Cultivating Knowledge on the Flathead Reservation: cooling your home naturally

By Rene Kittle, Flathead Reservation Extension Agent

In Montana summer temps are usually just right, but we do get a few “cookers” from time to time. Fortunately, you can beat the heat without spending much money or using much energy. The MSU Extension Housing Program offers the following low-cost/no-cost strategies for keeping your home cool and comfy!

Sealing air passages and insulating your home help keep heat out of your home during summer and inside your home in the winter. Attic insulation, especially, provides strong protection from the hot sun beating down on your roof each day. Attic ventilation is important, too. Together, eave and ridge vents provide a pathway for heat to rise up and out.

Here in Montana, we can pretty much count on enjoying a refreshing, cool breeze in the early mornings and late evenings. Take advantage of these cooler times, by opening windows and doors on opposite sides of your house and allowing the breeze flow through. Once the morning coolness is gone, close ‘er up until evening. Fans-whole house, ceiling, or portable box-help create more air flow through your house during these cooler periods. Whole-house fans work best because they pull warm air out of your home through ceiling vents and blow it outside through the attic vents.

Direct sunlight heats your house quickly as it pours through the windows. By keeping window shades/curtains pulled until the sun has passed by (shading East facing windows in the morning and West facing windows in the evening, for example), you can keep most hot sunlight out of your home. Curtains or shades made with light colors facing outside are very effective. Purchasing special solar screens made of densely woven fiberglass or aluminum is another option-they can block up to 75 percent of sunlight. You can also purchase reflective plastic film which is applied directly to your glass windows-some brands allow you to peel the film off during the winter and put it away till next year. Outdoor shutters, shade or awnings are also excellent cooling options as they keep sunlight and heat off your windows while allowing you to keep your curtains open.

Major appliances contribute significantly to heat in your house. The motor on your refrigerator/freezer for example, spills heat into the kitchen as it works to keep food cold; by opening the doors as little as possible you can keep it from working overtime. Other ideas to reduce heat generated indoors include: cooking outside on the barbecue, running appliances such as washers, dryers, and dishwashers at night or early morning when it’s cooler, and using lights sparingly.

You can find more energy-saving tips and information by visiting the MSU Extension Housing Program website at: www.weatherization.org and clicking on the link to “energy saving brochures.” or by contacting or your local MSU Extension office.