[kalpeshc]

I'll be traveling to my native place in Gujarat with my 5 month old son and will be staying there for a few days. Unfortunately, my town suffers from extreme dry heat in the summers and our bedroom is located on the top floor of my house i.e. we have the terrace as the roof of our bedroom. Because of the continuous sun rays, the terrace heats up during the day and dissipates the heat in the bedroom at night making it a furnace!

I am trying to find a few solutions to economically beat this heat. I cannot afford installing an AC there as its financially not viable. A cooler maybe, but even that is not recommended as eventually it would not be able to cope up with that extreme dry heat at night.

What are the other solutions for this? I am thinking on the following lines but am not sure whether it would work or not

1. Cover the terrace with dry grass (messy) or tarpaulin (cheap and portable) to avoid the sun rays. With a tarpaulin or a gunny bag sheet (bardaan), i can have some space between the floor and the covering allowing the air to flow and hence reducing the temps further (is this the right idea?)

2. Put a coat of lime (regular chuna) on the terrace to reflect the heat. This may cut it down by a few degrees.

3. Install a cooler - least preferred idea. May combine a cheap cooler with one of the above option.

Maybe people staying in extreme heat areas would have better ideas.

[Jeep]

I would recommend Option 1. However, ensure that the tarpaulin is not just spread on the terrace floor. Try and fix poles alongside the parapet walls and spread the tarpaulin. You will experience marked difference.

[kalpeshc]

That was exactly what I was thinking - to allow some air flow space between the covering and the terrace floor. The only caveat is the strong winds. There are high chances that the wind destroys the tarpaulin in a couple of days.

[alpha1]

Dry heat means the most economical and satisfactory way of cooling = desert cooler.
It wont be so expensive, and the running cost is also low.

Just get a huge sump cooler for holding water, otherwise you will run out of it in the middle of the night, and the cooler will be jsut blowing in the hot air.

[blacmagic]

Kalpesh, I was thinking about doing the same to my roof too. all you need is something to block direct sun rays from hitting the slab and a little layer of air [insulator] between the slab and that layer.

I was watching TV long back where a variation of this trick was used to beat the heat in the Kalahari!

[bblost]

I live on the top floor of a 10 storey building in Hyderabad.

I don't use an AC right now, but may get one in the future.
But the effect of this experiment has been quite good.
I recommend it.

Originally Posted by bblost

MY Update.

I bought a 5 kg bag of Surya Cool cement.
Cost 175/-

Instructions on mixing and preparing are printed on the bag. Its very simple.
There is a bag labelled Part A. It is added to 9 L of water. Part B is the remainder in the bag. Add that to the water and keep stirring it dissolves completely without any lumps. You may need to use your hands. Its washable and leaves no stains.

Part B is very dusty and so has to be added slowly. If you try to empty it directly you will end up with dust in your face.

Sweep the terrace area before application.
To apply I used a Sponge mop. Dip and apply.
Took me a good one hour to finish.
Some portions of my terrace were smooth cement. A part of it was rough.
The smooth surface was very easy to apply. For the rough area I simply poured the contents and spread it around using the mop.

Definitely recommended.

For less than 175 (cement) + 50 (Mop, I had a old one that I used) the effect is a good loss in the heat.

The joy of working with your hands. Priceless.

[hrag]

Try sprinkling water on the floor before you sleep - this normally cools things down. Careful with the water though - don't want anyone slipping.

[navpreet318]

Hey i'll give you an advice.Sam Kapasi posted a thread when Jenny was visiting india and they went to this palace in rajasthan.

Now in this palace was a very cool trick.they placed upside-down earthen pots(Matka) on the roof.the air in the pots acted as a layer of insulation and kept the rooms cool.

check this out.
it has pics of what was done.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...0797_thumb.jpg


and here's that thread

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...t-time-22.html

Hence proved that Yetiblogs are not only enjoyable but also informative and helpful.

[deky]

I have been finding out about the same, here are some solutions.

1. have a false sealing of POP- best recommended since its a permanant solution and gets the room temperature down by 4-5degrees

2. have heat reflected paint (there is a special paint dont remeber the name) done on the roof, it will last you for 5 yrs

3. put upturned matkas (or earthen pots) on the roof very effective, may not work if you get hailstorms.

4. put cardboard boxes on the roof like empty mineral water boxes, will not work when it rains

All the best

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by bblost

I live on the top floor of a 10 storey building in Hyderabad.

I don't use an AC right now, but may get one in the future.
But the effect of this experiment has been quite good.
I recommend it.

What is this Surya Cool cement ? And how good was this in cutting down the heat ?

[kalpeshc]

I guess I can go in for just one or a combination of two suggestions, not more than that because of the finance situation.

Matkas would end up proving costly and would render the terrace useless. Even though its a brilliant suggestion, I'd have to pass. The Surya cool cement is worth considering. Another forum resulted in a suggestion of having a thermocole layer covering which is brilliant.

POP is also a good idea but I am not sure of the effectiveness of the same as compared to some other cheaper options listed here e.g. tarpaulin sheets OR thermocole OR bales of dry grass on the terrace.

[mmmjgm]

Kalpesh,

My origins and family are from Gujarat, the kutch peninsula where it gets really hot.

We generally use coolers, with the requisite architectural essentials built into the house.
The cooler is your best and temporary bet. Its pretty effective and cools really well.

Now a days you get portable coolers like the ones from Symphony etc.

Else other option is to check into a hotel, now rural Gujarat won't give you that option everywhere you travel.

Use the Cooler, its portable and nice.

Cheers
M

[kalpeshc]

Let me find out about these coolers. I am assuming since its only a fan a small pump, it is not a power hog.

BTW - I have my parents staying in Surat and we have our own house there. I travel there regularly and do not have the need to stay in a hotel

[bblost]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

What is this Surya Cool cement ? And how good was this in cutting down the heat ?

Surya Cool is the brand name. There are others as well.
It should not cost between 125~ 175 for a 5 KG bag.

Check at the nearest hardware store.

I find it quite effective.
My rooms are much cooler after I applied it on the terrace.

[clevermax]

Option 1 is the best and most effective. In Kerala some people cover their roofs with "Oala" - Processed cocunut leaves.