In the summertime, before there was air conditioning, we loved going to Grandma's house because it was always cool. Grandma had a morning and evening ritual that was so predictable, it's been imprinted in her grandchildren. The landscaping was designed with the weather in mind, and her daily tasks were scheduled around the heat. While Grandma cheated a little bit with one fan she relied on physical science and common sense to keep the house cool.

While we offspring have succumbed to the pleasures of air conditioning, we do still follow most of her methods of cooling our houses naturally, at least in the spring and fall.

Grandma's yard had lots of trees, planted strategically to block the sun from the house, especially the windows. Trees should be deciduous, so that the loss of leaves in the fall allow the light to come through in the winter to warm the house. Trees were also planted to hang over the blacktop driveway to reduce the intense heat generated from that. Lots of bushes were planted around the foundation to shade the ground around the house.

While we aren't sure she planned it for heat reduction, Grandma's house was painted white, which does not absorb the heat. And there were no decks or wide walkways adjacent to the house to reflect heat onto it.

The most effective tasks involved highly sophisticated window management. In the morning, the drapes were closed on the few sunny windows. All the windows had awnings to reduce the sunlight hitting the windows, and to keep the rain out. The upstairs windows on the shady side of the house were left open, providing ventilation. The door to the basement and a door to the upstairs were opened. A large reversible-blade window fan was situated in an upstairs window with the blades set to pull the air out. The result: the fan pulled the cool basement air up through the house and out of the top floor. In the evening, the roles were reversed. The drapes and all windows were opened, and the fan was reversed to pull the cool air in.

Grandma's floors were wood and tile, which do not retain the heat like carpeting and its foam base. And they feel cooler, even when they aren't. Carpets were put down in the winter for warmth. And Grandma had summer and winter curtains, a common practice in Victorian times. On cooler summer mornings, the lighter fabric of the curtains could block the sun, but allow a breeze from an open window. The winter curtains were heavier to provide insulation.

Chores were also performed with the heat in mind. Baking and canning were done in the evenings, when the windows could be opened. Clothes were hung on the clothesline. The drier was only for emergencies. Baths were lukewarm, to keep the bathers and the bathroom cooler. Dinner's were light, and centered around foods that could be cooked quickly. Steamed vegetables, and fish and thin meats that could be fried quickly were the norm. Casseroles and roasts were never baked in the summertime.

Today, we have grills and microwaves to help keep the kitchen cool. And, even though dryers are more efficient and leak less heat, the dryer runs only in the evening at our house. Grandma had fewer appliances than we do. But we've learned to turn lights, televisions, and computers off when not in use.

More sophisticated methods are available today for heat reduction. Light reflecting roofing, solar cooling appliances and straw insulation are a few of the innovations that contribute to a cooler house. But Grandma's common sense methods, based on necessity given the lack of today's inventions, are tried and true.

Learn more about this author, Liz McGuire.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about How to cool your house naturally?
We want to hear your view. Write now!