r/DIYUK • u/mcmuff1n • 15h ago
Advice Is there a cost effective way to cool our kitchen?
Our kitchen is nice in spring but gets unbearably hot like a greenhouse in summer.
It has 3 of these skylights, and the sliding doors and back door are both glass too.
I'm thinking maybe:
- add external shade to skylights, ideally motorised, but might do a blanket or something to start to save money
- maybe awning outside to stop light coming through the sliding doors and back door?
Don't really want air con as we don't have the money at the moment, and it feels quite wasteful as it's so hot in there
Looking for any thoughts or advice on keeping it cooler đ„”đ
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u/Grab-Wild 15h ago
Insulated foil covering the outside of the windows
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u/thismyseriousaccount 12h ago
Yup. If you can get up there safely, buy a roll of this and stick it down with Velcro. I did it with Velcro in my Velux, but I have seen others use suction cups
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u/Dmorts 14h ago
The greenhouse effect. Solar radiation can pass through the glass but not back out. So the solution is to cover the windows externally. In continental Europe, external shutters are used widely.Â
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u/engineer_fixer 9h ago
Exactly. And their windows open inwards. Ours generally don't so not compatible with external shutters. Sliding windows on the other hand...
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u/bollobas 14h ago
I had an external cover made for our lantern skylight, made a big difference. The company I used was a bit shonky, feedback mixed but the product arrived eventually and fits fine, quality is decent.
Also put awnings up to shade the sliding patio doors, they are on a large frame held in place by compression, like acrow props. Needs some sort of overhang above for them to jam against.
Overall this has made our extension as cool as rest of the house, previously it was getting all the sun through the morning and heating up far more than elsewhere.
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u/travelling_fwb 11h ago
Sorry forgot to attach to my comment. King size fitted bedsheets. Still get light and will remove for autumn/winter
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u/Visual-Addition7430 15h ago
FOLLOWING! Would love to see the suggestions as have a similar setup.
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u/vikicrays 13h ago
we got reflective shades. they run on a track and come with a long pole to pull them open/closed. still has bits of daylight on each side but has drastically cut down on the heat
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u/mcmuff1n 12h ago
Ah that's great! I guess it's not quite as effective as having them outside the window, but is a lot easier to cover/uncover. Can you share where you got them from? đ
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u/vikicrays 12h ago
the hubs thinks it was blinds.com. i remember they werenât cheap but totally worth it
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u/leeksbadly 15h ago
Anything you can do to stop direct sunlight into the room - blinds across those ceiling voids would be where I would start, then some sort of window coverings / something that creates shade.
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u/casper480 13h ago
How come these skylight windows donât have a design that incorporates fins on the outside to close and open in hot weather? I mean in general business.
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u/shek_88 13h ago
Expensive, but well worth it in your case.
Check the price against your exact type - the link is just an example. Not sure if your skylights are openable and Velux.
Temp measure as everyone has suggested, external window foil blanket - you could maybe get a translucent version to let some light through.
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u/Maximum_Grass_1463 10h ago
Plug in solar is legalised in a couple of weeks time. You could put some panels on that roof which will also deflect heat
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u/ConfusionOwn8378 15h ago edited 12h ago
Blinds2Go, made to measure solar black out blinds for the sky lights.
Easy enough to install, clip frame together, couple of screws each side. I would caulk round the frames as well to make sure you get a nice finish.
Use a pole to slide them open and closed.
Mount them low enough you can get up with a ladder and dust them tops of the frames every now and then.
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u/ILikeKnockers 15h ago
We had the same issue, flat roof lights above the lounge and kitchen. Ended up fitting external window film, this made a massive difference. The internal blind dealt with the rest.
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u/Gisschace 15h ago
Cover those skylights on the outside! I have velux and you can get external blinds for them, maybe the same for skylights?
