Should you leave your windows open or closed during a heatwave?
The British summer is both a blessing and a curse. While we look forward to the warm weather and sunshine, it also means a battle to keep our homes cool when it gets too hot.
Many Brits know the struggle all too well. The UK’s homes are good at trapping heat and staying warm, an essential feature for the colder months - but this can turn into living hell during the increasingly hotter, more intense summers.
One question that is often debated is whether we should be leaving our windows open or closed when it gets hot outside. During a heatwave - which becomes official when the temperature meets or exceeds the heatwave temperature threshold for at least three consecutive days - it becomes all the more important to know which is better for staying cool.
Feeling too hot can lead to health issues like dehydration, overheating, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Heatwaves can have an especially negative impact on vulnerable people, including very young children and elderly people, and people with serious illnesses like heart and lung conditions.
So should you leave your windows open or closed in the heat? John Small, housebuilder and owner of Ty Eco, says the solution depends on a few factors.
He advises following a simple rule, which is: "If it’s cooler inside than outside, you should keep your windows closed."
This might seem counterintuitive, as on a hot day, the last thing you want to do is stop a breeze from getting in. However, Small explains that keeping your windows open when the temperature is cooler inside the home actually allows warm air in, which makes your living space even hotter.
"Heat enters our house in two ways; solar radiation from the sun, and hot air," he says. "We want to limit both, by closing the windows and curtains."
However, that’s not the be all and end all of it. There is one time of the day when Small would advise throwing the windows open.
Keeping the windows open overnight, from late evening to early morning, can help bring the temperature down indoors. The latest you should keep them open is 9am - after that, keep them closed, Small advises.
"If it reaches a point where the temperature inside the house is equal to that outside, then you should open the windows, keeping the curtain closed," he says.
If you are really feeling the heat, it may be that your home is warmer inside than out, he adds. "In [this] case, I would advise you to reverse the advice, but be wary; how it feels and the actual temperature is deceiving, so always use a cheap temperature probe."
Another way to cool the home down is to use privacy film, which can help to reflect heat away from the windows, and therefore, away from the home.
"Used in hotter climates around the world, [increasing] your windows’ ability to bounce away heat will lower your home’s internal temperature. A reflective film allows to block the radiation heat from the sun, as well as the benefits of privacy," Small says.
Read more about health and wellness:
Do Brits complain about hot weather too much? Poll of the Week (Yahoo Life UK, 1-min read)
Are cold or hot showers better for cooling you down? (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
How to stay safe in high heat and dry weather (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
