hot, Hot, HOT!!!

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   Captain Redbeardposted 12 years ago

   My upstairs stays an unpleasent 102 degrees from about 2 pm till 9 pm when it begins to cool off to around 80. Any ideas on how to cool the upstairs? It's a cape cod style home so the ceiling is just the other side of the roof, no attic space between. Also no trees shade the roof so it bakes from sun up till sun down! I swear my wife could bake cookies of she just left a tray with batter on it up on the dresser for a day ideas!?

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      Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Oh, and the centrol air doesn't do jack squat!

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   relacheposted 12 years ago

   When I was growing up back East, we had a fan in the upstairs of the house which blew out, moving hot air that had risen to the upper floors out a window.  It took care of things very simply and efficiently.

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      Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Like a window fan?

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   win-winresourcesposted 12 years ago

   Hi Captain-
   
   The exhaust fan the relache speaks about will be helpful if large enough and you have windows on a cool side of the house that you can open.  The hot air will be blown out while the cooler air will be drawn in.  You can not run such a fan without providing supply air from the open window(s).
   
   In Ohio, I believe it is too humid to make use of inexpensive evaporative cooling.  That leaves refrigerated air conditioning - expensive but it works.
   
   -DW

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   win-winresourcesposted 12 years ago

   Captain-
   
   No.  Window fans are much too small and located too far down on the wall.  This should be a ceiling fan.
   
   -DW

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      win-winresourcesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Ctain-
      
      Central air conditioning fails to work properly if there is inadequate exhaust air.  You can't put cold air in if you can't take the hot air out.  The ducting and venting and maybre the size of the fan and compressor need to be confirmed.
      
      Central air, turned on after an exhaust fan has blown out the bulk of the overheated air will make a huge difference.
      
      -DW

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         Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for all the advice, no ceiling fan will work however. They are only 6 feet high old wwII house, even the hallways are short. I'm 6'8 so it prooves challenging at times lol

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   win-winresourcesposted 12 years ago

   Captain-=
   
   The exhaust fan does not hang down.  It fits between the joists. You can't even see any blades.
   
   
   -DW

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   Marcy Goodfleischposted 12 years ago

   If you can nstall solar film on your windows, it greatly cuts the heat coming in through glass.  I hadva house with west-facing windows in the master BR, and that saved our sanity. 
   
   Is there a way to paint your roof white?  Or re-roof and install that thin (almost tinfoil-like shield between the roof deck and the shingles?  That stuff works wonders.  You can put it in attics, and even here in Texas, the attic will be 90 degrees when others are 140 or more.  But you have no attic - the shield can, however, be put beneath the shingles if you re-roof at some point.
   
   Good luck!  I feel for you!

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      Marcy Goodfleischposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Excuse typos - mobile device.

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         Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Didn't know about this, wil have to check it out! No worries, I'm on the iPad

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   lobobrandonposted 12 years ago

   I have no clue as to how your house is designed. But, the way you mentioned the heating is because of the terrace. If it's a cemented terrace or something firm (not tiles) you could try throwing some water on the roof early in the mornings it would keep most of the heat out. Also, try installing a few mirrors on the roof (It would reflect most of the heat). Better still, if you can - use the enormous heat using some sort of solar device (up to you to decide what you need).

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   Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

   Putting more insulation in the attic(if you have one) works wonders.

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   Shiloh1008posted 12 years ago

   Try some windows sun shades across all your upstairs windows...They do wonders, even if you already have dual/triple pane windows.

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