Building a home? Keep cool in summer with the right materials

You may have noticed the drastic change and weather as a foretelling of what may be searing summer temperatures that'll soon be upon us. 

 

It's also the season of high electricity bills as everyone turns on their air-conditioners to survive the heat. But there are ways to escape the summer heat other than cranking up the AC all day, everyday to the lowest temperature possible. 

 

If you're in the process of building your home, the right construction materials will help keep you cool in the summer and keep the draft out during the typhoon season. 

 

In a live installation demo Wednesday at building and construction expo WORLDBEX, representatives from the Siam Cement Group (SCG) said that concrete roof tiles are the best way to keep cool indoors during the summer.  

According to SCG, their concrete roof tiles also save on installation and material costs because they don't require undersheeting. 

 

Architects An Bermejo and Benjee Mendoza of BAAD Studio say that one advantage of concrete tile roofing is that aside from being more durable, they are also aesthetically appealing.

 

"Colors and concrete can easily resemble any other material," they told GMA News Online in an email correspondence.

 

"Concrete roof tiles offer very good thermal insulation. Especially when coated or glazed, it provides a higher level of emmitance and reflectance compared to galvanized iron and asphalt roof, thus heat transfer beneath the roof is reduced," they added.

 

The design team noted, however, roofing alone doesn't keep the heat out, and proper ventilation beneath the tiles is still crucial. They also said that concrete roof tiles have higher cost and generally weigh more than other types of roofing.

 

Another option, they said, was to use clay "as it was generally used in the earlier times."

 

But according to Architect Raul Dizon, clay and concrete can be too expensive.

 

"There are new materials at the moment, but they're very expensive. You have tiles made of clay, but they're very expensive, even for the middle class," he told GMA News Online in a telephone interview.

 

Because of this, Dizon said that many people still resort to galvanized iron, which is a common roofing material in the country. However, he said that one needs to install insulation like fiberglass to keep cool.

 

All the architects agreed that the design of the home itself can help fend off the heat sans aircon.

 

Bermejo and Mendoza suggested the use of bricks, clay, marble, and stone for the walls and floors. Meanwhile, Dizon recommended keeping heat out through "through ventilation." 

 

"Yun yung mga kwarto that have two windows so yung hangin dumadaan," he said.

 

"Other than that, you can have open ventilation like terraces and big windows," he added.

 

All three architects also agreed that one method of designing a cooler home is through correct orientation. "Mas maganda pag yung orientation ng bahay is east orientation, para less yung gamit ng aircon," Dizon said.

 

Dizon explained that if the bedrooms face east where the sun rises, then it will be cooler in the night time.

 

Another way is to be mindful of flooring materials – wood, glass, and ceramic are all great at repelling heat, while PVC makes it hotter.

 

He also said that choosing paint in pastel hues or cooler tones like blue, yellow, and of course, white. Red and black are to be avoided because they absorb heat. But as Dizon pointed out, people don't repaint their rooms simply because it's summer. So for the majority who already have ready-built homes and are dreading the high bills in the coming months, here's a few tips on how you can keep cool, or at the very least keep the heat out.

 

According to Dizon, something as simple as the right window treatments can make the room much cooler. "You can have blinds or curtains para hindi pumasok yung heat sa bahay," he said.

 

Decor materials also play a big role in making your home cooler. "With sofas and upholstery, choose cotton-based materials," he shared.

 

Dizon also recommended staying away from materials such as suede, velvet, plastic, and leather because they can be very hot. Of course, if all else fails, one can always hang out at your office, school, or the mall, which offer what is perhaps the best thing in the Manila summer. . .free airconditioning! – KDM, GMA News