Energy-saving tips if you can't change your windows in warm weather climates.

Part 2 of 2

If you live in a warm weather climate, and are not in a position to change out your windows, there are things you can do to reduce energy loss and probably increase the comfort of your home in hot weather as well. Consult your homeowners' association rules to ensure you are not in violation; some HOA's take these rules very seriously; a topic for another day.

If you cannot replace your windows, there are certain things you can do, both semi-permanently and seasonally, to reduce your waste. There are both interior and exterior items to try, and I will break them down that way.

For the exterior, one of the simplest and most natural things you can do, if your circumstances permit, is to plant a nice shade tree in a strategic location, preferably where it will shade the west and south facing windows during the heat of the day, and also during your warm season. A bigger tree costs more money, but you can probably reduce the direct sun exposure on a lower level window significantly with a wide shade tree. This also benefits the environment. Consult a local nursery to see what trees work best in your climate. If you live in restricted water areas, remember you will have the ongoing cost of watering. Trees are beautify a neighborhood, so it is a good it is aesthetically pleasing to plant more trees as well. Some desert dwellers may disagree with you, but a nice tree is hard to argue with for most people.

Another thing you can do is add exterior sun screens to your windows that are most directly affected by the sun. You can make your own basic screen fairly easily; rolls of sunscreen fabric is available from Home Depot for about $30 for a 6' x 20' roll. You can buy it in bulk for a better price if you have a lot to cover. You make simple frames according to your window dimensions. Go to the window aisle at your local home Depot or Lowe's or a hardware store and ask them about the materials. I am not here to give you a step by step-I have never had the patience for that kind of writing, but stringing simple frames with the fabric is fairly easy. Basically these sunscreens will reduce the amount of heat absorbed by your windows, thereby reducing the amount of energy to cool the inside of the window. This actually does help a lot, and you can take them off during the winter season if you want to enjoy the winter sun.

Another similar concept is a mounted exterior roll-screen. It is also available at almost any large home improvement store, or you can order shades online at The Hut Shop. These shades work very well to keep direct sunlight from shining on the windows, as well as through the window. They claim to block 80% of UV rays. Regardless of the statistics, they can greatly reduce the amount of heat that comes through into the house. I installed one of these inside my atrium, as the sun does tend to heat up the area around the atrium significantly when shining directly on the windows. I also placed a smaller one on an upstairs window that was a significant source of summer heat, and it reduced the heat in that corner substantially. For the size of this home, and the age of the windows, the electric bills have been surprisingly low this summer, and I know these have helped. the beauty of these exterior shades is you can mount them using the unobtrusive brackets, and then take it down during the winter sun months, or simply roll it up out of the way. There are a couple of grades of the Coolaro shades, and the better one looks very nice, and as well as it blocks the sun, you can still see through it for the most part. a six foot by 10 foot goes for around a $100 at Lowe's. The designer quality one is more expensive, but looks a lot better.

Interior Solutions

There are also a couple of things you can do on the interior that can make a significant difference. One is very obvious, and that is install a good quality shade. Aluminum mini-blinds may help a bit, but it is hard to beat a heavy curtain, preferably light-colored to reflect heat away. This keeps much of the heat at the window, and away from the interior of the house. The downside, of course is a darkened room devoid of natural light. I don't prefer the heavy shade, but I have used a product that provides much of the same benefit, while leaving your windows open to natural light.

Heat control window film is basically the same thing as window tint film that is used in cars. It comes in several colors for different effects. There is relective mirror type, or a more blued finish. The film goes on simply as you could expect, but any type you are working with a big adhesive sheet of film, you will want help and to be very careful. It goes on very nicely, and gives you an acceptably clear window if you get it on nice and flush, but start crinkling it, and it you will likely end up feeling like you are looking through a fishbowl. You can cut to fit the film for your particular windows, and it really does help significantly in reducing UV rays-they claim 99%-and reflecting up to 70% of summer heat. It does go on with an adhesive, but it is fairly easy to remove, if you don't want it in the winter. The manufacturer claims it does help conserve 55% of window heat loss in the winter, so you may find yourself just leaving it up. This product retails for about $25 for a 2'x15' foot roll at Lowes.

These are just a few items you can try, and they are very helpful and will reduce your energy costs, improve comfort and lower your carbon footprint on the environment.