primitive wants to shut out heat

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11581069

Oh my.

tru (237 posts)

Window film or heat blocking shades?

So it's an oven in my house, plus the AC broke yesterday and I actually wound up in the cool waiting room of our nice police station because the town made no provision for an ACed place for this type of thing on the 4th of July.

This gives me a foretaste of when global warming kicks in more and I suspect we'll run out of energy for AC.

A big problem is my house has south facing windows and the neighbor took down the big trees that shaded them.

So, window film or heat blocking shades? Assuming there is such a thing as heat blocking shades? And any specific suggestions for products?

I've planted trees, but I'll have croaked by the time they get big enough to do any good. Thanks.

HereSince1628 (23,414 posts)

1. Decades ago I used window film in a 2nd floor apartment in College Station Tx.

it did make a difference.

The defrocked warped primitive, who's as mean as a snake:

Warpy (63,900 posts)

2. Window film does make a difference

Plus, it'll keep the carpet and upholstery in the room from fading. However, when I had huge west facing windows and no way to plant anything to block them, I got some heavy film made into roller shades and it worked, too.

The main problem with window film is that it also cuts down on passive solar heating during the winter, the reason I opted for the roller shades.

Hassin Bin Sober (6,463 posts)

4. We did film last year and love it.

We have two inch wood blinds but even they heat up and act like a radiator heating the room.

IMO, the best way to keep the heat out is stop it at the window. Or better yet, stop the heat outside the window.

We live in a west facing third floor condo so we get a ton of afternoon sun. Outside awnings or shades wouldn't work for us but if I was in a single family I would go with awnings AND the film. If I had the right set up, I would fashion or build a temporary shade that could be removed in winter. Maybe some colorful canvas and shaped like those outdoor sun-shade sails anchored to a couple decorative posts that could double as a bird feeder or clothes line..

We have a skylight we are now covering with landscape fabric. We thought about buying an inside shade but they are expensive AND they only stop the heat once it's inside. The landscape fabric looks neat as it shows a honeycomb pattern. We have a flat roof with easy access so putting it up and taking it down is no problem.

The window film is a two person project so have a helper. It's kinda like hanging wall paper. Make sure you buy the kit that includes the soapy? water in a spray bottle and a razor knife and a plastic straight edge (very similar to a wall paper kit). The kit is sold next to the film at Home Depot.

We thought about removing the film in the winter but it's kind of expensive and not REAL easy to do. We figured it's a comfort issue in the summer so the little heat we passive heat we miss out on is worth it. Also, we keep the shades down even in the winter to keep blinding sun out anyway. With the film we can open the shades and not be blinded.

tru (237 posts)

5. awnings

I know that awnings are very effective. The problem is I live in a very windy area, and I'm too long in the tooth to go pulling them up whenever there's a strong wind or storm. The canvas ones are surprsingly heavy. Plus I'm not always home or awake when one starts up. I can't see myself out there at 3 am in a storm raising the awnings.

If I were fabulously wealthy, I'd get those motorized ones you can work from inside the house and some automatic thing that would close them up over a certain wind speed

The problem is, at least in Nebraska, that awnings over windows is s-o-o-o-o-o 1940s-ish.

Awnings are something the sparkling husband dude would use.

Southern California kitsch, awnings.  And old kitsch too.

ehrnst (2,423 posts)

6. I created a living shade outside my windows - climbing green beans on twine, and sunflowers.

They shaded the windows during summer, and died off when cooler weather came.

And I got green beans.

If you can plant outside those windows, any number of climbing plants - non-invasive to your area, of course, might work.

We screwed in some large hooks over the windows, and strung heavy jute twine through them, secured with stakes in the ground. The vines went right up. We alternated the vines with tall unflowers.

We used matchstick blinds on the ouside of the windows the first year, before we could get a garden established. It really helped.

tru (237 posts)

7. I do have stuff growing on the outer side of the deck

Not that tall, because it would block a water view.

