Paint your house white

[Annpan]

http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2009/05/26/al ... ted-white/

[contadino]

When I drove back to the UK recently, I spotted that a load of houses near Calais had black roofs, which seemed to make more sense than painting them white. I mean, it's not like the climate is comparable in the UK to Greece, or any other Mediterranean country, is it? Surely you want as much solar gain as possible, not the other way around?

[Annpan]

Not today - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8122969.stm but I agree, it isn't usually an issue of being too hot is it? In Britain perhaps we should concentrate more in telling old people not to wear jackets outside in 30oC heat, or maybe get everyone to drink a bit more water to stay hydrated.


Certainly up here It makes sense to paint your house a dark colour, to absorb the heat of the sun in the colder months when the sun is low in the sky and have the roof in a paler colour to avoid heat gain through the roof in the summer.... but then, with modern insulation practices I don't think it would make a huge difference.

But also, in Scotland I think the insides of all our houses should be white to help stave off SAD in the winter.

[Clara]

i think i can hear contadino laughing with me, ooooooooh 32 degrees PANIC!

[Silver Ether]

Can you visualise all homes etc painted white with white windows .... YAK ... I should hve to get the felt pens out and start colouring in Some folks talk a lot od b*%*ls

[Silver Ether]

But also, in Scotland I think the insides of all our houses should be white to help stave off SAD in the winter.

Maybe you should get onto the MPs and all homes should have sad lights ... better still burn an MP cheer you up all winter

[contadino]

i think i can hear contadino laughing with me, ooooooooh 32 degrees PANIC!

Yes. 30º isn't hot as such - above 40º is hot. I may be guilty of wearing a coat when it's 30.

ETA: Although when the weather changes in spring - and jumps from 10 to 40 in a week - it takes me about a week to get used to it. And vice versa in Autumn.

[bantamlady]

Well in the next couple of days, the heat is going to be comparable with quite a few Mediterranean countries, 32 tomorrow, 34-39 Thursday onwards. At the moment we have 2 fans blasting out in the bedroom and it is still too hot! Perhaps it is my fault for being a blobby! Too much blubber! We had 3 minutes of rain today!

[Millymollymandy]

I have a black slate roof and that is BAD news in summer! It doesn't help capture any warmth in winter however as there's not a lot of warmth in the sun is there?

[contadina]

Interesting article Annpan. Our house is white as are most houses in Puglia. One thing I have noticed is they make your heart soar in the sun but look so drab and dreary on grey wet winter days. Thankfully we don't have many of them, but it makes you realise what an impact the weather has on aesthetics as well as the practicality of keeping a house warm or cool.

[jim]

Dear Annpan,

Visited the site and found this piece of useful advice there .......

"For those with a tight budget, natural ventilation by opening a window is still recommended and free."

..... now why didn't I think of that?

Love and Peace
Jim

[Clara]

Aside from any of this couldn't having masses of white houses be bad for your eyes? Here the villages are completely whitewashed and in the height of the summer you have to walk through with a tight squint, always struck me as a really bad idea.

[contadina]

That's where your over-the-top designer shades come in Clara

[Clara]

That's where your over-the-top designer shades come in Clara

busted!

[ina]

But also, in Scotland I think the insides of all our houses should be white to help stave off SAD in the winter.

Maybe you should get onto the MPs and all homes should have sad lights ... better still burn an MP cheer you up all winter

Don't think MPs burn so well...

I'm with Ann - simply by painting the walls white you save a lot of energy - not just as an antidote to SAD, you simply need fewer lamps on! My first job whenever I move into a new property is to paint all walls white.