Smart Landscaping Can Save You Money
Strategically planted trees and foliage doesn’t just beautify your home. It can also save you money on electricity by cooling your home in the hot Texas summer. You just need to know where and how how to plant them. These smart landscaping tips can help you get started on saving money on your electric bill.
Before You Begin Landscaping
Examine how the sun, wind, and shade hit your home at different times of the day throughout the seasons. Understanding how the elements heat or cool your home is essential to strategic landscaping. Your windows take in the sun’s heat. In contrast, the roof and other dark surfaces absorb it. Shading your home protects it from the heat. And for that, you need trees.
Choose the Right Tree
The power to choose the best tree is all yours. While a fast-growing tree will give you shade faster, it’s also less durable than slow-growing plants. The best trees to cast shade during the afternoon sun are those with a dense canopy and multidirectional branches. For the south side of your house, choose to plant tall, mature trees with broad canopies for adequate shading for your roof.
Leave Some Space
Never plant trees with wide root systems near your house. Not only would that hurt the tree, but the roots may also destroy your house’s foundation. Leave around 15-20 feet for the best shade. Similarly, don’t plant shrubbery too close to your home either. Otherwise you risk adding more moisture near your home and increasing the humidity. Leave around two feet of space between your house and the closest planted bush.
Shade in the Sun’s Direction
In Texas, the sun will usually hit your house on the south and west sides for the longest. Planting bushes and shrubs on the western side of your house will help cool your home during the summer. Similarly, running ivy up the wall or on a trellis on the western or southern side of your house will be even more effective. Plus, it will look amazing.
Landscaping to Direct Cool Breezes
Trees around your home don’t just provide shade. They also direct cool night breezes into your windows. Planting evergreens on the northeast corner will create southwesterly breezes to cool your home. Prune the branches so the lowest ones are window-height. Shrubs planted underneath windows can also direct wind upwards into the first story of your house.
Cool Your AC Unit
Every AC works overtime during the hot Texan summer. So, don’t let it bake in the sun. You can make it run more efficiently by planting shrubs that give your outside AC unit some shade. Be careful, though. Leave enough space around it for maintenance access and adequate ventilation.
Great Deals on Electricity
These landscaping tips can cool your home and decrease your energy bill. But, nothing quite saves you money like a great deal on electricity. Visit www.texaselectricityratings.com to find the best rates in Texas and sign up easily.