How To Block Skylight Heat – Top Four Fixes For Under $100

How To Block Skylight Heat – Top Four Fixes For Under $100

Here’s How To Beat The Heat On A Budget

While they are known for keeping things bright, skylights also have a dark side.

With all the light they let it in skylights can heat up a room to the point where it becomes an abandoned part of your home.

The cause for your hot house is called the greenhouse effect: light comes in, heats up your room and then has nowhere else to go. Which would be fine if you were growing tomatoes in your living room, but chances are you’re not.

Even with the AC on max some rooms just can’t be cooled, and the sun’s rays can also cause your furniture and floors to fade.

We’ve compiled a list of the top four DIY ways to cool your skylight and get your house back.

1. Paint over your skylight

This one is as simple as it sounds. The key to cooling a hot skylight is to stop the sun before it gets through the glass.

If you can block the light, you can block the heat. Painting over your skylight will stop light from getting through and will keep for your house much cooler for just the cost of a can of paint.

The main drawback with painting your skylight is that it is a fairly permanent fix. Scraping paint off is time consuming and you will undoubtedly be left with more than a few scratches on your glass.

Depending on how hot your room is getting though, this may be a sacrifice you are willing to make.

2. Tarp it up

A quick and easy fix that is by far the cheapest of all your options. Simply buy a blue tarp that is several feet longer than your skylight. Lay it over top of the skylight so that it is completely covered and pin down the excess fabric using bricks. It’s a fast, cheap and easy skylight cover.

You’ll still get some ambient light coming through and most of the heat will be stopped, but expect your room to have a blue tinge.

Depending on how visible your skylight is from the street, you may also have the neighborhood eyesore on your roof all season. Once summer’s over, it’s only a matter of picking up the bricks and rolling up your tarp and you get your skylight back without a whole lot of trouble.

3. Board it up

This method requires the most amount of skill, but it’s the only one that doesn’t involve a trip to the roof. You will need to buy and cut a piece of foam insulation board that will fit snugly into your skylight shaft opening.

Then, along the outside of the insulation board attach weather stripping. This will ensure a tight fit that you can push in or take out depending on the weather.

This one make take some trial and error as you will need to cut the foam board to just the right size so it is just big enough to squeeze into the opening and effectively pinning itself in place.

The biggest drawback with this method is that you are now trapping all the heat between the skylight and the insulation. This heat can build up to the point that your seals could fail or your glass could crack, so proceed with caution.

4. EZ Snap Skylight Shades

EZ Snap Raised Skylight Exterior Blinds

EZ Snap is a solar mesh that attaches to the outside of your skylight that is proven to block up to 90 percent of the sun’s heat. It still lets in lots of natural light, plus it’s affordable and a breeze to install. 

First, measure the size of your skylight and then order the appropriate kit from https://ezsnapdirect.com/products/skylight-shades/.

Once the kit comes, no special tools are needed to install. Simply attach your mounting studs to the frame and then attach the mesh to the studs using the pins and caps included in the kit. Once it’s on it can be left on all year round.

If you want some direct sun in those cooler months you can also easily unsnap the mesh and store it away until next year.

Whichever method you choose to combat your sizzling skylight, know that the US Department of Energy concluded that exterior blinds and shades are up to seven times more effective at stopping heat from entering the home than interior blinds or window tinting.

Source: How To Block Skylight Heat – Top Four Fixes For Under $100

Energy-Saving Hacks for Your Home

Energy-Saving Hacks for Your Home

These days, the number of energy-efficient products on the market is pretty impressive.

But if your strategy for lowering your utility bills and going greener starts with buying sparkly new appliances, you’re neglecting several inexpensive, basic updates that make those fun new purchases perform even better.

Home Improvement Leads

offers a few straightforward solutions for homeowners who want to increase energy efficiency but don’t want to break the bank or undertake a major project.

Insulate and Seal

The number one bit of advice is far from glamorous but very effective: insulate. Nearly 50 percent of your heating can escape if your home is not properly insulated. You can keep turning up the thermostat in the winter or turning it down in the summer, but unless you block that heat transfer, your HVAC system will underperform.

