cost isn’t Hay’s only concern. He’s also aware the tiny homes consume less heat/AC/building materials and so leave a lighter environmental footprint. To make the point, he’s been collecting all of his building waste and after nearly a year of building, he only has two half-filled garbage cans filled with items he couldn’t recycle.

With a little help from Santa

In this video, Hay shows us his tiny home, his handiwork, the salvaged bits and where he hopes to put all his furniture and appliances (including the camping oven that was a gift from “Santa”).

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By Philip Schmidt, Hometalk

In the interest of acknowledging progress, it must be said that a list like this would have been much easier to create several years ago, when things like 2-ton granite countertops and commercial-grade ranges were at the top of the Jones’ must-have list — at the same time that everyone was talking about going green.

Today, thanks primarily to the slowed economy, home trends have definitely taken a turn for the better. Downsizing, improving existing homes and energy efficiency, and adding quality instead of quantity really are big trends these days. Yet only the future will tell if these ideas are here to stay. In the meantime, here’s a look at some of today’s popular home upgrades that at least deserve some careful scrutiny (or better understanding) if not outright ridicule.

1. Bungalow-izing

A true Craftsman bungalow is a great American house, both inside and out. Its cozy, space-efficient design is still the model for many home plans today, and its characteristic architectural details are as appealing now as they were in the 1920s. But that’s no excuse for face-lifting a 50’s ranch with a timber-frame portico or for trying to make a builder-grade tract home look custom with a few extended rafter ends and boxy porch columns.

2. Vent-free gas appliances

The only people who claim vent-free gas fireplaces and heaters are safe are the manufacturers who make them. Everyone else will tell you that burning natural gas without an exhaust outlet (a chimney) is bad for indoor air quality.

3. Programmable thermostats

There’s really nothing wrong with programmable thermostats. The problem is that manufacturers and the government would have you believe that these devices themselves save lots of energy. Now, if you’re the kind of person who forgets to turn down the heat before you leave the house for the day or even before going on vacation, then a programmable thermostat can potentially help you save energy. However, this means that you also must be the kind of person who will take the time to read the owner’s manual and program your thermostat to follow your household schedule. You also have to update that program as your daily routine changes, such as when you’re on vacation. If you don’t happen to posses both of these characteristics (forgetfulness and a willingness to master a new technology), a programmable thermostat is the same as an old-fashioned one, except that it’s harder to use.

4. The “moving-to-the-country-is-greener” myth

This is the common misconception that being green should be characterized by an agrarian lifestyle. In fact, the greenest people in the country are those who live in densely populated cities: They don’t own cars; they walk, bike or ride public transport to work; and their homes are small and very efficient to heat. When you consider the impact of driving and land occupation alone, even the modern-day homesteader “living off the land” 20 miles outside of town isn’t nearly as green as the average Manhattanite.

5. Backup power generators

Remodeling magazine’s 2011 Cost vs Value Report found that the average cost of adding a power generator is $14, 718, while its value at resale is $7,136 (a 48.5 percent return). Granted, you wouldn’t install a generator for its resale value, but unless a temporary power outage is likely to ruin over $7,500 worth of your stuff, where’s the real benefit?

6. CFL bulbs

Compact fluorescent bulbs save energy, last for 10 years, and offer the same light quality as standard incandescents. Only they don’t. In reality, many CFLs burn out in months, not years (there go the savings data); their light quality is wretched (when tested in homes, not laboratories); and you have to drive a burned out light bulb to your local hazardous materials recycling center because it contains highly poisonous mercury (and cars use a lot more energy than light bulbs). While its intentions are good, the U.S. government should spend less money promoting CFLs and more money developing better light bulbs.

7. Multi-head showers

You can stop manufacturers from making wasteful showerheads, but you can’t stop hedonists from using ridiculous amounts of water (and all the energy required to heat it) in the privacy of their own bathrooms. Or can you?

8. Bad modern design

For several years, coffee and restaurant chains have been trying to convey hipness with cheap modern-style buildings clad in galvanized steel (indoors, too). Unfortunately, many home designers and builders are now following suit. They seem to think that modern design is nothing more than bland industrial materials and simple volumes stuck together like toy blocks. You can fairly call this “contemporary” design, but calling it “modern” is like calling a McRib “barbecue.”

