Sarah Lazarovic for The National
Sarah Lazarovic for The National

Tips to make your home a cool oasis this summer



1 Stop the heat

The best way to keep your interior cool is to stop the sun’s rays reaching it in the first place — and good old shade is a low-tech but effective way of doing just that. Your windows are the most vulnerable access point, so this is where your focus should be. A tree or bank of tall, dense plants positioned to stop the sun’s rays at the right time of day is an attractive option for green-fingered home owners, assuming you have a garden. Otherwise, consider outdoor blinds or shutters, which can be closed against the hottest part of the day and also adjusted to let in enough light. Awnings are another good option for reducing solar heat gain and most models can be rolled away when not needed. Villa dwellers may even want to think about investing in a more permanent porch structure.

Going to the high-tech end of the scale, if you own your home, you could consider window infills — double-glazed panels with a gas such as argon or krypton inside. These gases have lower conductivity levels than air and therefore heat doesn’t travel through them in the same way. Alternatively (or additionally), you could have low-e film applied to your existing windows. This thin metal coating reduces the long-wave thermal energy from the sun’s rays entering the house, while still allowing the short-wave light energy to pass through. While you’ll notice a slight mirrored effect from the outside, inside it shouldn’t change the view through your window too much.

Not that it’s all about windows; your roof could be a barrier to heat gain, too, if you paint it white. Pale colours reflect more light — and the thermal energy that comes with it — than dark ones. In California, houses with a flat roof must be painted white by law. Just check that this is allowed, as there may be regulations around how much you can tamper with the exterior appearance of your property, particularly if you are living in a gated ­community.

2 Encourage the cool

You can’t stop all the sun’s rays from reaching your home, so you’ll need to factor in cooling techniques, too. Air-conditioning is very effective, but does use a lot of energy, which is bad for your bank balance as well as the environment. You won’t be able to get rid of it completely, but you could reduce the amount that you need to use it. For a start, be sure that it’s regularly cleaned, as dust build-up can reduce air flow and make your system less efficient.

Fans are an effective way of cooling you rather than the room you’re in, making them ideal in a home office space, for example, or above the sofa in the living room. They work by moving the air, which evaporates moisture from the skin, thereby cooling you. If you really want a frosty blast, position a bowl of ice just in front of a free-standing fan. The only thing to remember is that fans run on motors that have a slight heating effect, so only have them on when you’re in the room and using them.

If you’ve been working hard to lower the amount of heat in your home, the last thing that you want to do is let warm, outdoor air creep in through cracks and crevices, so make sure that your property is well insulated. Seal off air-conditioner ducts, crawl spaces and so on — even a draft excluder at the base of an old door can make a big difference.

3 Decorate cleverly

There’s a reason why we refer to colours as hot or cold — numerous studies have shown that they affect the way we perceive the temperature of a room. In one, there was a significant increase in complaints about the cold after a yellow office was repainted blue, despite the temperature remaining constant. While the effect is not enough to replace air-conditioning altogether, choosing the right colours will certainly help you feel more comfortable in your home.

Likewise, the materials that you fill your living space with can have an effect. Homeowners in cold countries know to stock up on thick, warm fabrics such as wool or faux fur during the winter months. By that same logic, lighter, more airy materials will create a sense of freshness in your home — light cotton bedding, plenty of glass and chrome furniture. This is both a visual aid and a physical one, as these materials are less insulating, so won’t trap the heat as much.

4 Use your house wisely

Once you’ve made all the changes you can, think about the way that you use your house and whether you could be more effective at contributing to the cool factor. For example, consider how much machinery you use — the washing machine, the TV, the computer. They all generate heat, so save these things for the cooler parts of the day.

Nothing emits heat like ovens and stoves, so why not make more salads and other “raw” foods, or make dishes in bulk and reheat portions in the microwave, which will warm your house far less than a stove.

Light is another culprit when it comes to generating heat. Replace halogen and incandescent light bulbs with cooler LED lights, and be sure to use them only when you need them.

Closing your curtains is another way of protecting your home from the sun’s rays, so do this before it gets too hot.

While none of these things will replace the need for air-conditioning, they will all help to reduce the heat in your home, meaning that you don’t have to keep the thermostat quite so low. You’ll still be just as comfortable, but you’ll save money and help the environment, too.

Company%20Profile
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Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

If you go

Flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.

The stay

Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

Hotel Data Cloud profile

Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
Size: 10 employees
Funding: $350,000 (Dh1.3 million)
Investors: five angel investors (undisclosed except for Amar Shubar)

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Top goalscorers in Europe

34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)

34 - Ciro Immobile (68)

31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)

28 - Timo Werner (56)

25 - Lionel Messi (50)

*29 - Erling Haaland (50)

23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)

23 - Jamie Vardy (46)

*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.

Draw

Quarter-finals

Real Madrid (ESP) or Manchester City (ENG) v Juventus (ITA) or Lyon (FRA)

RB Leipzig (GER) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)

Barcelona (ESP) or Napoli (ITA) v Bayern Munich (GER) or Chelsea (ENG)

Atalanta (ITA) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

Ties to be played August 12-15 in Lisbon

FIVE%20TRENDS%20THAT%20WILL%20SHAPE%20UAE%20BANKING
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ENGLAND SQUAD

Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.

Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.

Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.

Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
The biog

Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito

Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa

Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".

Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".

Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Donating your hair

    •    Your hair should be least 30 cms long, as some of the hair is lost during manufacturing of the wigs.
    •    Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour, is required.
    •    Straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened is permitted.
    •    Dyed hair must be of a natural colour
 

 

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MATCH INFO

World Cup qualifier

Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')

UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')

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Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.