When summer heat waves hit, it can seem like your energy bills are climbing just as fast as the thermometer. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple, cost-effective DIYs that can dramatically improve your home’s insulation and ventilation, allowing you to stay comfortable while reducing your AC cooling costs.
Whether dealing with a stuffy upstairs, uneven temperatures from room to room, or drafty doors and windows, these DIY fixes can make a big difference during the hottest months of the year.
1. Seal Leaks with Weatherstripping
Start with the lowest-hanging fruit: weatherstripping. When warm air seeps into your home or cool air escapes, your AC has to work overtime to keep your home cool. Sealing leaks can cut your annual energy costs by up to 10 percent and prevent hot air from invading your living space.
Whatever your weatherstripping need—doors, windows, or attic hatches—Frost King makes a product designed to seal leaks tight and keep the cool air in. Watch this video to learn how to pick the right weatherstripping for your project:
What you should do:
• Add or replace worn weatherstripping around doors, windows, attic hatches, and access panels or vents.
• Peel-and-stick weatherstripping is the easiest type to DIY. Remove old weatherstripping and wipe the surface with an alcohol pad to ensure good adhesion. Then measure and cut the weatherstripping to size, remove the backing, and press it firmly into place, ensuring no gaps.
2. Improve Attic Ventilation
Your attic can reach 130°F or more in summer—and if that heat doesn’t have a way to escape, it will make its way down into the lower floors of your home. Improving attic ventilation can prevent heat buildup and lower moisture and humidity, which reduces the overall attic temperature and the strain on your cooling system.
What you should do:
• Check existing soffit and ridge vents for obstructions like debris, insulation, or nests.
• If you don’t have vents, add soffit vents so cool air can flow in at the eaves and ridge vents along the roof’s peak so hot air can escape.
• Use attic fans or solar-powered vents to boost airflow.
3. Add or Upgrade Attic Insulation
A well-insulated attic doesn’t just make your home more comfortable in the winter. In summer, it helps prevent outdoor heat from transferring into your home, primarily through the roof.
What you should do:
• Check attic insulation levels—if you can see the joists, you probably need more. You should also fix any air leaks: this guide explains how to ensure your attic is properly sealed.
4. Use Door Sweeps and Outlet Gaskets
It’s incredible how much air can sneak through tiny cracks and gaps—especially around doors and outlets on exterior walls.
What you should do:
• Install a door sweep on exterior doors to block drafts.
• Add foam outlet and switch sealers to light switches and outlets on exterior walls to reduce air leaks.
5. Reverse Your Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are a smart, energy-efficient way to circulate air—but did you know they need to be spinning in the right direction? In the summer, fans should rotate counterclockwise so they push cool air down and create a breeze that makes rooms feel cooler; that means you can raise the thermostat a few degrees without sacrificing comfort.
What you should do:
• Look for a switch on the fan base to change the fan’s direction.
6. Seal and Insulate Ductwork
If you have central air, cool air has to travel through a network of ducts before it reaches your rooms. But if ducts are leaky or uninsulated, you’re losing precious cold air along the way—a loss that can reduce your cooling system’s efficiency by as much as 20 percent.
What you should do:
• Wrap exposed ducts with duct insulation and seal seams with duct tape to ensure that air-conditioned air reaches your rooms instead of leaking out.
7. Create a Cross Breeze
Not all DIYs are high-tech: You can make your home feel much cooler by creating natural airflow with a little strategic window opening. Pro tip: This fix works best early in the morning or late in the evening, when outside air is cooler.
What you should do:
•.Open windows on opposite sides of your home to create a cross breeze.
• Use fans to direct cooler outdoor air in and push warm indoor air out.
• Keep interior doors open to encourage circulation.
Stay Cool—And Save
These DIY insulation and ventilation fixes may seem small on their own, but together, they can have a huge impact on your comfort, reduce your reliance on air conditioning, and save money on energy costs.
Not sure where to begin? Start with one or two quick projects and start seeing immediate results.
