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Perhaps paint the exterior of your home with CoolWall. This paint has a high ceramic content which reflects infrared energy, thereby helping to prevent solar heat gain.
Install a motorized, retractable exterior sun shade to prevent direct sunlight from hitting your son's bedroom's west-facing wall/windows. Put it on a timer so it deploys only once the sun is about to hit that side of the building and rolls back up at sunset.
You can also have a reflective thermal layer installed against the underside of the roof which reflects infrared energy upward. I have no direct experience with this reflective method in the attic so do a bit of research. This method is DIY-able.
Somehow I doubt that such a fussy HOA would permit any of these options.
I was referring more to the “arbitration” clause than the “you understand that when the purchase is complete you absolve all responsibility of the builder” clause.
And of course, this only refers to “new builds” not resales.
Great point. I had forgotten about arbitration being the standard these days.
- another reason to avoid the encumbrances of an HOA unless you like regimented living.
My 2-story townhome in Raleigh faces almost due west, and the top floor temps in my son's bedroom are almost unbearable (90+ degrees) during the summer. We've added Home Depot window film and a pair of one of the highest-rated, best-reviewed thermal curtains on the market ($200); they help but don't solve the problem.
Our HOA forbids window A/C units due to the aesthetic. We don't have enough money saved yet to add a mini-split or second HVAC (hopefully next summer!), so our next plan of attack is to add more insulation to the attic.
Does anyone have any other ideas we could try to survive Spring/Summer 2021?
How big is his room. You really need a cross-breeze. The hot air has no where to go! Heat rises from bottom floors straight up into his room. A couple of room fans would help until you can get a portable A/C.
I installed my portable A/C exhaust out through a vent on the side of the house. You have to make sure the vent is lower than the floor it sits on so the condensation can drip out and down. It wouldn't be hard to install a new exhaust vent through the side of your house closest his room and a/c. That way you satisfy the HOA.
Same for my bedroom in FL right on the gulf. House can be 78f and my room is 82f. So i just bought a winder unit to knock it down to 78f while i am watching tv at nite. Only takes about 45 mins to get it down to 78f then i turn it off and go to bed fred.
Have you had an ac guy out to check if your system is properly balanced?
Have you checked with your electric company to see if they offer an energy audit? Ours offers it for free.
Consider thermal curtains.
Having an ac guy out is a great idea.
Besides window film, the thermal curtains were also utilized by OP!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERH
My 2-story townhome in Raleigh faces almost due west, and the top floor temps in my son's bedroom are almost unbearable (90+ degrees) during the summer. We've added Home Depot window film and a pair of one of the highest-rated, best-reviewed thermal curtains on the market ($200); they help but don't solve the problem.
Our HOA forbids window A/C units due to the aesthetic. We don't have enough money saved yet to add a mini-split or second HVAC (hopefully next summer!), so our next plan of attack is to add more insulation to the attic.
Does anyone have any other ideas we could try to survive Spring/Summer 2021?
The problem being common in two story structures has nothing to do with the situation. That is an excuse for shoddy design and construction, nothing more. Skyscrapers have dozens of floors and don't have the problem. Malls and stores have multiple floors.
The root issue is the builder screwed up. The dwelling is functionally defective for the purpose. It was sold while defective, and now a reasonable mitigation is being denied. A suit would be to force a correction of the defect at no cost to the homeowner and/or allow a mitigation. You cannot, in this day and age, shove a kid in a 90+ degree bedroom without child services knocking on the door.
A home that is subject to an HOA is subject to the rules to promote the safety and value of the property of all homeowners. A CRAP house with a hot box bedroom is not an asset to the community. You don't want a window banger ruining your esthetics? Then get your priorities straight. What next, no digging up sewer lines for repair because of the possible smell?
Going up against a HOA or any large entity, you DON'T go "Please sir, may we have an exception to the rule so our son doesn't turn into a pot roast?" You go in demanding full and proper repair or legal action to accomplish same. If, at that point there is negotiation you are willing to accept, fine.
Window air conditioners in the complex will devalue all the properties there. It's like tin foil in windows.
My bedroom faces west, so I had a similar problem, only not as bad as OP's. My old a/c broke, so when I got the new one, I asked for recommendations on what could be done to fix the situation. He reworked the ductwork that went to that room, and he added a return in the room.
Does the OP's son's room have an air return? There has to be a way for the hot air at top to evacuate.
My room is now the same as the other side of the house, or close to it.
1. Reworked the ductwork (removed some triangle gizmo in the attic that was used for a few years to split ductwork going to two vents - ac salesman said those were used for a while but don't work well)
2. The vent in my BR has its own duct all the way to the a/c unit.
3. A/C crew added a small unobtrusive air vent.
4. I got a blocking material add-on for my drapes (my windows have vinyl blind, lined drapes, and the blocking fabric, which simply affixes to the backside of my drapes to stop the sun). I keep all these closed in summer during day.
I'll be moving again. I will never again buy a house facing east-west.
We have a somewhat similar situation (west facing master bedroom). Friends in a simlar home got one of the portable units and they said they have it "vented" to the screen/window. They screen is pretty dark so it's actually not visible through the daytime. (They only use it for sleeping) . We also have an HOA to contend with and they have not noticed it. Maybe one of those? I am trying to find the one they got but I believe it was about $2-300 on amazon and they are pretty pleased. Again, it's just for the one room.
We have a somewhat similar situation (west facing master bedroom). Friends in a simlar home got one of the portable units and they said they have it "vented" to the screen/window. They screen is pretty dark so it's actually not visible through the daytime. (They only use it for sleeping) . We also have an HOA to contend with and they have not noticed it. Maybe one of those? I am trying to find the one they got but I believe it was about $2-300 on amazon and they are pretty pleased. Again, it's just for the one room.
I had one of them but it takes up floor space and still get heat from the vent hose.
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