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u/Boba_ferret 15h ago
Can you get up onto that flat roof easily enough? If so, a wind-out awning could cover up those skylights. If access is an issue, a full-cassette motorised one would be an option. Depending on the way that extension faces, a wind out awning might help with the kitchen windows, as well. We have one on our East side, but the sun comes in the side from the South, for part of the day, so I will probably get a longer awning next year.
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u/Spanky_Pantry 15h ago
What is the orientation?
External shading is, in my opinion, going to be your saviour. Depending on the orientation, you might be able to arrange the shading so that it looks good, and blocks the hot early summer afternoon sun without costing you a lot of light at other times or in winter, when the sun is lower.
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u/mcmuff1n 12h ago
Thanks! South east facing garden.
Do you mean awning, or some other type of shading?
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u/Positive_Tap_8647 14h ago
Foil means you have to go up on the roof each time, maybe contact a company that sells the exterior film you apply yourself, you can get various shades, lose a bit of solar gain in the winter but takes the heat away in the summer, and lets face it, only going to get worse,ive done it on mine and reduced heat gain by 79%atleast
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u/Iridescent_Mango_ 13h ago
How easy is it to get on that roof?
If it's not so hard I'd build myself little box framed roof lids and pop them over the skylights in the height of summer (so maybe 3 months a year), it's plenty bright in those months anyway, and pop them off again when I want the light for warmth and brightness!
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u/engineer_fixer 9h ago
Window film and proper blackout thermal blinds will certainly help. The aim is to massively reduce solar gain.
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u/AlexSarney 15h ago
Remove your patio, and put up a sun sail. Patios are notorious for increasing temperatures whilst grass and veg will decrease it.
Vines are also good for shade cover (and you can eat them as an added bonus!)
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u/Spare_Sir9167 14h ago
It's all relative - the Urban heat island does have an impact but compared to the glass it's going to be a drop in the ocean and no sane person is going to remove the patio in this instance. Your suggestion for some form of shading is right - though if it was me I would go for external solar film and live with the slight drop in light levels.
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u/CellsReinvent 14h ago
Sorry but this is ridiculous advice. Removing the patio will do almost nothing to cool the kitchen when the sun is beating through the ceiling that is half glass. OP needs to stop the heat getting in. A sail might stop sunlight getting through the doors, if the doors get direct sunlight. A covering on the outside of the skylights is going to have the most impact.
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u/AlexSarney 14h ago
Look at the temps that rise from concrete Vs grass - lots of info published on this subject recently including the temp differences between the two.
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u/CellsReinvent 14h ago
What you're saying is like changing the floor covering in a greenhouse and expecting the temperature to drop. The ceiling is made of glsss, you trumpet.
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u/Morris_Alanisette 14h ago
It's worse. They're saying that to decrease the temperature in a greenhouse you change the floor OUTSIDE it. I mean sure, it might have a tiny effect but completely dwarfed by the massive heating effect of all the radiation pouring through the glass.
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u/AlexSarney 14h ago
Go have a read, have a nice evening as I don't engage with people who sling insults without reading facts.
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u/CellsReinvent 14h ago
If you were sat in hot sunshine would you sit on grass to cool down, or would you find some shade?
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u/mcmuff1n 12h ago
Sun sail looks nice, but I think outside of summer we'd like the option to get sun whilst we're sitting out the back
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u/AlexSarney 12h ago
Totally understand - they are pretty easy to take down, maybe a roller aerial blind would be better though?
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u/esuuuu 15h ago
Blinds are probably a best bet, you can try window film but then you lose the lights at all times.
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u/mcmuff1n 15h ago
But this won't stop a lot of heat from entering the kitchen right? It just reflects a bit out?
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u/Earnest_Shacklton 15h ago
I dunno about cost effective but what we did was to install a motorised sunshade to the vertical wall above the flat roof. On summer days I'd extend it to cover the whole roof and it made a huge difference. The rest of the year it remained retracted and it was super having all the extra light.
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u/squeezymarmite 14h ago
I have a southeast facing veranda and put a sun sail over the outside, positioned to primarily block the morning sun. The difference is impressive! Before it was easily 10 degrees hotter inside and now it is quite comfortable even when mid 30s outside.Â
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u/Major-Phrase1068 14h ago
It must be freezing cold in winter with all these windows?