9. Outdoor kitchens

Many homeowners are genuinely interested in sprucing up their patios so they can spend more time comfortably outdoors, but haven’t we seen enough promotion of “outdoor living rooms” and kitchens that look just like indoor ones save for the lack of a roof? A nice shade tree can grace your patio and property year-round and for decades to come. It’s hard to say the same about a 9-foot-tall pizza oven.

10. TV boxes

The New York Times recently reported that many TV boxes (for cable TV, DVRs, etc.) use more electricity than a refrigerator, making them the biggest consumer of electricity in the house. And most of this energy is used when the TV is off. This is the environmental equivalent of cranking up your air conditioner, opening the front door and leaving the house for the office, every day. And what’s the one topic you’re guaranteed to hear about when you’re actually watching TV? Energy.

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“It is the marriage of the soul with Nature that makes the intellect fruitful, that gives birth to imagination.” –Henry David Thoreau

It came to me while working in the garden how similar the lessons I learn here are to my practice of yoga. That can include, but not limited to, the physical actions of bending over, squatting down, lifting heavy objects (in yoga that would be my own body weight) and twisting around to grab the plant cutters. All those physical exertions come into play in the course of planting, weeding, harvesting and restoring. As my body goes through a series of postures when gardening it is my mind that also reaps the benefits of being in nature.

Focus
When gardening, as in a yoga practice, you have to pay attention to what you are doing. The temptation is to daydream and let your mind run on about any number of trivial topics, but to stay focused and present allows communication between yourself and nature, between yourself and the plants themselves. I recall a passage from Stephan Harrod Buhner’s book, The Secret Teachings of Plants, where he writes, “Personal relationships with plants are like personal relationships with people. A whole range of experience exists, for there are many types of plants, each with its own personality, each of which will draw your interest and affection to differing degrees.”

And yet, how can you have such a relationship if you cannot remain quiet and calm, while listening to the deeper vibrations transmitted by the plants? In yoga practice this focus is a listening to the deep intelligence of your body, a natural intelligence that can move you past your fears and limitations without aggression or stress. This intelligence can safely guide your limbs and internal organs from once impossible contortions to the freedom of flexibility in all the joints and muscles. In the garden listening can guide you where to place one plant alongside a companion plant that will protect and defend against insects and predators. When listening to nature you create a garden dictated by the plants for survival and productivity.

Breath
In the presence of Divine intelligence I find myself observing how I breathe or when I hold my breath before slowly releasing an exhale. This act moves me to take in the air of the garden, the breeze coming across the lawn, the rustle of the tomato leaves and the fragrance lifting off the herbs. In yoga I remind myself to breathe naturally and move my body to the organic rhythm of my breath. I am not the breather, but rather this body intelligence is, the one that keeps me alive while I sleep, the one that operates my body systems without my having to be aware of the liver metabolizing, while the intestines absorb and the gall bladder secretes.

There is the same symmetry to the workings of my garden. The plants and the trees surround me with fresh oxygen to feed body, mind and spirit. It is food of a kind that is essential for life and I cultivate this breath as I garden or as I move from posture to posture on my yoga mat. Essential, necessary, transforming, and life giving.

Patience and Persistence
Recently I watched a student succeed in mastering a rather difficult inverted arm-balancing pose. It had taken her ten years to arrive at that moment, and though she had grown frustrated over the years, she had patiently persisted in practicing until her mind and body were in perfect alignment.

Over the years I have learned patience from the endless picking of weeds and I learned persistence from the weeds themselves. I marvel at how they return over and over again, even shaping themselves to look like the vegetable whose bed they have invaded, whose nutrients and moisture they covet. If I can harvest them for my table I will, otherwise they move from the garden to the compost pile providing essential minerals that will be returned to the garden in a persistent cycle of growth and decay. My yoga practice mimics this cycle of change and persistence as the years shift my body from youth to maturity. I discover frailties disguised as strengths and uncover a strength that runs deep as the roots of the weeds I pull.

 

Compassion
In my yoga practice I no longer demand, but instead ask what my body is willing and able to do on any given day. Then I listen and I breathe and I harvest what is good and ripe from these bones, ligaments and muscles that have been stretching, reaching and twisting for 30 years. You might think that it all gets easier and one could do yoga in their sleep after so much time. And yet it is not so. One must continue to be vigilant, attentive and most of all, kind to one self. Just like in the garden or in the world of people.

