Block the Sun's Heat From Windows
Radiant heat from the sun is like water. It seeps into the home where there is ready access. If you have some missing or damaged roofing tiles, water will eventually enter the breach. If your house has windows, the sun will shine in. Since no one wants to live in a home without windows, you need to mitigate the entry of unwanted heat creatively without sealing yourself up in a box. The techniques available are elements of passive solar design.
Instructions
1. Map the sun's path across the southern sky (or northern sky if you are in the southern hemisphere) and identify the windows that receive the most direct sunlight. Windows on the east let in the mellow morning sun, which can be desirable if your area gets chilly at night. The southern and western windows allow the bulk of the sun's heat into the home.
2. Replace the windows in the trouble areas with new windows rated by the National Fenestration Rating Council or the Department of Energy's Energy Star program. There is a standard set of specifications for windows, including Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), which measures a window's ability to block heat, and U-factor, which measures the window's ability to retain heat. An SHGC of .4 or less is recommended for reducing heat from southern and western windows while an effective U-factor is around .35 or under.
3. Install outdoor roller shades if window replacement not an option. These block up to 100 percent of the sun's heat, but they block all of the light as well. Outdoor roller shades are good for little-used rooms or high windows under vaulted ceilings.
4. Attach solar screens to the outside of the windows. These are also SHGC rated, but they let in light and preserve a view of the outside, unlike the roller shades.
5. Install a solar mesh shade on the inside of the window. These shades block up to 85 percent of ultraviolet radiation, but you can see through them and visible light shines through. They can be cut to order or bought off the shelf for standard window sizes.
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