How to keep your loft conversion cool
Posted on 24th September 2018 at 10:12
The loft space, both converted and unconverted, will always be the warmest room in the summer and the coldest in the winter. When the loft is used as a bedroom however, this can be more of issue for the few days a year that UK had extreme weather (pretty much anything over 24 degrees is too much heh?).
Here are a few tips for keeping your converted loft cool when you need it to be.
Ventilation
The most important element for keeping a loft cool is the ventilation. During the build of a loft conversion, your builder will take of the particulars such as insulation. Just in the same way it keeps heat in during the winter, it will work in the same manner to keep the heat out. There are regulations for the minimum amounts of insulation installed in the floor, roof and party walls, though this is somewhat dependent on the type of loft conversion you have (find out what loft conversion you have here).
As converting a loft space will undoubtedly affect the natural flow of ventilation, vent tiles must be installed within the roof to protect the insulation against condensation.
One consideration that should be noted is that your roof tile colour will affect the internal temperature. Simple science explains that lighter colours reflect the sun's heat rays whereas the darker colours absorb them, and this is true for roof colours also. Having your loft converted is a good opportunity to replace your roof, and whilst having a lighter coloured roof is great solution for warm countries, it may not be for homes within the UK!
An air conditioning unit is another effective way of cooling down the space - this can however be costly option and ideally needs to be installed during the early stages of the loft conversion build.
Windows
The more efficient way to ventilate the loft is to add as many windows as possible, though obviously dependent on the layout of your loft.
For the rear-facing vertical walls, installing as many dormer windows as possible is always a good way to improve the circulation of air. For side-facing windows, any opening above 1.7 meters needs to be obscure-glazed - we recommend you consult your local building authority in regards to privacy and overlooking regulations.
Roof windows are specifically designed to improve air flow, with ventilation flaps to allow fresh in whilst the window is still firmly shut. VELUX have most recently introduced a smart ventilation system, which recovers over 75% of the heat-loss at the same time as pre-heating incoming air. Find our more here.
Shutters and Blinds
On those hot summer days, the best way to keep your loft cool is to let as little direct sunlight in as possible. Whether it be curtains or drapes or an external awning, diverting the rays away from the living areas.
For those large dormer windows, internal shutters are a stylish alternative to curtains. Shutters will block the majority of the sun but still allow enough light to illuminate the room.
There is an enormous range of VELUX blinds in a variety of different styles and materials - from venetian, to fully blackout, to Disney! The solar powered electrics windows and blinds in particular are a great choice. The control panel can be programmed to automatically open and close are the warmest parts of the day, allowing further ventilation of the room and keeping the room cool for when you return home.
What are your best tips for keeping cool during summer? Let us know in the comment section below!
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