Tips to keep your home safe from the sun and heatwaves
A milder climate can mean that your house is more susceptible to rot and longhorn-beetle infestation. More hours of sunshine with stronger sun results in a greater UV (ultraviolet) radiation load. Increased UV rays cause organic building materials, such as wood, to degrade faster. This also applies to plastic and painted surfaces, so you should make sure you maintain these surfaces. Materials exposed to UV rays will not last as long in the future. Awnings will degrade, plastic will become brittle, and paint will peel off.
What can you do?
Building materials exposed to increased UV radiation or increased risk of rot and bug infestation will have to meet higher standards of durability. Organic materials such as wood, certain plastics, paper, cardboard and paint are particularly vulnerable. You may have to choose alternative materials for structures and for surface treatment. And you may need to maintain these materials more often. Another option is to alter the structural design of your house to protect it against the sun. Mechanical ventilation and dehumidifiers are other options.
Long periods of warm and humid weather can lead to high humidity levels in your house. Rooms with lower temperatures than the rest of the house may be particularly prone to high humidity. High humidity increases the risk of mould growth. Dust mites also thrive in rooms with relatively high humidity. Both can cause allergies. The same occurs when you cool down your house during summer.
What can you do?
Mould growth is typically found in rooms with low temperatures and high humidity, such as toilets, bathrooms and basements. There is also a risk of mould growth behind cabinets if the cabinets are placed against an external wall or in a cold room, such as a back staircase. Keep an eye out for grey spots, especially in corners adjacent to an external wall. Check humidity levels in your home and make sure they are not too high. If necessary, make sure there is more ventilation, heating or dehumidification. Dust mites thrive in rooms with high humidity, so it is a good idea to air out your home several times a day and to make sure your bedroom is not always too cool. Wash your bedding every 14 days at 60 degrees, and duvets and pillows several times a year. Clean your home thoroughly on a regular basis and ventilate rooms during cleaning.
Prolonged heatwaves in particular can cause problems for both humans and animals. Heat waves can make you feel sick due to direct exposure to sun and heat. Heat can be life-threatening for people who are ill and for the weak and elderly. Take care of your pets as well, as they can also get heatstroke. If your house is directly exposed to the sun, it can become even hotter inside. Some electrical appliances, such as freezers and refrigerators, cannot cope with extreme heat very well. The same applies for food products.
What can you do?
You can usually reduce the temperature inside your house by shading it from the sun and allowing in fresh air. If this is not enough, you can use mechanical solar shading. Solar panels can be a source of energy for ventilation and cooling. The benefit of solar panels is that they produce extra power during the times you need extra ventilation. Solar shading should be placed so that it shades your house and windows. Examples of solar shading are external blinds or shutters. Note that cooling down your house can also lead to high humidity levels. This creates a risk of mould growth. This applies whether you cool your house mechanically or naturally.