Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 4/18/2004

Question
Hi Richard,
         april and may are rather hot months in my country...i would like to find out if theres any advice as to wat i can do to cool my room as i find out whenver i come back to my room...its like getting into an oven and the aircontioning doesnt kick up untill a full half an hour or so.my building is made of concrete and i suspect heat is trapped in even after it reaches evening.
Thnks in advance.

Answer
Thomas:

Thanks for your question.

There are many strategies for dealing with excessive daytime heating, and they vary from region to region.  Almost always, indiginous building types (before air conditioning) show inventive ways to keep buildings cool.  In hot, arid climates it's often thick masonry to create a "heat lag"; sometimes it's roof venting, creating a natural convection current.

In temperate climates (hot, humid) it's often open porches that allow breezes but keep out the direct sunshine.

But you've got A/C so you're probably in a modern building that ignores all of the possibilities for natural cooling.  Here's what you need to do:

Before you leave in the morning, make sure all of your windows that face the sun are covered with something that will reflect the sun and keep it out of the room.  A light-colored shade will do the trick if it's also thick enough to keep the room dark.

If you have double-hung windows, open the top sashes just a little to allow accumulated hot air to escape.  If security is a concern, you can install "stops" that will not allow the sash to be opened any further.

Finally, install a programmable thermostadt.  Set it to kick on the A/C about a half an hour before you get home.  Then you'll have a nice cool room to come home to.

Hope this helps!

Richard Taylor, AIA
Richard Taylor Architects, LLC
www.rtaylorarchitects.com