Spring has arrived and summer is fast approaching with the hot sun beating down along with clear skies. Everyone enjoys a warm sun, but sometimes the sun can become too warm and people look forward to going inside a building with blasting AC. Whether you are a first-time home buyer or an experienced one, you should know by now that your bills always seem to rise rapidly when that AC is turned on. Here are a few ways to help cut down that price and keep your house cool.

Awnings

For most houses, awnings aren’t really at the top of a person’s list to check to see if they can help with cooling down the house, but you should definitely take a peek outside and see what you are working with. Installing awnings over a south facing window can decrease the solar heat gain by almost half, while installing awnings on the west facing windows can decrease the solar heat gain almost by 75%.

Curtains

Almost everyone knows that by closing the curtains, the house becomes cooler as the sun and heat are blocked out by them, as solar heat gain can be decreased to close to 33%. If you close your curtains, but still notice that it’s still hotter inside then it is outside, check the weave of your curtains. Heavy closed weaved fabric curtains, such as velvet or broadcloth, are the best bet for effectively blocking out the sun.

Interior Shutters

If you have a quirky sense of design for your home, try installing interior shutters to your windows. Wood shutters would work best in blocking off the sun’s rays and cooling the house. They also add a little extra something to the room design that makes the room pop.