Southern California is well known for beautiful homes with lush landscapes and pristine lawns. When it comes to landscaping, that beauty is far more than skin deep. To reduce the heat gain from the summer sun, a large canopied tree can shade the roof while vines can block entire walls. Even the grass reduces the heat of the sun through a natural process called evapotranspiration. This is a combination of evaporation, which has a cooling effect, and transpiration, which is the leaves releasing moisture into the atmosphere. Combined, these factors provide dramatic energy savings when it comes to cooling your home.
Deciduous trees are an excellent choice to provide maximum shade in the hot summer months while shedding their leaves to allow the warmth of the sun to heat the home in winter. Careful consideration should be given to placement to obtain the maximum shade during the heat of the day. Fast-growing trees will provide shade quickly, but will not have the life span and solid root base of slower-growing varieties. Slow-growing trees will provide shade canopies in five to 10 years.
Planter boxes accommodate vine placement on concrete areas, such as the edge of a driveway, while trellises let them climb to shade the side of a house, but still allow breezes to circulate cooling air. Trellises also help prevent damaging moisture buildup on the walls. For maximum effectiveness in energy savings and moisture prevention, vines are best placed about a foot from the wall itself.
Bushes and hedges help create wind breaks to block the hot breath of the Santa Ana winds from heating your home, and provide shade and evapotranspiration.
A professional landscaper can help you design and implement a yard that is both attractive and energy efficient if you need assistance. Our professionals at Around the Clock Air Conditioning and Heating are available to assist you with other energy savings concerns to help you keep your home as cool and comfortable as it is beautiful. Contact us today for a free in-home consultation or just to ask questions.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy savings and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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