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Posted on 07/03/2026 4:15:16 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
If you want to keep your house naturally cooler this summer, the most important thing you can do happens before the day heats up: Close your blinds and windows by about 9 a.m., or before direct sunlight reaches that side of your home.
That’s the core idea behind an old-school home-cooling technique some call the “caveman method,” inspired by the naturally cool conditions found in caves.
To understand how it works, Country Living talked to Joseph Holman, a door and window specialist at Green Door based in the U.K., where June temperatures have surpassed record highs this year.
While it won’t replace air conditioning during extreme heat, it can help keep your home more comfortable and reduce how hard your AC has to work.
How does the caveman method help cool your home naturally?
“The golden rule of the caveman method is pre-cooling and early prevention,” says Holman.
To keep rooms as cool as possible, blinds should be closed no later than 9 a.m. or before direct sunlight reaches that side of your home—the exact time might vary based on latitude, cloud cover, and home orientation.
West-facing rooms are particularly vulnerable to overheating later in the day, when the afternoon and evening sun is at its strongest.
Closing blinds and windows early helps trap cooler indoor air before outside temperatures begin to climb. “Once that heat gets in, it’s incredibly difficult to get out,” explains Holman.
Does it still work effectively for smaller rooms?
Holman explains how consistency is even more important in compact spaces. Smaller rooms contain less air, so they tend to warm up quicker when exposed to direct sunlight or hot air from outside. Keeping blinds drawn and windows closed during the hottest part of the day helps prevent temperatures from rising too rapidly.
“Just ensure you don’t trap any active heat sources inside with you,” he urges.
What do you do after the sun goes down?
The key is to create effective cross-ventilation once outdoor temperatures begin to drop. Open windows on opposite sides of the flat or house to create cross-ventilation that helps flush out the residual warmth, explains Holman.
This encourages cooler evening air to flow through the home. Leaving them open overnight can help cool the building’s structure, making it more comfortable the following day.
Just note: Leaving windows open overnight is not recommended for those with ground-level rooms, as it poses a burglary risk.
What are the best companion hacks to boost the caveman method?
External shading can make a significant difference. Where possible, consider using awnings, shutters, or even large potted plants positioned outside to reduce direct sunlight. Indoors, reflective window film or even a simple layer of cardboard placed behind curtains can help bounce heat away from the room.
Holman explains: “The absolute best companion hack is blocking the sun before it hits your window glass.”
What hidden indoor heat sources will ruin the cave environment?
Household appliances, electronics, and lighting can all contribute to unwanted heat buildup. Items such as washing machines, dishwashers, computers, and older-style light bulbs generate warmth while in use. “Switch off unneeded appliances at the plug to keep your cave truly cool,” advises Holman.
What are the long-term, structural alternatives for these problem windows?
Invest in high-performance, sustainable glazing. “If you want a permanent fix, look into modern glazing advancements. Upgrading to solar-control glass, installing windows with integrated blinds (built between the glass panes), or adding external architectural shutters will permanently manage solar heat gain.”
As temperatures continue to rise, a few small adjustments can make a noticeable difference indoors. By combining early prevention with smart ventilation, Holman says homeowners can keep rooms cool, sleep more comfortably, and reduce the heat this summer.
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Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
Those whole-house fans used to be very popular. I grew up in Milwaukee, WI and can remember them in older homes that both Grandparents owned.
Not a bad idea, really - even up here on ‘The Frozen Tundra’ where it STILL gets HOT AND HUMID in the Summertime. ;)
Smart.
“We are all-electric and our electric bill is about $120/month.”
That is awesome. Good insulation makes a HUGE difference whether hot or cold.
“It’s the same principle of finishing the food on your plate for starving people on the other side of the planet. I don’t know how it works actually.”
Our MOTHERS seemed to think that it did though!
My sister told Mom once, ‘Fine! I’m not eating this! Send it to Africa!’
You don’t want to know what happened after that, LOL!
I wear eye shades at night, because I’m allergic to my cat, and he loves to rub my face while I’m sleeping, BUT those eye shades also keep the sun out until I’m ready to wake up, usually around 7 or so. Now that hubby has retired, we aren’t setting alarms anymore! 😁
For me, I’d rather sacrifice some indoor evening coolness, than leave the blinds up and drapes drawn earlier.
I love seeing the walls all splashed with golden sunshine.
Think of the Cat Stevens song
“Morning Has Broken”.
I have Venetian Blinds, so I can tilt the blinds so that the brightest sun goes up to the ceiling.
For me, bright light is like another form of caffeine.
It helps to charge me up. If all is too dim and dark, I get sleepy again. This is easier to do now, since at present, I live alone, give or take a few pets.
In Florida, stuff has a tendency to turn moldy.
Therefore, the AC gets turned on in April and runs until mid-October.
“Now that hubby has retired, we aren’t setting alarms anymore!”
That is the BEST feeling in the world! :)
Let’s see...2am potty break, then my eyes usually fly open at 5am. Then I will myself back to sleep and wake up around 7am.
Of I sleep longer, I KNOW I either needed it, or am ‘coming down with something’ like maybe one too many Martinis on a Friday night? LOL!
Hey! I just realized it’s Friday Night! Nope. Gotta hit the PING List come morning. ;)
My sleep is much like yours. If I ever get 8 solid hours in, that’s a treasure!
“the UK”
The Brits had a few days of really high temperatures.
The French had about 10 days in a row.
I totally ‘get’ that about the importance of sunlight. We replaced our kitchen door a few years back and the new one has a beveled glass window.
When the Fall sunshine hits it just right in the late afternoons, the kitchen lights up with RAINBOWS. It’s magical. :)
You gotta do what ya gotta do!
We have had a VERY wet and HOT Spring-into-Summer. I’ve plucked a few MUSHROOMS off of our wooden front porch! That bad wood is ALL being replaced with a composite material in the very near future.
Was it the French Enviroweenies that were taking air conditioners AWAY from the populace?
But obviously it’s all President Trump’s Fault. ;)
Did he respond? Did he send them an aircraft carrier full of window air units? That would’ve been awesome, LOL!
In the first house I ever bought, the previous owners had gone through the expense of installing these padded/insulated window blinds that you could pull down on the windows in the winter months to keep IN the heat.
They were butt-ugly, but man did they make a difference in our heating bill...in all 800 square feet of the house!
Not sure why I never thought of using them in the SUMMER, too. But I was just a 20-something dope at the time.
What did I know of heating bills other than my Dad’s many threats to sever a finger if ANY OF US DARED touch HIS thermostat, LOL!
We just lock down for summer. Every thing closed that can be closed. The heat here is either brutal or the real feel will bludgeon you. We wear June and into July than August is just brutal hot. A cool night or morning is a welcome but unusual break from it.
That’s EXTRA Points...!
Not Knowing How it Works.
.
Sorta like Not stepping on
A Crack or You Brake
Your Mothers Back. 22R
Many years ago, as a day-sleeper, to block both light & heat, I cut 1/2” aluminum foil-backed foam insulation board to fit my windows. Before leaving for work, I’d remove them, and open the windows to let in the cool night air.
They were sliders, so easy to drop a stop-bar into the track, to limit the opening size.
Bonus, I worked for Johns Manville Fiberglass, so got the reject insulation board for free.
22R is For Good Luck.
/$
.
Don’t ask
We live in the country with lots of trees...but it does get very hot but a dry heat.....open your house in the evening and early morning then close up...we haven’t even put our one window air conditioner up yet.
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