6
Home & Garden Guides
Can Your Home
Beat the Heat?
Tips for keeping your interiors cool as the weather warms up
BY ERIK J. MARTIN
W
e may still be trapped in winter's grasp,
but it's never too early to start thinking
about the warm season and the impact
it will have on your energy bills – which can be
considerable, depending on how ineffi cient it is to
cool your home when it's hot outside.
It pays to think ahead and plan for recommend-
ed maintenance, repairs, and improvements well
before your thermostat switches over from "heat"
to "cool."
A lot of the things you can do to keep your home
cooler in the summer will also benefi t you now
while the weather is colder, allowing you to stay
more comfortable year-round and conserve energy
as well.
To improve indoor comfort while temperatures
climb outdoors, reduce your electric bills, and
decrease stress on your HVAC system, follow
these tips:
• Examine and upgrade the sealants around your
home's exterior. ese areas are easy to overlook
but are signifi cant energy loss culprits. Walk
around the exterior of your property and inspect
the condition of weather-stripping around your
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