I have a large backyard and it has a structure that's basically the size of a small home. It is made out of concrete blocks and cement floors. So it has poor insulation and it has a low, exposed roof. So the structure gets very very warm in the summer even when its reasonably cool outside. The temperature difference between the inside and outside can easily be 10 degrees or more.
What are some of the ways that I can cool/ventilate this type of structure? Is it an A/C unit? Or maybe some exhaust fans to take out the hot air? Or bring the cooler air in?
Best Answer
There are many options, but concrete is very dense and makes a great heatsink.
You can try insulating and air-conditioning the inside, but this approach is costly, energy-intensive and overall wasteful.
If you have room, I suggest planting a deciduous tree between the building and the path of the sun. During the warm season, the trees leaves will shade the building and keep it from warming during the day.
In winter, the tree will shed it leaves and allow the sun to heat the building naturally.
Great method, but not always practical due to lack of room, etc.
A third method would be to plant vines on the sun-ward side of the house. This will also keep the sun off the walls and help cut down on solar heating.