When we start to see temperatures soar outside we often see home cooling costs soar as well, leaving many homeowners to think about ways of reducing those costs. While it may not be the first thing you think about when it comes to energy efficiency, your properties landscaping could help with this, how? By carefully designing the surrounding landscape so that trees and shrubs are used to shade parts of the home that need it most. This method is called landscape shading and it is known to reduce indoor temperatures by as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Before you decide whether this is a good idea for your home, here are a few points to think about:
Any project works best when it has been planned well and this is a vital step to successful landscape shading. You will need to know what the right location is for a tree to be planted for it to provide the maximum amount of shade. The type of trees you choose are another important factor, obviously, the denser the tree, the better the shade. If you want to benefit from the heating effects of the sun during the winter months then its best to select deciduous trees which will give full shade in the summer but then lose those leaves during the winter.
Vines are another good way to shade areas of a home. You can wrap them around lattice or fencing etc. which will, not only provide shade, but permit any breeze to pass through into the house. Shrubs are another good option if you want to shade a driveway or pathway.
Some other things to consider with landscape shading are the length of time it will take to grow different types of trees and the cost of them. It is unlikely you will see much in the way of savings at first. Planting extra trees may affect moisture levels which can cause other problems, so you will want to check this on your property before making any big decisions.
Any project works best when it has been planned well and this is a vital step to successful landscape shading. You will need to know what the right location is for a tree to be planted for it to provide the maximum amount of shade. The type of trees you choose are another important factor, obviously, the denser the tree, the better the shade. If you want to benefit from the heating effects of the sun during the winter months then its best to select deciduous trees which will give full shade in the summer but then lose those leaves during the winter.
Vines are another good way to shade areas of a home. You can wrap them around lattice or fencing etc. which will, not only provide shade, but permit any breeze to pass through into the house. Shrubs are another good option if you want to shade a driveway or pathway.
Some other things to consider with landscape shading are the length of time it will take to grow different types of trees and the cost of them. It is unlikely you will see much in the way of savings at first. Planting extra trees may affect moisture levels which can cause other problems, so you will want to check this on your property before making any big decisions.
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