After the rains have fallen for days on end and the weeds are in control and the insects are feasting on the leaves of my precious plants, the ground hogs have dug their way under the fence to enjoy the sweet taste of cabbage. But what really tries my compassion are the squirrels who eat the raspberries before I can fill my bowl and then before the pears are half grown they strip the trees and bury whole pears in the garden. I find the pears while patiently, persistently weeding on a summers morning and look to the orchard in hopes of maybe harvesting one piece of fruit.

The weeds, insects and animals are my lesson to love and share this land, this food, my work and toil. Yoga teaches that we are all one and if we are to survive we must do so together. Plant a garden. Practice yoga. They will both teach you what you need to learn.

More healthy and green articles from Care2:

• The Four Yogas
• What Yoga Can Do for You
• Enjoy Scottish Children Doing Yoga and Chanting at School

 

Two years ago, Debra and her family lived in a nearly 2,000 square-foot home on an acre and a half of land. Then her husband lost his job and they began to work four jobs between them to pay the mortgage, until one day they remembered they had a choice.

Before having their son, Debra and her husband Gary had spent nine years living in very tiny homes in South America. Living small hadn’t felt like a sacrifice, but a way to stay focused on what is important. They decided they wanted to get back to that.

They stopped working so hard, sold or gave away all of their extra stuff, and began looking for the perfect tiny home.

(Photo: Debra Jordan)

Debra had always liked the Mississippi shotgun-style homes, but they decided the 100-square-foot places that are “kind of curious at the moment” were too small.

They considered converting a shed or an old school bus. They decided RVs or mobile homes were too expensive.

One day, while browsing Craigslist, they noticed an ad for a local Arkansas company custom-building tiny homes for a price that could mean an end to house payments.

(Photo: Debra Jordan)

Six weeks and $15,000 later, they had their own fully paid-off dwelling. Today, Debra, her husband, and 13-year-old son live in a 320-square-foot home that is not a sacrifice, but exactly what they need.

They have a walk-in closet, full-sized appliances, and even an antique bed. Their son has his own lofted bedroom big enough for sleepovers.

(Photo: Debra Jordan)

They’ve done a bit of DIY to create a custom sofa that becomes a guest bed so their home now sleeps “6 people comfortably, probably 8 to 10 people uncomfortably.”

(Photo: Debra Jordan)

They even have a separate studio next door for their home business where they make tiny baby gifts “made by hand in a little cottage.”

 

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• Flower sushi? Check out some spring uses for edible flowers

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

The first buzz of a mosquito is an unpleasant reminder that summer fun comes with a pesky price. We examined the science behind common mosquito myths and found that while some have a basis in reality, many are plain bunk. Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance - they carry harmful diseases such as encephalitis and malaria.

Here's what you need to know about the season's most unwanted guest:

 

1. Lemon dish soap and Listerine repel mosquitoes

Fiction: This myth has been widely circulated around the Internet. According to the Florida Medical Entomology Lab at the University of Florida, these household products do not work to thwart mosquitoes. One of the most effective repellents is DEET. The Centers for Disease Control also recommends repellents with Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus.

If you use a product containing DEET, read the label and do not over-apply. DEET is a powerful chemical that can be harmful if used incorrectly. Make sure the repellent has an EPA-approved label and registration number. Use caution with small children and stick with a formulation that is made for kids.

 

2. Ultrasonic devices repel mosquitoes

Fiction: Save your money. According to the Department of Entomology at Purdue, these gadgets don't work. Bug zappers do kill mosquitoes, but they also electrocute many beneficial insects including those that eat mosquitoes, so the scientists at Purdue recommend against using them.

 

3. Taking B vitamins repels mosquitoes

Maybe: According to the Mayo Clinic, B vitamins change a person's odor, which may indeed make them less attractive to mosquitoes.

 

4. Eating garlic repels mosquitoes

Fiction: According to current research, consuming large amounts of garlic only works against vampires and bad dates.

 

5. Skin-So-Soft products repel mosquitoes

Fact: BUT, buyer beware: According to a study by the University of Florida, Skin-So-Soft and other products containing Citronella oil are only effective for between 3 and 10 minutes after application.

