With Britain experiencing the longest heatwave in five years, tropical temperatures and roasting sunshine could make 2018 a repeat of the summer of 1976; with May and June’s temperatures reaching the highest on record, keeping your house cool this summer will be a priority! Britain is spectacularly well known for its unpredictable, cold and drizzly weather, meaning that knowing how to respond to spells of hot weather is not a Brit's strong point! However, we are here to give you five tips on how to get you through this sweltering summer.

1. Fans

Perhaps the most obvious tip for dealing with any hot spell is to invest in a fan, despite being less effective than air conditioning, placing a bowl of ice in front of the fan can create a very similar yet cheaper alternative.

2. Electrical devices

Turning off lights, any electrical devices and moving your cooking outside helps to prevent any additional and unnecessary heat being added to your home, plus you can enjoy the balmy evenings with a barbecue.

3.Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier will help to improve air quality and allow your home to feel cooler through reducing the humidity. It will also help draw moisture out of your home and lessen the chances of damp occurring.

4. Cotton bed linen

Cotton linen is the best material to help keep your body temperature down during humid summer nights, so treat yourself and stay cool at night.

5. Keep your curtains drawn

Curtains facing south and west should remain closed during the day, white curtains/blinds will work best by reflecting the heat away from your home; alternatively, a more drastic action is to paint your entire home white!

Despite it being too late to implement structural solutions in your home for this summer, there are ways that you can prevent an unprepared, sweaty and uncomfortable summer next year. At Arc Design Services, we can incorporate air conditioning throughout your renovation plans or if you are planning a new build/extension, then Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) are another alternative. ICFs will allow your home to keep the cool air inside in summer, allowing you to avoid the nuisance of unwanted noise, bugs, and insects from invading your home through open windows. Of course, ICF also helps to retain the heat in winter, making your home ready for whatever weather Britain brings! Whilst this alone stands as an advantage, ICFs are also extremely energy efficient helping you to save money and also make your home life as comfortable as possible.

To get a quote on how we can help your house deal with the unpredictable British weather and be energy efficient in the future, contact us on 0161 928 4433.