We’re in the middle of a long hot New Mexico summer and it’s hard not to keep that AC going full blast.  The ongoing debate is whether or not to shut your windows and blinds when you’re not home to keep hot air out, or to have them open.  What achieves a cooler house?  Well, it depends.

If your house is decently insulated, then keep windows and blinds closed when the sun is shining.  If you’re going to open them, do it at night.  Specifically, keep the windows closed when the outside temperature is hotter than the inside, and open the windows when it’s cooler outside than inside.  If this doesn’t work, then you may have some work to do on making your home better insulated.  Having new replacement windows installed is one of the most cost-effective and easy ways to insulate your home.

Don’t be fooled by a breeze!  Opening the windows on a breezy day may feel like you’re cooling off your house but that’s not the case.  While the breeze feels nice, you’re actually letting a ton of hotter air into your home.  The best strategy is to close the windows to keep the cool air inside, and use a fan to move the air around.

 

Open windows, of course, can bring security concerns so you’ll need to think about which windows are safe to leave open in the evening.  Despite the logic of closing the windows there’s always reasons we don’t want to follow along; the cat likes the sunshine, it’s so dark in here!, I need to see my view, it’s summer and I want to embrace the heat!  Stay strong!  You’ll save money and energy by closing the windows.

New energy efficient windows have features like insulated glass units that include a Low-E coating and Argon gas fill between the two panes.  Both of those features drastically cut down the amount of heat your windows conduct.  If you’re gaining a lot of summer heat, you may think about replacing your old windows.  At Glass-rite we’re used to our summers and are happy to provide a free, no-hassle, in-home estimate for new windows that are built right here in New Mexico.  Call us!