Hot and Humid in the South: How to Stay Cool This Summer Indoors and Outdoors
June 11, 2024

Southern summers are hot and humid. Unfortunately, the air inside your home could be just as muggy and oppressive as the air around it. Although heat pumps and air conditioners provide combined temperature control and moisture regulation, they're rarely enough on their own for optimum comfort. In the interests of curbing your carbon footprint and your home energy bills, the following are several easy and efficient ways to keep cool this summer, both indoors and out.


Tips for Staying Cooling Indoors

You can limit the work that your cooling system has to do by creating a naturally cool and naturally cooling environment. Not only will this lower your HVAC-related energy use, but it will also reduce stress on your heat pump or air conditioner. You'll have fewer performance issues like icing, short-cycling, and overheating. Maintaining an efficient home could even extend the lifespan of your cooling equipment.


Leverage Your Window Treatments Wisely

Keep your blinds, curtains or other window treatments closed throughout the hottest portion of the day. However, for this tactic to work, you have to close them before your home has already taken in solar heat. It's always best to have light-blocking, heat-blocking, or blackout window treatments rather than lightweight sheers. Adding plantation shutters to the exterior of the building will tighten your home's envelope, keep more of your conditioned air inside, and greatly improve your home's curbside appeal.


Seal Up Air Leaks

Weatherstripping isn't just for preventing heat loss in the winter. It can also keep your living space cooler and drier in the summertime. Add weatherstripping to your windows and doors and seal up air leaks in general building materials. If you haven't done so in a while, you can also add more insulation to your home or upgrade to insulating materials with higher R-values. Having an efficient and tightly sealed home envelope will allow you to create and maintain the indoor climate you want irrespective of what's happening outside.


Keep Hydrated

Don't wait until you're thirsty to reach for a cool drink. According to Harvard Health, thirst is one of the first signs of dehydration. Staying hydrated is easier when you take small sips of water throughout the day rather than gulping down large quantities at once. 


Wear Loose, Breathable Fabrics

When properly hydrated, the human body is effective at cooling itself. It does so by sweating. Wearing light, loose, breathable fabrics supports your body's natural cooling abilities. For the highest level of comfort, choose natural fabrics like linen or cotton that wick moisture away from the skin.


Set Your Ceiling Fans to Rotate Counterclockwise

Set your ceiling fans to rotate clockwise in the summer months. Doing so will push a cooling breeze down and make your living space feel much colder than it actually is. 


Hit Your Hot Zones With Cool Compresses

Cool down fast by applying cold compresses to your hot zones. Try placing one on the back of your neck, on your forehead, or in your armpits when overheated. You can even put your sheets or your pajamas in the freezer for several minutes just before going to bed.


Consider the Need for Additional Humidity Control

Heat pumps and ACs extract excess moisture during each cooling cycle. They convert this into condensation and route it out of homes via attached condensate drains. However, this is largely done to optimize operating conditions for heat pumps and ACs rather than for benefit of human users.

Humid air feels hotter and heavier than dry air. If your home feels excessively humid even when your HVAC system is on, consider adding whole-house dehumidification equipment as an integrated HVAC accessory.


Let Your Home Breathe at Night

When the sun sets and the daytime temperature drops, open a few windows and let fresh, outdoor air flow in. This is a great way to get rid of old, stale air and the trapped contaminants it contains.


Pets Matter, Too!

Don't forget about your feline and canine companions. Excessive panting and bright-red tongues and gums are signs of overheating. Keep your pets' water dishes full and let them experience the rapid relief of cold compresses, too.


Tips for Staying Cool Outdoors

On the hottest and most humid days of the year, staying cool outdoors can be a special challenge. Fortunately, there are many innovative products and strategies that make things a bit easier. 


Invest in Cooling Towels

Purchase a few cooling towels. These work much like cold compresses, but they're portable and perfect for wicking moisture away from the skin.


