A hot and stuffy house is easy to fix.
A stuffy, hot house isn't solely due to Thailand's hot climate. In fact, it's caused by heat buildup inside the house due to poor ventilation.
The problem of a "stuffy, hot house" stems from hot air from outside flowing into the house without being vented out. This results in a hot and stuffy interior. Let's look at a checklist of causes to help you cool your home properly.
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What Causes a Stuffy, Hot House?
1. Lack of Green Space:
Many homeowners lack the time to maintain green spaces. They don't want lawns, large trees, or even potted plants, opting instead to create concrete patios around the house. This allows heat to enter the house, making it stuffy because there are no trees to provide shade and coolness.
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2. Incorrect House Orientation:
A significant cause of a stuffy, hot house is incorrectly orienting rooms, leading to heat and discomfort. The absence of awnings or louvers to block the afternoon sun on the south and west sides also contributes to this problem. Furthermore, it also stems from the residents' behavior of not opening north- and south-facing windows, preventing airflow and ventilation, resulting in a stuffy and hot interior.
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3. Incorrect Home Extensions
Renovating or extending a house without considering legality, such as a high and solid fence that prevents wind from entering the house, or extending the house in a way that blocks light and airflow, making the house dark, stuffy, and hot. Installing ceilings that are too low also causes heat that should rise to the upper levels to remain at a lower level.
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4. Choosing Unsuitable Furniture
Furniture is a crucial factor in enhancing the charm of a home. Besides choosing furniture that suits lifestyle and function, choosing oversized furniture can create a cramped feeling and block airflow, resulting in a stuffy and hot interior.
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5. Incorrect Use of Electrical Appliances
A house with too many unnecessary electrical appliances can also cause stuffiness. Many people overlook the importance of choosing the right incandescent bulbs and downlights, which generate more heat than fluorescent bulbs. Also, kitchens without range hoods and exhaust fans allow heat, odors, and smoke to accumulate within the house.
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6. Color Matters
Painting a house is a matter of personal taste. Choosing dark colors for both the exterior and interior of the house may cause the walls to retain excessive heat. Therefore, it's better to choose light colors rather than dark ones.
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Solutions to a Hot and Stuffy House
A hot and stuffy house is one of the top problems for houses in Thailand. The solution lies in addressing the root cause: mitigating the heat generated outside the house to prevent heat accumulation inside. This heat radiates from the roof and walls. Here are some methods:
1. Use Heat-Reflective Ceiling Panels
The heat radiating from the roof is noticeable in the rooms, especially in the afternoon. To solve this, use heat-reflective ceiling panels or gypsum boards with aluminum foil backing. Install these panels under the roof.
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2. Use Thermal Insulation
Using thermal insulation is a new option that effectively reduces external heat and retains coolness inside the house. It's ideal for west-facing walls, south-facing walls, or the top floor ceiling. Because it provides better protection against heat transfer from the outside to the inside of the building than ordinary ceiling panels.
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3. Using special heat-insulating panels, Gyproc Thermaline
It has two special properties: reducing heat transfer of gypsum board combined with EPS Hi-Dense foam insulation, providing maximum efficiency in preventing heat transfer from the outside to the inside of the building, up to 8 times better than ordinary brick walls. It can help reduce air conditioning costs by up to 69%. Suitable for west-facing walls, south-facing walls, or the top floor ceiling.
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4. Choose light-colored roofing to reflect heat radiation.
Light-colored roofs make houses less stuffy because they accumulate less heat than dark colors. Light colors, such as white and gray, cannot absorb certain types of light. However, if choosing dark-colored roofing, select materials that are heat-insulating or have a heat-reflective coating.
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5. Choose cooling floor tiles.
Marble, granite, ceramic, porcelain, or terracotta tiles are suitable for ground floor tiling. They help retain coolness and dissipate heat quickly. They come in a variety of designs to suit different tastes.
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6. Construct double-layered brick walls.
Typically, houses are constructed with only one layer of brick, allowing direct sunlight to reach them. To solve the problem of a stuffy house, double-layered brick walls are recommended, especially for houses facing west, south, and southwest, to prevent afternoon heat buildup. This can lower the indoor temperature by approximately 5 degrees Celsius.
Checking the daily weather forecast from the Meteorological Department will show that stuffy houses aren't solely caused by weather conditions or seasons, but also by the reasons explained above. There are simple ways to cool your home without relying on air conditioning, saving you electricity costs. It's a one-time investment that pays off in the long run.
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Thanks to DD Property for this helpful information.