The advantage of overhead trees is usually the leafy part starts high enough so that you still have a view.

The wind would wreck outside blinds in this area.

Hassin Bin Sober (6,463 posts)

9. Wow.

I think that easy snap system is a great idea. That might be a good solution for the OP if they have single level ground floor/easy access.

I think stopping the heat BEFORE it gets in is the key.

I'm quite proud of my nine dollar "easy shade" made out of landscape fabric and bungee cords over my skylight. It's on a flat roof so no one sees it and I have easy access. We did it last year and loved it.

I bet someone creative and handy could make something out of screen material (or something else?) and some sort of frame.

Something that could look neat and not home-made junk.

PVC? Half inch copper? Something that could hang on hooks. Or mount to posts attached to the building.

Kolesar (27,086 posts)

10. "Greg it looks like West Virginia"

That's what my landlord's wife said when we stapled visqueen to the picture window as our economical version of winterizing the duplex. He spent about nine dollars. Greg took it down early in the spring.

Hassin Bin Sober (6,463 posts)

11. Definitely have to watch out for that fine line between craft and trash.

quakerboy (9,999 posts)

12. Depends on the goal

For light blocking, window film. For heat blocking, insulating shades.

We use a blackout window film for the bedroom. I like a dark dark place to sleep. It works great for that.

But it turns the window into an oven. It radiates a huge amount of heat into the room. On a hot sunny day, it gets hot enough you cant really touch the window. Hot enough that it cracked the inner pane of the window. Even on a cool day, it radiates an uncomfortable amount of warmth into the room if the sun is out. We have resorted to putting a sheet of styrofoam in between the window and the blinds, which seems to block most of the heat.

[Big Dog]

quakerboy (9,999 posts)

12. We have resorted to putting a sheet of styrofoam in between the window and the blinds, which seems to block most of the heat.

DUmmie quackerboy is that neighbor. Thanks for making the whole neighborhood look like Shantytown, quackerboy.


-When quackerboy dreams...

[JohnnyReb]

Keeping the sunshine out....or the grow lights in ?????????????

[BlueStateSaint]

Keeping the sunshine out....or the grow lights in ?????????????

You might be onto something there, JR.

[Carl]

So it's an oven in my house, plus the AC broke yesterday and I actually wound up in the cool waiting room of our nice police station because the town made no provision for an ACed place for this type of thing on the 4th of July.

You worthless piece of shit,your answer is to run to daddy government and then bitch because he didn`t properly plan for you.
All your wants and expectations would break this country in no time.

[BlueStateSaint]

You worthless piece of shit,your answer is to run to daddy government and then bitch because he didn`t properly plan for you.
All your wants and expectations would break this country in no time.

Hey, neighbor--note about how he gives no details of the journey that landed him "in the cool waiting room of our nice police station?"  Other than the idea that "the town made no provision for an ACed place for this type of thing on the 4th of July."  Just how many weeks ago was the Fourth?

I'd be willing to bet that he was a ****up and was brought there fir a discon, or something like that.

[Carl]

Hey, neighbor--note about how he gives no details of the journey that landed him "in the cool waiting room of our nice police station?"  Other than the idea that "the town made no provision for an ACed place for this type of thing on the 4th of July."  Just how many weeks ago was the Fourth?

I'd be willing to bet that he was a ****up and was brought there fir a discon, or something like that.

Yeah,you are right...sounds like it pitched a fit somewhere and had to get taken in.

[Chris_]

tru (237 posts)

This gives me a foretaste of when global warming kicks in more and I suspect we'll run out of energy for AC.

Who's fault would that be?  All the enviro-Nazis are on your side. 

Reap, sow, etc.

[Jasonw560]

When our AC goes out, we run fans.

Unless all of the electricity goes out.

[BEG]

We had window sunscreens like the ones pictured below on our house (actually both houses) in Dallas. They work awesome but aren't cheap.

