Tips For Maintaining Your Property In a Tropical Climate
If you have a home in a tropical climate, you must know how to maintain it properly. A tropical climate is a ‘non-arid climate.’ It merely means that the temperature in these areas is about 30° celcius throughout the year. In tropical climates, there are only two seasons - dry and wet seasons.
In maintaining your property in a tropical climate, there are tips to consider. So when it comes to the maintenance of your home in a tropical climate, here's what you can do:
What To Do During Dry Seasons
During dry seasons, the temperature can be too high. And that is why most homes in the tropics use cooling systems. The problem is, mold and stagnant air become a problem. Also, you have to deal with high electricity bills. For you to avoid high energy usage, your home should allow natural airflow.
However, you should avoid overheating your home with the natural rays of the sun. So if you have doors that are facing east and west, keep them closed as much as possible. And if you have windows facing these directions, have them tinted or shaded with awnings. Always check for the presence of mold. Keep the windows open to allow more air to pass through. If you have to use airconditioning, make sure that walls and roof are insulated to stabilise the temperature indoors.
Rain And Wet Season Maintenance Tips
In tropical regions, it can rain for months. So you have to be prepared for this. Consistent rainfall can be detrimental to your home if the design is not ideal for it. Remember that good home design should be able to protect water damage. Roofs should be steep to move the water away from your home. Most homeowners use the rainwater to their advantage. They have a drainage system that collects most of the rain to prevent it from seeping through the foundations of their home.
While you are approaching the rainy seasons, make sure that you checked everything, from your roof to your drainage system. You cannot stop the rain from falling. So what you can do is to be prepared for it. Also, if where are living at is prone to typhoons, make sure that you regularly inspect anything that can be potentially damaged by strong winds and rains.
Tips To Maintain A Cooler Home In The Tropics
One of the biggest concerns is heat and humidity if you are living in tropical countries. They are the primary reasons why many homeowners have to deal with significant energy costs every month. But surprisingly, some homes are more refreshing than the others. And if you are currently struggling with this, then you might want to know the secret. Architects found a way to create a cooler home, even with tropical weather. So here are some tips for you on how to beat the heat:
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Take Advantage of your Landscape. Living in the tropics give you more advantage when it comes to landscape. If your property allows, plant more trees or vegetation. And this can help funnel the movement of the wind through your house. Remember that concrete retains more heat, so you can also have grass and other plants to help turn down the ground temperature.
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Light Colors For The Exterior. One of the biggest mistakes that many homeowners commit is using dark colors on the external walls. Remember that dark colors can easily absorb the sun’s energy. So it retains heat for a much more extended period. What you can do is to stick with a lighter color pallet. It will reflect the suns’ heat away from your home.
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A Shade Can Help. If you keep the interior of your home cooler, you will be spending lesser on conditioning. To help you achieve this, you can create an external shade. It includes sunshades, overhangs, or even trees that can help block the harsh rays of the sun. Depending on your budget, there are plenty of options to add shade to your home.
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Building Envelope Insulation. The building envelope serves as the barrier between the interior and exterior of your home structure. If you have it insulated, there will be less heat seeping through the inside of your home. So the interior will cool faster when you have your A/C on, and the appliances will not be doing that much work either.
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Why is Cross Ventilation Important? The cross ventilation is wind ventilation that will drive the air from openings to the side of a structure and through to the other. So this can be possible depending on the building envelope’s tightness, and the position of your windows, vents, and doors. What you need to understand first in how the wind blows in your property.
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The Stack Effect. When colder and denser air from the outside replaces the warmer but lighter air, this is the stack effect. Achieve this by creating a high opening in one part of your house, and another on the lower side. This will create a natural wind flow. What will happen is that, when the indoor air is hotter than the outside, it will float to the higher opening because of the stack opening. Then it will be replaced by the cooler air from outside.
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Install Indoor Fans. To help the air circulate inside your home, you can install fans. What it will do is it lets the hot air rise and escape faster through the higher parts of your house. If you are using stand fans, you can position them to move the hot air upwards. And if you are using a ceiling fan, it will spin counter-clockwise as it pushes the warm air up, then out.
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Invest But Use Appliances Practically. In addition to keeping your home cooler, you can invest in appliances that can keep the indoor temperatures low. But when using air conditioning, for example, use inverter-types and partner it with solar energy so it would be cost-efficient for you. When buying other cooling appliances, choose the ones with energy-saving ratings to minimise your electricity usage. If you want to balance things out, energy-conserving devices can make a huge difference.
Living in a tropical climate? Why not use practical solutions that are already available to you? Even though you don’t experience snow, heat and rain can be detrimental to your home. It is a good idea to be prepared for the monsoon seasons especially if you are travelling. Surprise weather can cause some serious damage and a range of plumbing issues so make sure that you do proper inspection and maintenance regularly. Learn more about plumbers Townsville and how they can secure your property against plumbing issues. Love your weather because a lot of people are not lucky enough to live in these areas.
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