Thankfully, this is totally appropriate for a DIY project. Add insulation in the attic and seal up holes in the heating ducts. Doors and windows are also huge culprits, so make sure you weatherstrip and fill up any cracks with sealant. Check along the floorboards and the space around fixtures for other gaps that need to be filled.

EZSnap Exterior Shades on Arched Window

Install Exterior Window Shades

Now that you have the basics out of the way, you can focus on more sophisticated approaches. Window coverings and shields can do a lot to keep the radiant heat out of your home while still providing ample daylight. EZ Snap Shading Mesh blocks up to 90 percent of the sun’s heat and UV rays that could cause your furnishings to fade. It also reduces the sun’s glare so that you can still get beautiful views of the outdoors—and as a bonus, the shades are easy to install!

Get a Programmable or Smart Thermostat

Adjusting your thermostat to only heat and cool your home when needed is an art. Some have mastered it, while others let opportunities to save energy slip by. It’s understandable—it’s inconvenient to come home to a house that’s too hot or cold. But instead of putting the burden on yourself and your family to save energy every day by adjusting the thermostat, install a programmable one. You can program it to switch to a more energy-saving temperature while you’re away, and to get comfortable again half an hour before you come home. Or go one step further and install a smart thermostat that will learn your routine, keep tabs on your energy use, and make your home more comfortable by precisely meeting your heating and cooling needs.

LED Light Bulbs Save Energy


Use LEDs Wherever They Make Sense

Traditional incandescent lights are pretty inefficient, but thankfully, recent technologies have provided us with better options like LEDs and CFLs. LEDs are the most expensive, but they also last the longest and use the least amount of energy. Because they last so long, it’s not a bad idea to replace some hard-to-reach light fixtures with LEDs so you’re changing inconveniently-located bulbs only once every few years. If you’re worried about the bright light of LEDs, rest assured that they’re now available in warmer colors comparable to traditional incandescents.

Adjust Your Habits

One of the best changes you can make doesn’t involve tools or a trip to the home improvement store. You can save energy just by reevaluating your everyday practices and setting new guidelines for your family’s energy use. Consider taking these measures to conserve:

  • Take shorter showers
  • Dry your clothes in the sun instead of in the dryer
  • Wash all of your clothes on cold—just make sure to get cold-water laundry detergent
  • Warm your home (responsibly) with a fire in the winter
  • Close the curtains when you leave on a hot day
  • Use ceiling fans instead of centralized cooling whenever possible
  • Eat more raw foods and use the oven less
  • Unplug (rather than just turn off) any unused appliances or electronics

If you like green—both on the earth and in your pocket—these simple changes will be perfect for your home and lifestyle.

Source: Energy-Saving Hacks for Your Home

Increasing The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient Of Your Windows And Why It Matters

Increasing The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient Of Your Windows And Why It Matters

13232SHGC stands for Solar Heat Gain Coefficient. This number is commonly used as a guide line for rating the energy efficiency of windows and their various shading treatments.

The old term for term for this measurement was shading coefficient. SHGC values range from 0 to 1. The lower the SHGC number, the less solar gain or heat passing through the window. Many power utilities offer rebates to customers who upgrade their windows. They typically will give you a rebate based on the total SHGC number of your upgraded product.

Little known Secret

Most of these rebate programs will give you a rebate if your upgraded windows have a SHGC # of .4 or less.

Many times you can still qualify for a rebate if you add an exterior shading product that has a SHGC # of .4 or less. Be sure to check with your local power utility to find out the details of their specific rebate program.

The EZ Snap shading mesh has a SHGC of .1827.  This SHGC number is based on a solar profile angle of 45 degrees (most common) and a clear, double pane window.

Source: Increasing The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient Of Your Windows And Why It Matters

How UV Rays Fade and Damage Your Belongings

How UV Rays Fade and Damage Your Belongings

UV Ray DamageThe sun is a very powerful force indeed. Especially when you consider the earth only receives about one two-billionth of the sun’s total energy. We have all experienced the power the sun has to fade and damage,whether it’s the paint on your car or your favorite chair.

