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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. |
I live in the basement. It’s always cool down here with no AC. Sometimes I open the windows just to warm the place up a little.
Since I don’t live in the UK or NYC I just turn on the AC.
My system for that time of year is that I have indoor and outdoor temp sensors and a whole house window fan, when the outdoor temp is cooler than indoors then I open the windows and suck in cool air all evening and all night long, when the temps reverse at some point in the morning, then I turn off the fan and shut all the windows, it can mean being cold for the first few hours in the mornings but pays off as the day heats up.
You can also do that in winter, if it gets hot outside during the day then suck in all the warm air to heat the walls and furniture to reduce your heating bill that night.
Uh I’ve been doing this since I was about 10 years old. Closing shades or blinds when the sun comes out. Oh well I guess people need to be told the obvious.
“”””””Just note: Leaving windows open overnight is not recommended for those with ground-level rooms, as it poses a burglary risk.
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.””””””
My advice is that if you are going to live somewhere a long time then take the trouble to make a change if the benefit will pay off, if you have a window that would be great for the night air but it is too risky to leave open, then spend the money for burglar bars for that one window, if you have useless windows that the sun hits but that you don’t need to see out of, then take the effort to block them off in a detailed well-done way and so on, if one thing will make a big difference, then make the effort to change that one thing, it isn’t just about saving money, it is about being more comfortable and less annoyed.
Why bother???
Save yourself the trouble and buy an air-conditioning unit. It’s over 100 degrees out and I’m not being bothered at all, because I have AC.
We do this and some other methods like turning the hvac fan on and pulling up the cool air from the basement. I also have sun shades over the west facing windows that keeps the sun off of the glass.
I get an extra 3-4 hours of AC free time in the late afternoon, reducing ac usage to only a few hours on the 90+ days. If temps are in the 80’s I don’t even turn it on.
I just naturally turn on my air conditioner when I feel like it.
Liberty!
*** West-facing rooms are particularly vulnerable to overheating later in the day, when the afternoon and evening sun is at its strongest.***
The people who built our house have no west facing windows, save for a small one in our bedroom, at the far NW side of the house. I’ve often wanted to put something more over that way, because it feels like a blind spot, but now I’m thinking cameras vs windows. A lot cheaper option!
When I lived in WI in the 80s without central a/c, I installed a whole house attic fan. That sucker (literally) pulled air from every room and really helped keep it tolerable.
We live just outside of Houston. Opening windows any time of day during hot or humid days is not going to happen. We have a roof and balcony to keep most of the direct sunlight away from the two windows and sliding glass doors. We replaced the windows and sliding glass balcony door about ten years ago. Also added another 8” of insulation in the ceiling; along with with a heat reflective barrier in roof of the attic.
Also, we live in a townhome with cinder block walls between units on either side.
We are all-electric and our electric bill is about $120/month.
I turn the AC up to really cool down in remembrance of the Europeans without it. 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.
“Oh well I guess people need to be told the obvious.”
LOL! I know!
But what about us that are ‘naturally cool’ in the first place? *SMIRK* ;)
“...turning the hvac fan on and pulling up the cool air from the basement.”
That is my favorite trick to use in the spring if it gets hot out early but not hot enough for AC. Between that and ceiling and room fans, it works just fine.
Make sure your furnace filters are always nice and clean, though. I change ours out every 3 months, minimum. Allergies. Ugh!
I love it!
“… large potted plants positioned outside…”
In a previous home, I had some large windows in the back of the house that got a lot of sun in the summer. I put up large bamboo trellises and grew morning glories there. They grew up the trellis and pretty much blocked out the sun. When the fall came, I just laid them down, cut the twine and threw it all away.
Not just the UK...
https://outagemap.coned.com/external/default.html
Except for Manhatten.
Go figure.
Both bedrooms are on the North side of the house and always relatively cool, which I like as I still ‘run hot’ 16 years after ‘the change.’ LOL! The only problem I have is that in the very early Spring the sun is low enough in the East and comes up at 6am and hits me RIGHT in the eyes!
But, I can live with it for a few weeks until Earth tilts a little bit more - I should always be up by 6am in the Spring! ;)
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