[toyojo]

the summer season is right around the corner, and temperatures are already rising. with that said, how do i keep 1 room on the 2nd story cool ? i dont need the ac because im the only one on the 2nd story. and my room is the only one occupied.

are there any alternative ways to keeping my room cooler during the summer ? ive seen some houses with those dark screens (not sure what theyre called) and it looks like it blocks most sun light from coming in thus keeping it cooler inside. do i need all to have all my windows covered with those ? or will only the windows exposed to sunlight be enough ?

thanks !

[KonaKat]

Get a window unit or one of the new self contained AC units and just cool your room. Leave the central AC on but set fairly high, if you want. Now, if there are people on the 1st floor this won't help but from your question I'm not quite sure.

the dark sunscreens will also help. Whatever you can do to keep the heat from entering in the first place, will help.

[nwlv]

AirConditioner.com powered by Genie Air Conditioning and Heating Inc. is the largest distributor of window & wall Air Conditioner units in the U.S.
This place is in Van Nuys, but they ship. They had a portable for 200 USD. Point of use system will be the future.

[toyojo]

id like a window unit but those are out of the question for multiple reasons
i guess ill get those dark screens for starters. anything to keep my room cooler. i have one of those portable ac units but those things are freakishly loud and it leaks water everywhere. as for the window unit, i think the gestapo HOA will be all over me for getting one

[PinkString]

Try some blackout curtains. Cheaper than the solar screens. They block all light and help keep it cooler. Also warmer in the winter.
Also get a ceiling fan if your ceiling is high enough. And an oscillating fan for the floor.

[Buzz123]

Do I assume this is your first summer here? Dude, don't obsess about it. Just shut the vents in the rooms that don't need to be cooled and run the a/c. Actually, it might be cheaper to leave all the vents open, but that's debatable. But it's gonna get really hot on the second story (heat rises), and by the time you waste time and money on an alternative of some kind, you could have paid the same amount for being comfortable. If you gotta spend money, spend about $50.00, maybe a little less, and get a digital, programmable thermostat. Outside of adding blown in insulation in the attic, a programmable thermostat is the best thing you can do to save money on a/c. And forget the black out drapes and/or sun screens. Too depressing, and those dam* sunscreens collect all kinds of stuff, and need cleaning often which is almost impossible. Besides, you'll want to see out sometimes. Window tinting might be OK, but it will probably be hard to see out at night.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by toyojo

id like a window unit but those are out of the question for multiple reasons
i guess ill get those dark screens for starters. anything to keep my room cooler. i have one of those portable ac units but those things are freakishly loud and it leaks water everywhere. as for the window unit, i think the gestapo HOA will be all over me for getting one

Some of the portable units have exhaust hose mounts that you can easily take in or out of the window. I don't think HOAs can do anything about those. In fact paint it to match the window coverings and they will likely never notice. Only about 6 inches high.

[nwlv]

And some evaporate their own water. I've seen a similar situation in three level townhomes, with the units in the basement. The top floor (always the warmest) doesn't get cool enough, even after people have spent unGodly amounts replacing their systems--it's bad design.

[RedRockAAAA]

Solar Screens are $6 per sq ft installed. You can see out. They darken the room. You would see about -10 degree diff in temp.
Blackout Drapes are $45 for every 2 panels needed and Walmart online ships to local store free. You cannot see out. They cannot see in. Same 10 degree temp drop.
Home Depot has in stock $800 free standing (inside the room) air conditioner. An 'exhaust' hose attaches to a cracked windo. As mentioned the HOA would never notice this exhaust hose.
The added insulation in the attic is the most expensive, most effective and hardest to complete. It alone however will not bring relief.
We have blackout drapes along with the blinds that were already in place. Since one of us has to sleep part of the day due to schedule, we love the -10 degrees and the semi darkness. Initially, we were concerned about 'darkness depression' because the difference was soooo noticeable. After two weeks, it just doesn't seem all that dark. I know it is cause its still nice and cool on hot days. I guess we became accustomed to the decreased light, not depressing at all.
One last note: With the solar screens, some people think they block outside vision (out to in). Trust me, a neighbor has them, if you have no interior window treatment ... everyone can see everything in your house as soon as you turn on an interior light.

[toyojo]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Do I assume this is your first summer here?

\

no it isnt. its my 2nd year here in vegas. i just figured thered be a way to save on my power bill by not using both ac units (first and 2nd floor). but i think ill try those black out curtains. the screens are nice, but a little too pricey for me right now especially since i have 7 windows that will need them.

as for the window unit, i might shop around for one. not sure if it would help as much since i had a portable one in my room before and barely made it comfortable :[