How To Keep 2nd Floor Cool

Air seal the windows in the attic and second floor.

How to keep 2nd floor cool.

Longer cycle times mean more cool air is getting to the second floor. Air sealing prevents conditioned air from leaving the home. Slightly restricting airflow to your first floor will increase the volume of cool air to your second floor balancing out comfort. This will block the excess heat from the sunlight.

Block off the second story from the ground floor. Consider installing power or ridge vents to help cool the attic and provide better ventilation which also helps prevent ice dams in winter. To handle this problem there are four common ways to improve cooling on your second floor. If you allow sunlight to shine in through a window you are adding heat to your home.

To prevent the heat from rising separate the two floors with a door or curtains so your efforts to cool the second story are not lost when heat from below rises to replace any cool air. Open doors on the second floor so air is more evenly distributed when using a central ac system close doors that lead to rooms where cooling isn t a priority when using a supplemental ac unit upgrade your thermostat to a programmable or smart wifi version. If humidity is the chief agent behind your second floor not being cool enough you should look into purchasing a dehumidifier. These appliances draw excess moisture out of a room and collect it into a bucket for disposal or routed into a drain.

Locate all of the vents on the second floor and check to see if they are blocked in any way. Add a small return vent duct to each room on the second floor. Remove any furniture blocking the air flow. An excellent way to keep the second floor of your house cool is to close your blinds or curtains.

Divide the house into two zones one for each floor. Keeping your blinds closed in areas that are unbearably hot will reduce the temperature of your upstairs. Reducing the airflow to the first floor with also ensure longer cycle times as your thermostat is most likely on the first floor as well. Make the second floor return vent duct bigger.

Fully open each vent to allow for maximum air flow. Use a floor fan or ceiling fan to improve or direct cold air flow upstairs.