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ARTICLE (detail)Our Homes in the Sub Tropics
If I had one dollar for every time I'd heard, "It's hot, isn't it? I wish it would get cool soon", I would be rich. It often surprises me why so many of us choose to live in the 'sub tropics' when we struggle with heat and humidity. It is usually the humidity rather than the heat that bothers us as it makes warm days feel more uncomfortable. In summer, our evening temperatures stay higher than our winter maximums. We can minimise temperature variations inside our sub tropical Redland homes by getting certain things right such as: Ÿ Choosing a block of land that faces the right direction or allows us to build a home that will be well ventilated eg we don't have to face our homes to the street, we can orientate them to suit the climate and be safe and attractive Ÿ Facing key living areas 'true north' Ÿ Exposing our longest walls to north/south and our shortest walls to east/west Ÿ Creating indoor/outdoor living, large verandahs or shaded decks that offer seamless airflow and cross ventilation but can also deliver warmth in winter Ÿ Raising our homes up off the ground to help catch under floor breezes Ÿ Adding high roofs and walls that are a light reflective colour and have ventilation through the addition of things like louvre windows placed at the right height and in the right direction Ÿ Adding wide eaves that stop the sun hitting walls and windows in summer but capture the sun's warmth during winter Ÿ Using lightweight materials that act as good conductors of energy. Bricks and masonry are heavier items that will require you to shade walls in summer to avoid capturing heat but may also trap that heat in winter from entering your home when you do require it Ÿ Maximising abundant natural light by placing windows, doors and skylights in the right spots to reduce the need for lights that add more heat. Ÿ Well placed windows will also influence your air flow, reducing the weak spots that reduce your home comfort Ÿ Using landscaping or open style fence to allow breezes into your yard and into your home Many homes are currently built using inefficient European or southern style homes designs that are not conducive to our sub tropical climate. Houses are often squeezed together eliminating any chance of natural ventilation. To get privacy we surround them with high solid brick or timber walls that further reduce any chance we have of getting a breeze. We incorrectly position windows and doors wasting about 30 per cent of our energy dollars. We choose materials and colours for the skin of our homes – roof, walls and garage doors – that can make us even more uncomfortable. How many black or dark coloured roofs and driveways do you see when you drive around? Cleverly deciding where we put our homes and what we dress them in, is a huge advantage to controlling our inside environments and our home's operating budget. The reality is that a well designed home will save us money. In some other states and countries, homes are sold and priced based on their efficiency and effectiveness rating. Who knows, good design now could add hundreds to your home in the future. In the next few issues we will focus on understanding more about aspect, windows, appliances, thermal mass and building materials. |