We’re a hot bunch around here at the Gazette this week. Like much of the rest of Alberta, we fried in hot houses at temperatures of plus-30 C.
We’re a hot bunch around here at the Gazette this week. Like much of the rest of Alberta, we fried in hot houses at temperatures of plus-30 C.
One colleague told me he grabbed his blankie and went down into his basement and slept on the cool cement floor. “I had to sleep!” he practically cried, adding, “I haven’t slept for three days! It’s too hot! Now my back aches!”
Another desperate fellow was searching the Internet for cool ideas and found a website that suggested he wrap his pillow in plastic and put it in the freezer for a few hours. He was contemplating it.
“But my freezer isn’t big enough,” he whined.
We Canadians can stand -40 C winter days. In fact we brag about it. But one week of scorching hot weather turns us into a bunch of whiners.
Ironically, many of the same principles that we apply to keep us warm in January, are similar to what we should do to cool our homes in July.
“The biggest thing you can do is to reduce the amount of heat coming into the house. Check your weather stripping and caulking to reduce warm airflow through cracks. During the day, keep the windows and blinds closed and close the doors. Shut the house up during the day to keep out the heat and don’t open them up at night,” said Mark Antonuk, manager for ATCO Energy Sense.
Antonuk said his Calgary home was a reasonably comfortable 24 C Wednesday night even though the daytime high there was close to 30 C.
“I don’t have air conditioning but I do have good insulation. Get the insulation level of your home checked. If you have good attic insulation, your house will be warmer in winter and cooler in summer,” Antonuk said.
Cool ideas
• “Get a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans are cheaper than air conditioners and air conditioners can be costly to run. Your fan should have two settings: one for winter and one for summer. The summer setting should have the fan rotating counter-clockwise to push the cool air down,” said Antonuk.
• Position smaller fans near a window to draw in the cool night air. Set a bowl of ice in front of the fan, or freeze a couple of two-litre pop bottles and place them in front of the fan for a primitive, but effective air-conditioning effect.
• Turn on your stove fan to eject heat from the house.
• Keep blinds and drapes closed to reduce solar-heat gain. Consider aluminum blinds to block even more of the heat.
• Trap cool air in your house by shutting all windows first thing in the morning but also open closet doors and the doors between rooms so that heat is not trapped inside.
• Use fluorescent lighting to reduce heat, which produces 75 per cent less heat than incandescent bulbs.
• Delay using steam-producing appliances until the cool of the night. “Don’t put your dishwasher or clothes washer on in the heat of the day. Try to have showers early, when it is cooler to reduce moisture and heat. The same goes for anything appliance that generates heat. Eat cold food or microwave it,” said Antonuk.
• Consider adding awnings, especially on south-facing windows.
• Plant a shade tree. Even a trellis and a vine will shade the house and make a difference to the inside temperature.
• “If you do have an air conditioner, make sure you clean the air filters to increase the air flow. Clean your filter once a month. If you are going to purchase an air conditioner, choose one with a SEAR (Seasonal Energy Efficient Rating) rating above 12. An air conditioner with a higher SEAR rating will use less electricity,” Antonuk said.
• Store your fuzzy bedding, such as flannel sheets and pillowcases and use cool cotton, or silk instead.
• If all else fails, chill out and watch March of the Penguins or read about John Franklin’s failed expedition and his search for the Northwest Passage. It won’t reduce the temperature of your house but you may feel less sorry for yourself.
For more heat-reducing ideas, visit www.atcoenergysense.com.
Wilted garden
Common sense says that if your garden plants are suffering in the heat, you should give them a drink.
Mulching adds some protection for plants and reduces water loss.
“Mulch keeps the moisture in the soil and keeps the ground cooler, but it doesn’t do much for the plants themselves,” said Jim Hole of Hole’s Greenhouses and Gardens.
Hole advises fruit growers to spray their crops with water.
“I had one woman come in this week who said her strawberries were burning in the heat. I suggest irrigating or spraying to cool the fruit in the hottest part of the day,” he said.
Watch planters carefully and be prepared to water them often. Check the soil around plants that are in the ground and water thoroughly.
“Don’t just give them a sprinkle. Make sure you give them a good soaking,” advised Richard Plain, who has been watering his 40 roses every day this week.
Plain explained that the roses at the St. Albert Botanic Park look fresh because of an underground watering system but the park’s demonstration vegetable garden thrives without daily applications of water.
“The old prairie gardens were seldom watered. All they had was pails and a prayer. Usually there is enough subsoil moisture and the odd thunderstorm for the vegetables to draw on,” Plain said.