[vesta111]

When our AC goes out, we run fans.

Unless all of the electricity goes out.

Actually we have bought 2 of those outside yard gizmo's to just shade an area and bolted them to the deck.  Expensive as heck, one was destroyed in a wind storm and the other one we replaced it with needs hubby to go out after it rains with a broom stick to poke areas full of water so it will drain.

Other then that it works well, cools off the house by 20 degrees but next year we will have to find something better.     The uncovered deck floor gets so hot the dogs will not walk on it, nor will I bare foot.

I would think had we as I suggested just originally bought some 2x4's and built an overhang on to the deck and covered with those plastic tinted sheets of some kind of plex a glass the cost would not have cost much more then the first gizmo we bought.   For tax purposes nothing can be attached to the home permentally.


First time I saw these things was in California in the late 1960's  It took a while for the manufactures to devise the panels to withstand snow and ice in the north but  today they work quite well.

Apartments are a challenge, how to keep heat in in the winter and the heat out in the summer.   Only thing I can think of is to double curtain the windows.    Hang a rod 4-5 inches from the window and another one 4-5 inches from that.   Put up 2 sets of curtains both insulated.   The air pockets between them will help to cool or keep heat in per season.

Ceiling fans help we installed them in last 2 apartments and left them when we moved, management gave us no crap about them.---Never asked permission as we knew they would have said NO so we put them up anyway  and still got our deposit back.

We have just one cheapo air conditioner in the bedroom window, gets hot we stay in there.    Close up the rest of the house, I put shower curtain liners in a color to match the curtains behind them, close all doors and windows and take 2-3 hot showers a day.   When you take a hot shower when you get out the air is cooler then the hot steam and wow-- for a few minutes at least you feel cool.




 

[I_B_Perky]

tru (237 posts)

Window film or heat blocking shades?

So it's an oven in my house, plus the AC broke yesterday and I actually wound up in the cool waiting room of our nice police station because the town made no provision for an ACed place for this type of thing on the 4th of July.

This gives me a foretaste of when global warming kicks in more and I suspect we'll run out of energy for AC.

No you stupid dummie. We won't run out of energy(aka electricity) due to global warming... we will run out of energy(aka electricity) because you stupid tree hugging idiots won't allow us to use our natural resources to generate electricity.

So STFU you whiney assed dummie.

[LC EFA]

Amusing.

I wonder how much these people would be bitchin' if they actually had to go outside and work in the heat.

Nothin' like 12 hours doing manual labor outside in 100F and 80%+ RH to get you acclimatised to warm weather.

When you get home after a day like that, the 90F and 95%RH on the back deck while you drink your beer and wait for the monsoon to kick in - divine.

[BEG]

Amusing.

I wonder how much these people would be bitchin' if they actually had to go outside and work in the heat.

Nothin' like 12 hours doing manual labor outside in 100F and 80%+ RH to get you acclimatised to warm weather.

When you get home after a day like that, the 90F and 95%RH on the back deck while you drink your beer and wait for the monsoon to kick in - divine.

H5

[JohnnyReb]

Amusing.

I wonder how much these people would be bitchin' if they actually had to go outside and work in the heat.

Nothin' like 12 hours doing manual labor outside in 100F and 80%+ RH to get you acclimatised to warm weather.

When you get home after a day like that, the 90F and 95%RH on the back deck while you drink your beer and wait for the monsoon to kick in - divine.

Did it for 50+ years..........minus the beer.......just Iced Tea.

[JohnnyReb]

WHY is it? 72 degrees in the house in winter, the wife is freezing to death....72 degrees in the house in summer, she's burning up.

[franksolich]

Amusing.

I wonder how much these people would be bitchin' if they actually had to go outside and work in the heat.

Nothin' like 12 hours doing manual labor outside in 100F and 80%+ RH to get you acclimatised to warm weather.

