How do I reduce the heat in my west facing house?

Author: Lisa Rutherford  |  Last update: Monday, March 24, 2025

Keep your blinds closed, especially on north and west-facing windows, to significantly cool your home. Better yet, invest in some block-out curtains to shield your home from that harsh summer sun.

How do I keep the west side of my house cool?

Cover the OUTSIDE of south or west facing windows. Shading windows from the outside keeps them from getting hot and warming the inside of your home. Works great. I've got tarps up over windows, they all stayed cool to the touch inside and my house stayed below 80° yesterday with nothing more than a small window AC.

How to cool a west facing wall?

An external shutter over the western facing window would help, along with foliage in your yard. I would also consider having whirlie birds installed, eaves vents installed throughout and checking if your western wall has insulation in it.

Do west facing rooms get hotter?

West-facing rooms

can overheat in the late afternoon for much of the year. may require vertical shading to prevent excessive overheating and glare in the afternoon. provide good direct solar gain for thermal mass heating of living spaces in the evening.

How to block heat from west facing windows?

Window awnings can reduce solar heat gain in the summer by up to 65% on south-facing windows and 77% on west-facing windows. You can use an awning to shade one window or have an awning custom-made to shade the entire side of your house.

How To Block The Summer Heat From Entering Your Home! (Cools Down Your Home Instantly..)

How do I keep my west facing door cool?

Put up awnings or shade cloths.

Awnings and shade cloths work by blocking out the sun's rays, which helps keep your door cooler and prevents fading.

What is the best window treatment for west facing windows?

External shading of West facing windows is most effective as it stops the heat before it enters your home and will reduce the energy needed to keep your home cooler in summer. External blinds, awnings or the planting of deciduous trees can also be effective barriers to heat gain.

What is the disadvantage of west facing house?

West Facing House Vastu Disadvantages
  • Afternoon Heat: The afternoon sun bathes west-facing houses in intense heat, potentially raising energy bills and creating an uncomfortable sauna-like atmosphere.
  • Main Entrance Woes: ...
  • Negative Vibes:

How to cool down hot walls?

Additional Measures to Reduce Wall and Roof Heat Gain
  1. Increasing insulation and air sealing. ...
  2. Increasing shading. ...
  3. Installing solar panels. ...
  4. Installing a radiant barrier. ...
  5. Installing attic ventilation fans. ...
  6. Installing a whole-house fan. ...
  7. Moving HVAC equipment and ductwork out of a vented attic and into conditioned space.

How do you get sunlight in a west facing house?

To avoid the harsh sun while bringing in enough sunlight, it is best to have windows in the north, east, or north-east directions with maximum windows in the east side. Additionally, if there is an open well in the east or south-east directions, you are recommended to cover it.

How to reduce heat in a west facing house?

Keep your blinds closed, especially on north and west-facing windows, to significantly cool your home. Better yet, invest in some block-out curtains to shield your home from that harsh summer sun.

How to make a room cool without AC?

How To Cool Down A Room Without Air Conditioning (AC)
  1. Ceiling fans to the rescue: This one is a no-brainer. ...
  2. Fan away the excess heat: ...
  3. Block the sun with curtains and blinds: ...
  4. Use natural ventilation techniques: ...
  5. Ice or Cool Water with fan: ...
  6. Lay Low: ...
  7. Skip the hot stuff: ...
  8. Turn Off Lights:

How do you fix a west facing house?

Let's look at 10 Vastu Shastra home plan tips for west-facing apartments that can help you enhance your west-facing house Vastu.
  1. Place Entrance in the West or Northwest Direction. ...
  2. Plant Trees on the Front Side of the House. ...
  3. Avoid Using Large Glass Designs in the West. ...
  4. Create a Living Room in the Northwest.

How do I stop the sun from heating up my room?

Increase the Shade

Adding window treatments is one of the easiest ways to keep sunlight from heating your living space. Curtains or drapes with a reflective or light-colored backing would do the best job since they won't absorb extra heat. In addition, you can consider getting adjustable blinds or a roller-type shade.

What materials can be used to reduce heat entering a house?

Coverings and shading

External shading is much more effective at keeping your home cool than internal blinds or curtains, as it stops the heat reaching the glass, but using both external and internal window coverings will provide maximum protection.

How do you shade the west side of a house?

Plant Trees and Bushes

When you are looking for great ways to stay cool in your west facing backyard, planting some trees and bushes around your deck or patio will be a great idea. Along with not costing you very much money, they will compliment the pergola, awning, or shades you have already installed at your home.

How do you fix a room that gets too hot?

7 Tips for Cooling a Room Without AC
  1. Keep the Windows Closed and Covered. ...
  2. Shut and Insulate Your Doors. ...
  3. Don't Use the Oven. ...
  4. Swap Your Light Bulbs. ...
  5. Use Fans the Right Way. ...
  6. Manage the Humidity. ...
  7. Let the Night Air In.

How do you reduce heat gain through walls?

Reflective surfaces and shading prevent heat gain directly from sun while insulation slows heat transfer from the outside building surfaces through walls and roof toward the cooler interior environment.

What can I put on my walls to keep them warm?

Available as a roll, reflective radiator foil can keep your room cosy and reduce your heating costs by reflecting heat back into the room that would otherwise be lost through the wall.

Why do people want a west facing house?

In other cultures, there are many benefits to west-facing houses. There is a traditional home design philosophy in Japan that says west-facing homes exude a sense of youth and cheerfulness. In China, the famous Feng Shui states that you should associate yourself with the metal elements if you have a west-facing house.

What are the disadvantages of sleeping in west direction?

While sleeping in the west direction does its opposite that keeps the body lazy. It also doesn't let your brain function properly as the energy isn't sufficient to work with a pace.

Is it better to have a west facing house or south facing house?

South-facing and east-facing houses get the most sunlight.

It's also important to note that, because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, an east-facing home will receive the most morning sun and a west-facing house will get more afternoon sun.

How to stop heat from coming through windows in summer?

  1. Heat Blocking Window Shades. Putting up window shades is a quick fix for solar overheating. ...
  2. Blockout Roller or Panel Blinds. ...
  3. External Window Shading. ...
  4. Bubble Wrap Window Insulation. ...
  5. Heat Reducing Window Film. ...
  6. Combining Multiple Methods.

What keeps heat out better, blinds or curtains?

Blinds Versus Curtains

In general, curtains are better for retaining heat in the home. However, by choosing a thermal blind you can reduce heat loss from your home by 20-40%, while thermal curtains reduce heat loss by just 25%-30%.

How to block heat from windows DIY?

10 ways to insulate windows for summer
  1. Add weatherstripping to your windows. ...
  2. Use window films to reflect heat. ...
  3. Invest in cellular shades. ...
  4. Purchase blackout blinds. ...
  5. Use draft snakes for window insulation. ...
  6. Insulate windows using bubble wrap. ...
  7. Upgrade to energy-efficient windows. ...
  8. Install insulating shutters.

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