Sun light contains three types of energy rays:

  •  ultraviolet radiation
  •  visible light
  •  infrared radiation

Ultraviolet (UV) is the most dangerous and damaging.   Ultraviolet rays break down the chemical bonds in coloring dyes, causing the color(s) in an object to fade over time. Some objects are more prone this bleaching effect, such as dyed textiles like carpet, drapes or furniture. Given enough time in the sun, everything eventually fades.

So how do we slow down the fading process in our homes?

When it comes to UV fading and damage in the home, UV light entering from windows is responsible for almost 100% of the problem. The perfect solution is to filter out the majority of the sun’s damaging rays, while still retaining enough of the visible light spectrum to properly light the room. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by using an exterior shading solution such as an awning or an exterior shade screen. These exterior solutions not only filter out the majority of the damaging UV rays, they also stop the heating rays of the sun before they enter the window.

The EZ Snap exterior shading material typically filters out up to 90% of the damaging UV radiation from the sun, as well as, 90% of the heating rays of the sun.

Learn more  on Exterior Window Shades

Source: How UV Rays Fade and Damage Your Belongings

The Stats Behind The Energy Savings of Exterior Shades

The Stats Behind The Energy Savings of Exterior Shades

Exterior Shade is up to 7 Times More Effective

•    Exterior blinds and shades are up to 7 times more effective at stopping heat from entering the home than interior blinds or window tinting.

•    EZ Snap’s exterior shades block up to 90% of the sun’s heat

•    16% of the U.S. electricity is used for air conditioning.

•    43% of the U.S. peak energy load in summer months is for air conditioning.

•    EZ Snap exterior shade screens can lower interior temperatures by up to 15 degrees F

•    Millions of birds could be saved annually if the use of exterior shades increased by as little 10%

•    Cooling costs can be reduced by up to 60% with using an exterior window shade

•     Windows facing the summer sun can let in the equivalent amount of heat as a 1500 watt electric heater for every 10 sq/ft of glass

•    Exterior shades have 7 benefits in one product – Lower energy costs, increased comfort, reduced glare, reduced U.V. damage to interior, day-time privacy, eliminate bird strikes, and windows look cleaner (less sun to reflect off of dirt)

Source: The Stats Behind The Energy Savings of Exterior Shades

Why Skylights Shades And Skylight Blinds Are So Important

Why Skylights Shades And Skylight Blinds Are So Important

Excessive Heat from Skylights

One of the best ways to brighten up a dark room is a well-placed skylight or two. Skylights are fantastic for adding natural light to a home, but they are also one of the biggest sources for excessive heat buildup in a home.

Skylight-Shades-Product-Imageshades and blinds on skylights, not only shade the skylight glass itself; they also stop the heat before it enters the skylight glass.

Once the heat enters the home it’s too late. Heat continues to build up, eventually raising the interior temperature. The benefit of adding an exterior skylight shade like EZ snap to your skylight is that, not only do you stop up to 90% of the sun’s heat, but you retain the benefit of having filtered light from the skylight.

The trick is to stop the heat while still allowing lots of ambient light to enter. After all, extra light is why you have a skylight in the first place. Customers have told us that once they had their EZ Snap skylight blinds installed, the light from the skylight was softened and the glare and hotspots was reduced. Exterior Skylight blinds and shades like EZ Snap also have the added benefit of reducing the damaging U.V. rays entering the skylight.

If you are going to add shade to reduce your heat load, your skylights are the number one place to start.

Source: Why Skylights Shades And Skylight Blinds Are So Important

How to Winterize Your RV eBook

FREE eBook...
'How to Winterize Your RV'

Your Guide for RV Winter Living & Storage.

Valuable Tips & Info help you prepare for cold weather. Includes winterization instructions for full-time or part-time winter RV living.

It's FREE and there's no obligation...
Download your copy today.

Thank You! You will be redirected to the eBook download page shortly... After you've had a read through, please let us know what you think about the 'How to Winterize Your RV' eBook.