 

6. Creating a bat or Purple Martin habitat will rid your yard of mosquitoes

Fiction: While both species are insectivores, they probably won't eat enough mosquitoes to make a noticeable difference at your next garden party.

 

7. Meat tenderizer calms an itchy bite

Fact: The Mayo Clinic recommends mixing a tablespoon of water with a tablespoon of meat tenderizer and forming a paste to apply to a bite. Using an ice pack can ease discomfort as well. OTC remedies to try: hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion.

 

8. Mosquitoes die after feeding

Fiction: Unfortunately, the female mosquito (males don't eat blood, they feed on nectar) can live to bite again. Females will die if they don't get their first blood meal, which they require in order to lay eggs.

 

9. Mosquitoes transmit the HIV virus

Fiction: According to scientists at the Centers for Disease Control, Rutgers University, and others, mosquitoes cannot transmit the HIV virus from human to human. They do carry the West Nile virus and other serious diseases.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

With summer here, we’re faced with the inevitable dilemma of keeping ourselves “sane” by maintaining a home that’s cool and humidity-free, without suffering the consequences of running a central air system 24 hours a day and facing an energy bill that’s gone through the roof. 

So, how do we do it? Can we even cut costs?  Absolutely.  It’s actually much more tolerable to be hot than it is to be cold, so if you’re willing, you can find easy ways to not only avoid increased heating bills, but to see them go down.

Become a Tourist

You know all those museums and libraries you’ve always thought you should visit but never got ambitious enough to do so?  Summer is the perfect time to go.  You’ll get out of your own house and get to bask in the refreshing coolness of air-conditioned buildings, all for free!  Plus, you might even learn something while you’re at it.

Shop When It’s Hot

Those pesky, time-consuming errands? Do them during the peak hours of the day. Get your grocery shopping done between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun is directly overhead and the temps are climbing to their highest.

Catch a Flick

Find a local dollar movie theatre and watch old movies during the afternoon hours. It’s another great place without sun or heat and best of all, it’s almost free. Finish off the afternoon with fruitsicles in the park.

Find the Water

If you’re near an ocean, then you should spend as much time at the beach as possible! (Make sure to track down the ones that don’t require paid parking.) Otherwise, head out to a river or lake (both free!). And, if none of those are options, see if you can get a summer pool pass for the family and plan to spend your hot afternoons staying cool and getting exercise in the water while you’re at it! Many cities also have parks with small kiddie pools free for your use.

Minimize Appliance Use

Appliances (even light bulbs) produce tremendous amounts of heat. Replace traditional light bulbs for fluorescent; they put out much less heat. Cooking is an obvious heat source, so grill outdoors when you can.  It’s one of the healthiest ways to cook anyway.

Eat cool style foods like salads and sandwiches for your main meals more often. Another good idea: seal off both your laundry room and hot water closet. You’ll minimize the amount of heat being created within the home and make a dramatic impact without much effort at all.

Downsize Your Cooling

When you must be home — it happens, we must eat and sleep — and the temperatures are unbearable, aim for the most cost efficient sorts of cooling. A central air system is about the worst in terms of cost and energy used. Not only does it come with an installation bill, it takes a great deal of energy to keep an entire house cool.

Opt for evaporative swamp coolers if you can. You’ll be able to cool air by as much as 20 degrees and use up to 75% less energy than a traditional AC. If that doesn’t cut it and you need some de-humidifying to survive, then go for a portable AC. You can move them from room to room as needed and just spend time in that room. It doesn’t make sense to cool the whole house when you’re going to be in your bedroom for the next 8 hours. Plus, both the latter options don’t require installation costs.

Freelance writer Jocelyn Anne is currently writing about portable air conditioning units and helping consumers find the most appropriate and affordable ways to stay cool and safe this summer.

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By Jordan Laio, Networx

Do you sometimes forget to water your houseplants? A cactus, by definition, is a plant that is designed to withstand long periods of drought. And, contrary to popular belief, cacti grow in a variety of climates. For instance, the species Coryphantha vivipara var. vivipara reportedly can withstand temperatures down to -20ºF!

Did You Know That Cacti Bloom?

