Tag: SWT

Summer Weatherization Tips: Part Six

Did you know that one method for cooling your home is simply planting the right landscaping?

According to the Department of Energy, the air temperatures under a shady tree can be as much as 25 degrees F cooler than the air temperatures over nearby blacktop! Scroll to the bottom of this post to see an infographic for more information.

In addition to providing shade, plants cool ambient air by as much as 6 degrees F through the process used to absorb water (transpiration). Transpiration is the method plants use to move water from the ground through the body of the plant and then diffuse it outwards into the environment. It may not seem like a tree here or there can do much to affect the air temperatures, but a single large oak tree can transpire 40,000 gallons of water into the atmosphere over the course of a year!

When planning landscaping, you generally should aim to plant taller trees on the south side of your home to shade your roof in summer, and shorter trees or shrubs on the west side to shade your home in late day sun. Choosing deciduous (leafy) trees over evergreen trees will mean that the trees will not continue to shade your home through winter – but also consider planting evergreen trees or shrubs in areas where a windbreak will help during wintertime.

The forestry department of your city should be contacted if you would like a new tree to be planted in the city right of way (the area between the sidewalk and the curb); to contact the City of Buffalo Bureau of Forestry, call 311 – the city will plant one for you, or approve or deny a permit for you to plant one yourself, depending on the space considerations and if there are any utility lines that may prohibit planting.

Planting vines like ivy in a container with a trellis spaced away from your home is also a great method to incorporate some additional greenery, especially if you have limited space to work with or if deep root systems would be problematic. However, to prevent damage to your home, do not let ivy directly climb on your home – while some architects suggest that the possible damage from ivy to buildings depends on the type of siding, we suggest erring on the side of caution. In addition to root systems which dig into gaps and cracks in siding, increasing possible damage from freeze-thaw cycles, ivy can trap moisture against the siding, and harbor animals and insects. To remove ivy, simply cut the vines at the base of the trunks, let it dry out as it dies, then use a stiff brush to remove any remaining loose parts.

Resources

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Summer Weatherization Tips: Part One

Summer is here at last!

Due to social distancing, most folks are now spending much more time at home this summer, and plan to continue to utilize remote work plans for the indeterminate future.

While we have by now adjusted to wearing sweat pants during meetings with the boss and to transforming our kitchen counters into office desks, summer heat adds a whole new element we need to adjust to – if you relied on AC at the office during the daytime, you likely already feel the heat and humidity creeping up, and are dreading the late August temperatures of parts of your home.

In this series, we will go over some basic tips for how to cool your historic home, touching on architectural elements that you may not think of that are designed to help keep things chill- if your home was built before 1950, it likely already has many of these elements built in, just waiting for you to rediscover them!

Read more by visiting these links:

Summer Weatherization Tips: Part Four

Few people genuinely enjoy hot humid days – but in addition to the physical discomfort, these environmental conditions are also dangerous for our health.

Poor air quality is one of the increased hazards – smog events occur when heat and sunlight “bake” chemical pollution in the air, increasing ozone levels. But did you know that, according to EPA research, indoor air quality can actually be 2 to 5 times higher compared to outdoor air quality, even on higher risk days?

What can we do to reduce the risks in our homes? First step is identifying potential sources for poor air quality indoors. The EPA identifies these as the most common sources in most homes –

  • Fuel-burning combustion appliances
  • Tobacco products
  • Building materials and furnishings as diverse as:
    • Deteriorated asbestos-containing insulation
    • Newly installed flooring, upholstery or carpet
    • Cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products
  • Products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies
  • Central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices
  • Excess moisture
  • Outdoor sources such as:
    • Radon
    • Pesticides
    • Outdoor air pollution

Finding and removing (or at least venting) these sources where possible will improve indoor air quality. In fact, the simple act of cleaning our living spaces regularly will improve air quality (and, setting aside the seasonal risk, we should all be taking steps to clean regularly anyway to reduce risks from COVID-19.)

Consider investing in a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter, especially in spaces with carpeting, and remember to wash overlooked household items, like bedding or curtains.

Ultimately, remember that our historic homes are designed to “breathe” – pop open a window whenever possible for better ventilation. Use fans to circulate fresh air through the house. During high humidity events, use a dehumidifier in enclosed spaces to reduce the risk of mold and mildew.

Learn more at these links:

Summer Weatherization Tips: Part Three


Fans can be surprisingly efficient in cooling homes if used properly, and cost much less than an air conditioning system to run. Running fans in historic homes built before 1950 also requires much less retrofitting- generally just some maintenance to better insulate and vent, especially in attic spaces.

Did you know you need to change the direction of the airflow from fans depending on the time of day or year?

If you have ever been in an argument about which direction a box fan in a window should face, you may be surprised to learn that box fans should be flipped around depending on the time of day. During the daytime, face box fans in windows outward to force trapped hot air inside the house out, especially on the upper floors of the home. After dark, flip the fans back around so that the cool nighttime air is pulled inside to cool. If you have windows that open at the top, popping these open at night will also help with this circulation.

Ceiling fans should be set to spin counterclockwise in summer, which will force cool air downward. In winter, these same fans should still be set to run, but should be set in a clockwise rotation; this will help circulate the heating evenly throughout the room.

You can also install a whole-house fan; this will require a bit of retrofitting of the attic space, but will pull and circulate the air flow of the entire house, improving indoor air quality and helping to very efficiently cool everything off.

To learn more, visit these links: