Florida, the Sunshine State. It’s a moniker that reminds us how fortunate we are to live in a beautiful, subtropical climate. But along with the benefits of beautiful beaches and mild winters comes the often unrelenting heat of summer. As you begin planning for your new custom home, you should bear in mind the many ways that your home can shelter you and your family from the heat.
1. Choose light colors for the exterior
Because dark colors absorb more heat, darker shades of paint on the exterior of your home will make your home hotter. Choose a lighter color palate to reflect the suns rays and keep your house cooler during the summer. And this also applies to the color of your roof. If your dark roof shingles are drawing in extra heat you can opt for a lighter shingle, or ditch the shingles all together and install a metal roof. Metal roofs reflect the sun's rays and therefore keep homes much cooler, and they have an added benefit of lasting much longer than shingled roofs. So you won't need to install a new one anytime soon!
2. Be Intentional about your home's orientation
When picking out a lot and designing how your home will sit on that lot, bear in mind the direction of the sun’s path. Particularly if your home has a lot of windows, you may want to orient them so they are not receiving the brunt of the afternoon sun. If you don’t have much of a choice which way your custom home faces, consider adding a porch to shade your home from the sun during the brightest parts of the day.
3. Install or retain shade trees
If your property already has shade trees, you’re in luck! Tall trees provide shade, keeping your whole property cooler, while also creating a beautiful canopy and a sanctuary for birds. As you plan out your custom home build, add to your design where you could plant new trees that would be pleasing to look at from inside your home, while also providing shade to your most exposed rooms.
Many homeowners feel like the only thing they can do to address the heat in the homes is to invest in curtains and turn the air down to freezing. But that’s simply not true, your house can be built to maintain a cool and comfortable environment for your family. And these building tips not only work to keep you more comfortable, they also reduce your energy usage which is great for the environment. So before you go out in search of the next great home cooling invention, consider the ways you can address the heat by making strategic changes to the outside of your custom home.
If you’re in the market for a brand new home that will meet all of your needs, contact us today. At Empire Custom Builders we’re committed to working with you to build the luxury custom home of your dreams. Contact us today to learn more about how we can work together to build a home that will keep you cool this summer.
Because dark colors absorb more heat, darker shades of paint on the exterior of your home will make your home hotter. Choose a lighter color palate to reflect the suns rays and keep your house cooler during the summer. And this also applies to the color of your roof. If your dark roof shingles are drawing in extra heat you can opt for a lighter shingle, or ditch the shingles all together and install a metal roof. Metal roofs reflect the sun's rays and therefore keep homes much cooler, and they have an added benefit of lasting much longer than shingled roofs. So you won't need to install a new one anytime soon!
2. Be Intentional about your home's orientation
When picking out a lot and designing how your home will sit on that lot, bear in mind the direction of the sun’s path. Particularly if your home has a lot of windows, you may want to orient them so they are not receiving the brunt of the afternoon sun. If you don’t have much of a choice which way your custom home faces, consider adding a porch to shade your home from the sun during the brightest parts of the day.
3. Install or retain shade trees
If your property already has shade trees, you’re in luck! Tall trees provide shade, keeping your whole property cooler, while also creating a beautiful canopy and a sanctuary for birds. As you plan out your custom home build, add to your design where you could plant new trees that would be pleasing to look at from inside your home, while also providing shade to your most exposed rooms.
Many homeowners feel like the only thing they can do to address the heat in the homes is to invest in curtains and turn the air down to freezing. But that’s simply not true, your house can be built to maintain a cool and comfortable environment for your family. And these building tips not only work to keep you more comfortable, they also reduce your energy usage which is great for the environment. So before you go out in search of the next great home cooling invention, consider the ways you can address the heat by making strategic changes to the outside of your custom home.
If you’re in the market for a brand new home that will meet all of your needs, contact us today. At Empire Custom Builders we’re committed to working with you to build the luxury custom home of your dreams. Contact us today to learn more about how we can work together to build a home that will keep you cool this summer.