Opt for Light-Colored Garments

Ditch your dark-colored duds and opt for light-colored garments instead. Summer is hardly the time for an all-black ensemble. Black absorbs heat while lighter colors reflect it.


Pack a Cooler

Don't leave home without a few icy beverages in tow. There are many soft-sided, personal coolers that will help you stay hydrated while out and about.


Bring Rechargeable, Portable Fans Along

Whether solar powered or supporting USB-charging, there are lots of portable fans to choose from. You can find options that attach to your head, hang just around the neck, or clip onto books and cellphones.


Know When to Say When!

The best tip for staying cool in the summer months is knowing when to say when. When outside humidity and heat become unbearable, know when to throw in the cooling towel and make your way indoors. To shop a fantastic selection of light and heat-blocking window treatments, get in touch with Just Blinds today!

Expert Advice by Just Blinds

5 Ways to Beat the Summer Heat With Eye-Catching Window Treatments

June 18, 2025
When the mercury soars, never underestimate the power of blinds, shades, and other window treatments to keep your living space cool. With the techniques that follow, you can limit demand on your air conditioner, lower your energy bill, and maintain stunning aesthetics both inside and out. 1. Go For the Layered Look If you don't want blackout blinds that completely block out light and heat, consider layering your window treatments for the summer months. This is a great way to add depth and texture to your rooms while still maintaining a tight home envelope and limiting solar heat gains. Use wood or faux wood blinds to create a solid base layer. Then, add sheers and custom curtains to finish the look. Layering creates levels of flexibility and adaptability that single window treatments cannot match. You can close all three layers for maximum heat blocking, slant your blinds and close your sheers to let limited sunlight in, or open your drapes and your blinds and use your sheers for light filtering. 2. Beat the Heat With Outdoor Window Treatments Some of the best window treatments for blocking heat and light during the summer months belong on the outside of your home. If you haven't done so already, consider investing in shutters. Shutters can vastly improve the efficiency of your home while providing excellent UV ray protection. This will keep your flooring and furnishings from fading while offering a fair amount of skin protection. In addition to tightening home envelopes, shutters provide excellent noise reduction and offer added protection against the natural elements. With your shutters standing guard as your home's first defense, you'll still have one or more window treatments at the interior of the building during the next big heat wave. Outdoor Shades Work, Too If shutters aren't the right look for you, opt for lightweight, retractable shades. Installing outdoor shades gives you yet another way to safeguard your home from solar heat gains whenever temperatures spike. You can use outdoor shades with layered indoor window treatments to create an airtight space and reduce stress on your AC during the hottest portion of the day. Once the sun sets, you can easily draw them open. 3. Optimize Airflow According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air can be up to five time more contaminated than outdoor air. Even though air conditioners and heat pumps filter the indoor air during operation, they don't extract volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other gaseous chemical contaminants. When the sun's out and you're running your air conditioner non-stop, all the contaminants introduced into your home by off-gassing building materials, cooking, room freshening sprays, and chemical-laden self-care products and cleaners remain trapped indoors. Blinds are great for optimizing airflow. When the sun sets, the mercury dives, and a cool breeze rolls in, you can turn your blind slats upwards to reflect light from the setting sun and slightly crack your windows. This technique works well for giving ACs an early evening break. It's also an excellent strategy for improving indoor air quality (IAQ). As natural light decreases, you can open your blind slats wider and let more fresh, outdoor air flow in. This easy air exchange will get your home and your IAQ ready for the challenges of the next sweltering day. 4. Keep Indoor Moisture in Check With Shades With a high-functioning air conditioner or heat pump, you'll get reliable humidity regulation whenever your cooling system is on. The right shades can support this by keeping outdoor moisture outside and preventing the buildup of condensation on your windows. Cellular shades are made for high-moisture areas, and they're the perfect addition to any other southern home. You can get similar benefits from faux wood blinds, vinyl blinds, and aluminum blinds. Moisture-resistant blinds or shades are an essential upgrade if you currently have heavy fabric drapes or multiple layers of sheers. Some materials capture and retain moisture. They're also prone to problems like mold and mildew and can lower IAQ as a result. 5. Go Motorized Don't worry about dragging your ladder out to draw your outdoor shades or running through your home to manually adjust your blinds. Shop for motorized window treatments that you can open, close, and adjust with just the touch of a button. This way, as lighting and temperatures change, you can quickly adapt your window treatments to reflect your most current needs. At Just Blinds, we're all about comfort. We want your window treatments to look amazing, but believe that you should feel amazing too. We offer a fantastic selection of blinds, shutters, shades, and custom draperies to help our clients beat the heat in the summer months . Let us help you stay cool in style. To speak with our design consultants, contact Just Blinds today!