When you get home after a day like that, the 90F and 95%RH on the back deck while you drink your beer and wait for the monsoon to kick in - divine.

That would be a bitch, and my heart goes out to those who must both toil and sweat in this torrid heat.

<<only has to sweat.

[Evil_Conservative]

Amusing.

I wonder how much these people would be bitchin' if they actually had to go outside and work in the heat.

Nothin' like 12 hours doing manual labor outside in 100F and 80%+ RH to get you acclimatised to warm weather.

When you get home after a day like that, the 90F and 95%RH on the back deck while you drink your beer and wait for the monsoon to kick in - divine.

Exactly.

My husband works outdoors every single day.  It doesn't matter if it's 40 degrees or 117 degrees, he has to work out there and doesn't get hazard pay.

[BEG]

WHY is it? 72 degrees in the house in winter, the wife is freezing to death....72 degrees in the house in summer, she's burning up.

Are you my husband?

[JohnnyReb]

Are you my husband?

No. Are you my wife's twin?

[BattleHymn]

Exactly.

My husband works outdoors every single day.  It doesn't matter if it's 40 degrees or 117 degrees, he has to work out there and doesn't get hazard pay.

The only thing more irritating than working in the heat, is when someone who works in the AC all day comes around and says something stupid like, "man, it's hot out here!"

You'd be hard pressed to find something more inconsiderate or thoughtless to say to someone who works outdoors.   





 

[dane]

When our AC goes out, we run fans.

Unless all of the electricity goes out.

It wasn't *that* many years ago that about the only places that had "conditioned air" were movie theaters, and they advertised that cooled air on the marquee.

Not in many homes, and yet, civilization survived.  How did the DUmmies who are in that age group ever make it.

[Chris_]

Most older homes have cross-ventilation, ie. windows and doors that are opposite each other to allow wind and breezes through the house.  The main floor of my house is set up this way.  All the rooms have opposing doors and windows that can be opened to increase air flow.  They don't seem to do that much anymore.  Most houses are set up for central air now.

[dandi]

We never had a/c the entire time I was growing up. We made do with window and floor fans. I remember us kids riding our bikes into town and going into the local drug store or Sears & Roebuck just to cool under the air conditioning. Man, what a blessed feeling. Then again, we were acclimated to the North Florida heat and humidity so it never seemed to bother us that much. We'd rather play all day in the 100 degree sun than spend an hour out in the "cold" of a 40 degree winter morning. You'd be surprised at what people can tolerate when they've never been exposed to something better. Not only tolerate, but thrive and be happy.

That's what kills me about today's DUmmy. Quality of life for the average American has gone up across the board so much in my lifetime. Life expectancy is longer. Nutrition is better. Healthcare has advanced astronomically. Better cars. Less pollution. Safer, higher quality and more comfortable housing (see: air conditioning). Computers, cell phones, cable access and big-screen TVs are seen as staple items. Despite cries of "stagnant wages" people still earn much more than they did fifty years ago, and yes, that's adjusted for inflation.

You'd never know that from a moonbat though. According to them, we're in Third-World status now because we don't have something that we never had to begin with - "free" healthcare. They can't get past their obsession over the possibility of someone else having more than them. If you were to give every one of them a home, car, health care, food and stipend to spend however they wanted, they'd still look across the street at someone who had two cars and a larger house and they'd still be just as miserable as they are today. Simply because they are eat up with childish envy and covetousness.

[Evil_Conservative]

The only thing more irritating than working in the heat, is when someone who works in the AC all day comes around and says something stupid like, "man, it's hot out here!"

You'd be hard pressed to find something more inconsiderate or thoughtless to say to someone who works outdoors.   





 

I work in an ice cold office and ENJOY going outdoors to warm up again... haha

It feels like it's 50 degrees at my desk, I wrap myself up in a blanket all day and get excited at 5pm when I go home and it's 105 degrees outside.