Surviving the Dog Days of Summer

We love saying the dog days of summer as though it’s something cute or at least furry. But are the dog days of summer getting doggier and weirder? Sure, we have Karl the Fog here in San Francisco, but for other parts of the Bay Area and state of California the temperatures have been scalding hot. Although we’re lucky to mostly escape the worst and hottest days, we’d like to offer a few ideas that the rest of you might enjoy.

Be kind to your furry friends

Sure, we’re hot but we have sweat glands and fans and A/C. Your furry friends need some help. Leave out plenty of cool water–you could add some ice cubes, too. Maybe it’s time for a short haircut for your furriest friends, too. And if you don’t have your own furry friend, you might want to find a new bestie at the San Francisco SPCA! And remember that other animals like birds, squirrels, and lizards need water, too.

Look after friends and neighbors

It only takes a minute to send a text or make a phone call to your vulnerable mom, best friend, or neighbor. You don’t have to make it into a Pity Party–just say hello and you’ve been thinking of them. Maybe offer to drop off some homemade lemonade? At least, that’s what a few of us would like if we were suffering from the heat. It’s so much better when it’s homemade!

Open the windows when it’s coolest

Make it part of your morning (or evening) ritual to open the windows and let in some cool air. Whenever it’s coolest is the best time. And then turn on a fan to move some of that cool air inside and some of that hot air outside. Also, make sure that your fan is rotating in the correct direction. According to Arie Van Tuijl, Home Inspector, for cool summers A counterclockwise fan rotation keeps you cool while saving energy.

Close the shades when it’s hot

Protect yourself from the super-heated air by closing the shades. If you have shades, that is. And by the way, double- or triple-paned windows have the best insulating properties for heat as well as cold.

And–you knew it was coming–use window film!

Window film protects you from the dog days of summer. We’ve written about the insulating properties of window film many times, but here are a few of our favorite posts:

• Ways to make a home more energy efficient
• How to make sure your home stays cooler
• How to have the best summer ever

Have questions?

We would love to meet you and your furry friend, and we can also answer questions about window film. We seriously love dogs, so call us and we’ll give you advice on any way you’re considering to use window film! And we talk to many people every day, so it doesn’t hurt to give us a call. If you already know that you want window film, fill out our Quick Residential Estimate form if you need us to install some. We’d love to help you choose the best film. We work all over the greater San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the San Mateo Peninsula and Marin–and have expanded into southern California (Costa Mesa) and Scottsdale, Arizona, too! Give us a call at our San Francisco location at 415.623.8700.