Some individual cacti are known to be hundreds of years old. While it may take a cactus years to produce its first flowers, the wait is well worth it. The passionate colors that spring forth from their sometimes dull and spiny bodies have the same other-worldly effect as an urchin blooming from a seafloor rock. Some of them, like the flower of the albispina variety of Oroya cactus, resemble the exotic dragon fruit, while others resemble more familiar flowers like the passionflower and the daisy. The Opuntia bergeriana flower, for instance, resembles hibiscus.

Where to Place Your Cactus Garden

The most important thing to do before starting any cactus garden is to determine where you will locate it, and then find cacti that are adapted to the conditions in that location. These days, cacti are available for purchase from many garden centers and other distributors, where there should be salespeople able to help you choose cacti appropriate for your climate and living situation. But here are some general tips for growing and maintaining a cactus collection.

If growing indoors, place cacti on a windowsill where they will receive maximum light. A south-facing window is best. Give windowsill cacti a nice turn every every couple weeks so they don’t grow lopsided. Some easy-to-grow indoor cacti are Epiphyllum species and cultivars, and Myrtillocactus geometrizans.

If you live in an area that is dry throughout the year, then you can grow cacti in a range of soil types. If you live somewhere that is more moist throughout the year, a higher gravel and sand content is better since it allows for better drainage. For growing medium, a simple mixture of one part garden soil, one part coarse sand, and one part compost will suffice. Of course, your local garden center should have brand-name products which you can use to build your soil. Talk to your local gardening professional to find out what’s best for your cacti.

The Right Temperature for Cacti

In order to flower properly, most cacti need to experience some coolness during the winter nights. This would only be a problem if you keep your cacti in a heated apartment or greenhouse during the winter. However, some cacti can tolerate the year-round warmth. A couple examples are the species Astrophytum capricorne and Notocactus magnificus.

Drainage and Fertilizers

Cacti need good drainage. If growing cacti in containers, make sure you have a minimum of 3-4 inches of soil and holes on the bottom for drainage. Use any type of container you like, plastic or ceramic or whatever else you wish. Each type of material has its own pros and cons.

There are various types of cacti fertilizers or “feeds” such as liquid feed and slow-release granular fertilizer. Some cactus gardeners avoid the pellet fertilizers since, because of their slow-release, they may cause cacti to continue to grow into their otherwise dormant season, which will cause subsequent growth problems.

When to Water Cacti

How much you need to water your cacti will depend on the season, humidity, even the type of pot you use. But generally, during the summer, only water when the sun is out and allow soil to dry completely and water about every 8-15 days. In winter, keep your cacti dry and don’t water them more than once a month. As for spring and fall, if it’s cool, keep them dry, if it’s hot, then water them.

As for pests, you shouldn’t have any problems as long as you remove spent plant material from your growing area.

This general advice should help you manage your first few cacti, whether they’re on a dorm room windowsill or whether you’re dedicating a space in your front yard to cacti. Either way, like any gardening adventure, you will find that growing cacti has many rewards.

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Keeping a lawn green during summer can be challenging. The hot sun can dry out even the hardiest plants, and homeowners end up spending tons on a ever increasing water bill to try and force the grass to stay fresh looking.

In climates that don't get summer showers, the most eco-friendly option is to choose native plants with minimal need for water. But some people insist on an expanse of green turf no matter what - even if that means painting brown grass green.

The New York Times reported on a few Phoenix, AZ, homeowners who resorted to green paint for that big lawn look. We found that these aren't the only ones.

Several Southern California companies advertise "environmentally friendly" lawn painting to restore a "natural" color to turf.

(Photo: Easy Green Lawn Paint/Flickr)


(Photo: Ellen Shapiro/Flickr)

Lawn painting isn't confined to the west and southwest of the U.S. either. The scene below occured in Raleigh, North Carolina.

(Photo: C Murray/Flickr)

The New York Times says the paint lasts about three months and costs couple hundred dollars, which save a little money compared to summer water bills, especially in drought-prone states. But the painted lawn may need to be watered a little bit so it doesn't die completely. Painting companies claim the process is not chemically intensive, but there are minimal regulations on this industry, and anything sprayed on a lawn can end up in local groundwater.

What do you think of painted grass lawns? Would you do it?

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

My family loves spending time outside in the evenings in the screened-in porch. We often catch the late afternoon iridescent summer hues and enjoy the warm evenings. It’s really such a treat.

There’s one small light that illuminates the porch. We often light candles too. The plan to plant a moon garden was thwarted for two reasons: We started too late in the season last year, and the bugs are ravenous in the evenings.