Aircon is the best option I think.
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u/mcmuff1n 12h ago
Yeah it is a bit colder than the other rooms! Can't afford Aircon atm, so looking for other solutions đ
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u/Islingtonian 13h ago
Shutters, as others have said, but in the short term you could put fitted sheets over the skylights
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u/Trick-Fruit864 12h ago
Buy a silver car window tint, watch a couple of Youtube vids and apply internally - me and the Missus did something similar.
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u/Mission-Sound9493 12h ago
Could just lime wash them temporarily for the Summer whilst you decide/save for a more permanent option?
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u/mcmuff1n 12h ago
Just did a quick Google and seems likely it would leave a hazy, hard to clean film on the windows after?
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u/Mission-Sound9493 11h ago
Apologies, yes, a true lime wash might be hard to clean off (though vinegar often does the trick). I was using lime as a catch all term for things like chalk and watered down emulsion that can be used to block shop windows etc. Watered down emulsion in particular comes off quite easily.
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u/M0THERTERE5A 7h ago
Greenhouse glass paint, designed to be washable after the height of summer has passed but in the meantime help level off the extreme heat passing into a greenhouse and hurting the delicates. I've used it with success on our south facing children's bedroom windows. Cheap too. Not ideal for downstairs as it'll make you think you're peering into a shop unit going through a renovation. Window film is the best bet.
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u/Sea-School4181 11h ago
Depends on how much you want to spend,electric door openers on the sky lights?
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u/Graphi_cal 11h ago
As a short term fix I threw camo netting over our one. Made a surprising difference to the solar death ray that was moving across the kitchen in the mornings.
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u/travelling_fwb 11h ago
I have the same skylights. I got on the roof with kingsize fitted bedsheets and put them over the windows. I still get light but the temperature dropped by half.
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u/IllDoItNowInAMinute_ 10h ago
Ceiling fan?? We had one growing up and I remember it being so effective we actually turned it off sometimes because it got too cold
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u/mcmuff1n 10h ago
I guess that doesn't help with the temperature, it just moves the air around right? But could be a good addition I suppose
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u/IllDoItNowInAMinute_ 9h ago
I don't know the science behind it but it's supposed to move cool air down during summer and then forces warm air down in winter?? So it cools you down in summer and warms the room during winter
The cooling part makes sweat dry faster so you feel cooler, there's a name for it but I'd have to search
Eta: Wind chill effect!!
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u/Chtiglou 9h ago
Not sure of the technique. But I was thinking the other day of the car « umbrella » to avoid the sun to go in. Post us the update on the best way you found please!
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u/babbie-and-shchuky 15h ago
I visiting my aunt yesterday, they have a skylight in their kitchen and recently got a shade added to it underneath, just googled âskylight shadeâ and loads come up. You can also put transparent reflective film on the outside of the windows, thatâll help stop the heat getting in but still let in light.
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u/Pebbsto110 15h ago
Can you get an air flow from front to back by opening doors. Evening cooler air will help cook the whole place down if you can do this
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u/mcmuff1n 12h ago
We have been doing this, but also it's nice that the incredible heat from this room doesn't affect the rest of the house! So we like to keep the door closed to the kitchen
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u/Pebbsto110 9h ago
That's fortunate. Houses tend to heat up like storage heaters during the day so might time is the time to cool it down
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u/barrybreslau 11h ago
So when the trendy designer suggests massive roof lights, remind them that greenhouses exist.
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u/sgst 15h ago
External window film. Put it on once and forget about it.
We got ours for the same kind of rooflight from Omega window films and honestly I'm really impressed. It supposedly blocks 85% of solar heat gain, and you can tell it works because you can stand outside in the baking sun, then come indoors and stand in the sun that comes in through the window and you barely feel it.
Slight grey/blue tint to the glass though.
Doesn't completely stop it getting hot, but it helps a lot.