If you’re a Kansas City resident who thinks you’re spending more time indoors because it’s too hot to go outside, it’s not your imagination. According to the Kansas City Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan, the average annual temperature in the greater metro area is increasing, and local residents can expect it to rise by at least 4 degrees before the year 2060. The summer months in particular are expected to be hotter than ever, and local government officials are encouraging Kansas City residents to prepare for an ever-increasing number of heat waves.
Retreating to your air-conditioned home is a time-honored way to beat the heat. But it can also be costly. Your HVAC system will have to work harder and harder to cool your home, which will drive up your monthly energy bills. What’s more, the extra workload is likely to cause your cooling unit to break down prematurely, which translates into the need for costly repairs or replacement.
If you’re a Kansas City homeowner, you can’t change the weather, of course. But there are many ways to prepare your home for the next heat wave—and the one after that and the one after that. Here are two ideas to consider:
Replace Your Drafty Windows
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that up to 30% of heat gain and loss affecting residential energy use can be attributed to house windows. This means that replacing your outdated windows with newer models designed to maximize energy efficiency is likely to provide you with significant savings on your energy bills. Not sure that your home’s windows are all that energy inefficient? Consider this: If you feel a draft when you walk past your windows in the wintertime, there’s a good chance that warm outside air is also invading your indoor areas during the summer—it just might be less noticeable.
Additionally, many builder-grade windows come with single glass panes in aluminum frames. These windows may be functional, but aluminum is happy to conduct outdoor temperatures—both hot and cold—right into your home. It’s one of the least energy-efficient window frame materials on the market. And what about the glass? Homeowners in the Kansas City area, which sees its share of bitterly cold weather as well as sizzling hot temperatures, need double-pane windows with low-emissivity coatings to keep outdoor temperatures from making their way inside.
Have Insulated Siding Installed
If your house siding is flimsy or coming loose, warm outside air could be infiltrating your interior living spaces through gaps in the siding. Replacing your siding with an extra-thick or foam-insulated option is a great way to keep those outside temperatures at bay—whether you’re in the midst of a summer heat wave or a winter cold snap.
If you’re in the Kansas City metro area and you’d like to beef up your home’s energy efficiency through exterior remodeling, the experts to turn to are at Johnson County Siding & Window Co. We’ve been remodeling homes in this region for more than 40 years, and all of the replacement windows and siding options we offer have been carefully selected to provide the ideal performance in the Kansas City region. Contact us today to learn more.
