Passive cooling for average rental houses
This is your que to re binge Evangelion! 🎶insert that catchy outro🎶
This meme came across my feed this morning and I instantly thought of that iconic scene from Evangelion where Kaji is tending to his garden for peaceful pleasure.
The heat this week has been wild. Via colonial season, it's winter. I must learn the indigenous season names for this country. It doesn't feel like spring. It feels like summer. *put water out for wildlife*
How are you managing and what do you do to keep cool?
As renters there is still things we can do to create cooling effects in and around our homes. To help with heat and avoid excessive electrical cooling we;
🍃Leave windows and doors with security screens open at night were possible, or open them early in the morning.
🍃Close blinds on the eastern side of house around when th sun get to a point it's shining directly in, even if it's not warm yet. 7-8am here at the moment.
🍃 As soon as the air becomes warm, 8 am ish here at the moment, we close any windows & doors on the East and North side of the house, leaving the South and Western ones open.
🍃 Once the day becomes warmer outside than it is inside, we close any remaining windows and doors.
🍃 Once the air becomes tolerable, we open the windows on the eastern side of the house, keeping west closed.
🍃Then when the cool change comes in we throw everything open, or when I just get sick of having every thing shout down. Yesterday it was 530ish when we reopened.
🥵 Personally when it starts to feel really gross, I head OUTSIDE and work in the shade for 15 Min or so, then come back it and wholyfuk its so cool 😂
🌲Externally - I have created a potted hedge rows to block light, heat, wind, and to create visual privacy, as well as create a cooling system.
The plant wall (hedgerow) on the eastern aspect is very effective Its multiple rows of pots from 50cm down to 20cm, all nested snugly. Our Western plant wall is not as effective. This is because it is just two rows of pots, one mixed row of 40cm and 50cm full sun plants, and then behind that on the shade side is one mixed row of 30cm & 20cm pots of any thing that will survive in that area. Basically I just don't have enough plants that can tolerate the harsh western afternoon sun,..yet!. I need to put more hours in, in this zone. I'll add photogs laters. and add another post of exactly what plants here any why, and honestly most of them are free!
Behind this plant wall im also going to add a thick layer of mulch. We dont want any plants directly against the house, but a thick layer of mulch will hold a lot of moisture creating a micro climate and in turn cool the house.
💦 We aim to water in the late afternoons, to avoid evaporation. We sometimes water the western side in the early morning to create a cooling system.
🥵 Personally I work outside in the morning and evening when possible, and work inside during the heat of the day, and take breaks.
🌻Acknowledging privilege - gratitude for having security screens, our last place didn't apart from the front door. Our yard if fully fenced and secured, we don't have to worry about invasion of property. We are predominantly visually private - where we are not I have been able to strategically place pot plants, some are not as effective as others. Autonomy of time - I do not work outside the home, and this is a huge privilege, it's also a necessity.
Oh and how goods clean, drinkable, running water? Right!
Meme Yoinked from Parkrose Permaculture 😘
💦 We aim to water in the late afternoons, to avoid evaporation. We sometimes water the western side in the early morning to create a cooling system.
🥵 Personally I work outside in the morning and evening when possible, and work inside during the heat of the day, and take breaks.
🌻Acknowledging privilege - gratitude for having security screens, our last place didn't apart from the front door. Our yard if fully fenced and secured, we don't have to worry about invasion of property. We are predominantly visually private - where we are not I have been able to strategically place pot plants, some are not as effective as others. Autonomy of time - I do not work outside the home, and this is a huge privilege, it's also a necessity.
Oh and how goods clean, drinkable, running water? Right!
Meme Yoinked from Parkrose Permaculture 😘