Just as the interior decor of a home is meant to create comfortable, inviting spaces, you can create the same effect in your outdoor living area.

Three Ways to Elevate an Outdoor Living Space:

1. Draping your patio or deck with a light, sheer fabric evokes a cozy feeling and also keeps insects at bay.
2. Adding a water feature such as a fountain or a rain chain can enhance a feeling of relaxation.
3. Consider replacing hard plastic resin furniture with a seating area that echoes a comfortable feeling with plush cushions, floor coverings and accent lighting.

Installing lighting fixtures can be a big investment. If you use traditional lights, this may involve hiring an electrician to wire the space, which will also add to your monthly electricity bill. It really is not necessary to incur more costs to illuminate an outdoor space.

Make Your Own Solar Sun Jar Light

Solar lights that harness the power of the sun are easy to make and maintain, and when energy is generated during the daytime, these lights will keep glowing into the evening. These aesthetically pleasing lights are perfect for a sleeping porch, pool, outdoor shower or garden.

I spied this Sun Jar solar light (right) at the MOMA Store in New York City. I contemplated purchasing a few (5 or 6), but at $50.00 a pop, a “few” seemed a bit exorbitant.

I searched around the DIY sites and figured some creative soul must have created a homemade version. I found a fabulous Instructables tutorial to create the Sun Jar in the main image above.

Careful, once you dive into Instructables you may never buy anything again!

Enjoy the glow!

Photo credits: Instructables, MOMA

More healthy and green articles from Care2:

• Chakra Helper: Solar Plexus
• Solar Powered Church Unveiled by Mormons
• Solar on Schools

 

By Cris Carl, Hometalk

Save energy this summer. It’s easy to keep your house cool without air conditioning. Employing a few basic environmentally friendly principals will help keep you cool and will help you save money.

1. Hot Air Out, Cool Air In

The most basic thing you can do to keep your house cooler without air conditioning is to keep as much sunlight out as possible and let cooler air in at night. During the day, keep windows, drapes, blinds or shades closed, especially on the southern and western sides of your home. If you have a porch, you can put up large plastic or bamboo shades to cut down on sunlight.

2. Windows

Use white or light colored window dressings to reflect light. You can also apply reflective slicks to windows to further cut down on light. At night, leave cabinets open as well, as they will store heat.

3. Be a Fan of the Fan

Moving air is cooler air. At night, place fans in windows to bring more cool air in. Ceiling fans can also make a big difference. In terms of cooling, even a one-mile-per-hour breeze will make you feel three to four degrees cooler. In terms of energy savings, if you run a ceiling fan full-blast for 12 hours, you will only spend about $10 a month in electricity. Ceiling fans have two settings, one to pull air up (for winter use), and the other to push air down. Make sure your ceiling fan is blowing down.

4. Turn Your Fan Into an Air Conditioner

Another easy way to cool your home without air conditioning is to place a bowl of ice or a frozen milk jug in front of one or more fans.

5. What’s Hot in Your Home?

It’s one thing to keep hot air and sunlight out; it’s another to identify the appliances in your home that generate heat. If you aren’t at home during the day, it is easier to simply shut off as many electric appliances as possible. If you spend more of your day at home, try to use heat-generating appliances only during the coolest part of the day.

Keeping your electronics on a power strip provides a quick way to “power-down” before leaving for the day.

7. Light Bulbs

Change incandescent bulbs for cooler fluorescent bulbs. Turn off lights when not in use.

8. Humidity

Humidity makes a room hotter. Do laundry early or late in the day. Take showers or baths during the cooler times of day. If your bathroom, laundry room or kitchen has vents, use them. Invest in a dehumidifier if you live in a humid climate.

9. Insulate Your Attic

A well-insulated attic, especially when an attic ventilating fan is used, is one of the best ways to keep heat out of your home.

10. Landscaping

As you plan out landscaping for your home, be mindful of having deciduous trees, trellises and shrubbery on the southern and western portions of your home. Don’t place heat-absorbing rocks, cement or asphalt too close to the house.

With a small amount of planning, you are on your way to a cooler and more enjoyable summer.

Related:

• 14 More Ways to Keep Cool Without A/C
• 10 Summer Secrets to Staying Cool
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