Why is it like an oven in the apartment? An expert explains what matters most

During a heat wave, the differences between apartments can be huge. In one place you can function normally without air conditioning, in another the temperature quickly becomes unbearable. As Andriy Yavorsky from the National Technical University of Oil and Gas in Ivano-Frankivsk explains, it is not only the floor or window position that is decisive, but also the building materials and the building’s surroundings.

Apartments and heat. A large slab and a top floor are a bad scenario

Brick buildings cope best with high temperatures. Thick brick walls absorb heat and delay its penetration into the interior. Thanks to this, the apartment heats up more slowly and the heat from outside is not felt immediately.

Older blocks made of large slabs fare much worse. Thin reinforced concrete walls absorb heat quickly and release it to the apartments just as quickly. Residents of corner apartments and those located on the highest floors have the hardest time. In older buildings, the problem is compounded by poor roof insulation. That’s why apartments on the top floor can turn into a real oven in the summer. The heat then acts not only through the walls, but also from the side of the heated ceiling.

Large windows can raise the temperature significantly

Modern monolithic buildings often provide better protection against heat, but they have another problem: panoramic glazing. Large windows look impressive, but in summer they can quickly overheat the interior.

The expert explains in Onet that the most vulnerable are apartments with windows facing south and west. This is where the sun is strongest for most of the day, and the rays coming through the windows act as an additional source of heat.

What is around the building is also of great importance. Apartments located next to trees, parks and green areas are usually cooler than apartments surrounded by parking lots, sidewalks and asphalt streets. This is the effect of the so-called urban heat islands. Concrete and asphalt store solar energy throughout the day and then release it in the evening and at night. In practice, this means that the apartment may not have time to cool down.

How to cool down an apartment without air conditioning?

The expert advises to close the windows and cover them with thick curtains or blinds during the greatest heat. It is best to leave airing for the night and early morning, when the outside temperature drops significantly.

The most effective method is cross ventilation, i.e. opening windows on opposite sides of the apartment. If at night the temperature drops to about 18℃. such a draft can actually lower the temperature in the rooms.

Temperature in the apartment. Not every trick works in the heat

The fan helps mainly when the air flow is directed directly at the person. It does not significantly lower the temperature in the apartment, but it facilitates the evaporation of sweat, which makes the body feel relieved. You need to be careful with wet towels and fabrics. They can only help with good ventilation, but in a closed room they will increase humidity, and then the heat may become even more troublesome.