How to Use Windows to Make Your Home Cozier

May 29, 2025
Windows give a home warmth, light, and a view of the outside world. But with the right treatments, you can also use your windows to make your home feel cozy. Coziness is a semse of comfort and familiarity. It defines a charm that feels like home, whether it's the coziness of a warm room in winter, your movie den in the summer. When we think of coziness, we often think of couches, candles, and throw blankets. But your windows play an equally important part. After all, it's your window treatments that frame the light, add softness to your walls, and set the mood for every room. The right window decorations can make your home feel warm and inviting. Using Windows, Drapes, and Shades to Create Coziness  Window treatements create a vibe for your entire room. Drapes, shades, and shutters can be used to create a backdrop of texture, color, and style. They also allow you to control the light levels in your home and even the color of the light. This means that your windows are the best place to start when making a room feel cozy. Layering soft drapes in rich colors is a great way to add that sense of comfort and warmth to a room, while cheerful blinds in soft neutrals can help a room to feel relaxed and welcoming. You can also use drapes or blinds to add a splash of color as a bold accent in any room. These touches combined with glowing sunshine during the day create a cozy and comfortable space. Plants as Cozy Window Decor You can use other types of decor to evoke a sense of coziness, too. We particularly love plants. Leafy green plants love the sunshine as much as you do and thrive when placed in a sunny window. Place an elegant snake plant in the windowsill or hang creeping ivy from a hook near the top of a window frame to make your room feel cheerful and alive with green energy. Plants make a home feel natural and vibrantly lived-in which is perfect for your cozy vibe. For a cozy kitchen, you can even grow fresh herbs in a box on the windowsill that add a delicious aroma and tasty fresh seasoning along with their natural visual appeal. Enhance Your Space with Aromatherapy Speaking of aromatics, you might be surprised how much your windows can take part in cozy aromatherapy. Window treatments like drapes and blinds are fabric that can help purfumes and essential oils linger in the room for days. Cozy scents are often warm aromas like cinnamon, vanilla, lavender, almonds, and coffee. But fresh fruit or floral scents that smell like "home" to you can also add a sense of coziness to each room. Simply spritz your curtains with your favorite scents and each room will subtly carry that comforting smell of home that makes you want to snuggle into the couch and relax at the end of each day. Moody Shade and Maximizing Light When we visualize coziness, light levels often play a role. Your minds eye may see a sun-drenched cottage or a gently lit library as your mental idea of a room that is perfectly cozy. Window treatments allow you to set the mood by reducing or maximizing light to the perfect levels. Well-designed shades and drapes can pull back attractively to maximize light, bathing your room in the warm welcoming glow of sunshine. Or if you prefer a more relaxed coziness, you can use translucent drapes or cellular shades to filter the light exactly the right amount. Diffuse and reduced light filtered through fabric of a warm color can make you feel safe and at peace. Increase Your Happiness with Window Design Your home should feel welcoming, relaxing, and cozy. The right window treatments can help set the stage for a delightful welcome home each night, rejuvinating weekends, and an overall feeling of at-home coziness when you are relaxing in your favorite place. To achieve this goal, you can experiment with home decor changes, including your windows, to achieve your ideal at-home bliss. Contact us today for custom drapes and blinds to complete your cozy room design.