Those who live in the Central Valley already know that summers here aren’t all sunbeams and smiles —100 degrees plus is the norm. So, as the Weather Channel gives another “excessive heat warning” for the upcoming period, residents keep looking for ways to make the heat inside their homes more bearable. That’s why Joel Real Estate will introduce you to things you can do to keep your Fresno Valley home cool this summer.

#1 Soak in the AC

Installing air conditioning is one of the easiest ways to bring coolness into your home. While it’s on, you can easily find some fun things to do, like inviting friends to have a movie marathon, having a potluck dinner, or playing board games. Remember that it is best to set the thermostat at 78 degrees when you are home and between 7 and 10 degrees higher when you are away for more than a few hours. This will keep your home cool and your power bill down, even during a hot Fresno summer.

#2 Limit the “greenhouse” effect

Tempting as it may be to fling open a window at the first sign of heat, this plan is bound to backfire on you. To cool off your house when the soaring Fresno temperatures strike, remember to keep your windows and blinds and/or curtains closed. Shutting your windows and blinds at daybreak will help capture the cool air and keep the hot air out during the day. Then, once the temperatures have dropped in the evening, open everything up again to give your home a good airing.

You can open the windows if the day gets too hot, though. Only ensure you do so in a way that creates a thorough draught. After all, moving air is not as hot as still air. Opening the windows at opposite sides of your house will encourage air to move through freely, whereas keeping the curtains and blinds closed will deflect any direct sunlight. 

#3 Window work

While the sun’s warm rays are welcome in homes, they can raise the heat in your abode to very uncomfortable levels during the summer. You can seek answers in energy-guzzling electronics. Or you can learn how to block your windows from direct sunlight and heat. Of course, you can opt for installing exterior window shades over large windows, fitting protective films to your windows, or weather-stripping around doors and windows. Still, no investment can top weather-efficient windows. 

Energy-efficient windows will prevent the escape of conditioned air from your home and reduce heat transfer in both directions. Another significant benefit of these windows is their increased insulation, which decreases home energy usage, and, in turn, lowers the carbon footprint.

#4 Keep your Fresno Valley home cool this summer with proper insulation

Most people associate insulation with cold weather and keeping the heat in. In the teeth of this common misconception – insulation also maintains a house cooler in summer. Thanks to the laws of thermodynamics – stay with us here – hot air wants to get where cooler air is. So, if it is a scorching 100 degrees outside but a comfortable 75 degrees inside your home, you can bet that the hot air from the outside will do its darndest to get in. Insulation successfully prevents this natural conduction of heat, though. There are different types of insulation, from roof and loft insulation to solid wall insulation and cavity wall insulation.

#5 Ceiling fans – a summertime godsend for the restless

Ceiling fans can prove a real summertime blessing for those who struggle to sleep on hot Fresno nights. However, while they can keep your home comfortably cool, they tend to use up a lot of energy (even when left on standby). For this reason, the U.S. Department of Energy suggests turning them off when you leave the room. After all, fans cool people, and not rooms. It’s also good practice to set a timer on your fan. This way, you will make sure that you are as energy-efficient as possible

#6 Hit up Fresno Island Waterpark

Water parks are a summer staple – for a good reason, too. Is your home too hot? Why not take a break and spend the entire day with your family, hurtling down super-steep water slides, screaming your head off, and feeling drenched from head to toe? What a way to cool down! Island Waterpark is a local waterpark in Fresno you can visit anytime from May through September.

On the other hand, if you prefer ice-cold depths of winter over the sizzling sun beating down on you, a single day at the Island Waterpark won’t help keep you cool, nor your home for long-term, for that matter. If so, you might leave the scorching summers behind and relocate to a cooler climate. If you start planning your move early in spring (or even earlier), you will be able to not only get everything done on time but even before the next summer season begins. Planning will help you avoid packing, transferring, and unpacking during those sweltering summer months.

Cool enough?

To put it in a nutshell, summers in Fresno can get hot, to say the least. But, during the day, you can keep your Fresno Valley home cool this summer in various ways. Your options go from installing energy-efficient windows, AC, and proper insulation to ceiling fans. If it gets too hot, you can always hit up Island Waterpark and spend a day cooling off. When the sun sets, and the temperatures drop, you can enjoy another incredible summer evening at home.