shading and cooling bills

Trees, shrubs and vines may have a huge impact on your house and its surroundings. They can provide comfort and lower air conditioning bills in temperate and hot-dry climates.

Trees and shade

Shading is an extremely effective way to reduce unwanted heat gains; a tree can reduce them by 30%-60%, depending on its shape, height and foliage. Do not underestimate the cooling benefits of shading.

Just pay attention to the implications of climate in the type of landscaping.
See: Landscape and Climate.

Use tall trees to cool your roof

Cooling your roof is important, mainly if it has a dark color. A sufficiently high tree, strategically placed some meters away of your home, can make a small miracle, lowering your wall and roof temperature by 20º, 30º or 40ºF.

Deciduous trees

To get shade in temperate climates, use deciduous trees. Deciduous trees have the advantage of not blocking the winter sun, which is extremely important in temperate and cold climates.

In hot and arid climates, without cold winters, use evergreen trees.

lower trees on the East and west side

Use lower and broader trees in the east and west side of your home, to avoid glare and the low sunlight of mornings and late afternoons, specially if you have windows in those sides of the house.

Shape, foliage, size, height

The density of the foliage, the height of the crown or the maturing cycles of trees vary considerably with their species, and have different impacts on your home cooling requirements. Pay attention to these features:

- Trees with high canopies are useful for shading roofs and large portions of the building structure.
- Shrubs are particularly appropriate for windbreaks and to shade windows.
- Wall vines are excellent to reduce summer heat and radiation in walls.
- Vines in pergolas are also excellent for home's cooling and shading.

Use vines to get faster results

To get a faster wall shading, use vines in the sunny walls of your home. The results will be very reasonable in the second growing season, or even in the first.

Different types of vines

Pay attention to the type of vine. Vines are usually grouped in three main species: clinging vines, twining vines and tendril vines.

Clinging vines stick easily to solid objects, and develop aerial roots, which can damage the walls, especially brick walls. These vines comprise species as trumpet creeper, winter-creeper or climbing hydrangea. Climbing vines may damage the house structures or its walls, when planted too close to the walls. Pay attention to it.

Twining vines as kiwi, bougainvillea, morning glory, american bittersweet, honeysuckle, american wisteria, are fast-growing species that need something to twist around and to support them as they grow.

Vines with tendrils - grape, passionflower… - need strings, wires, or other supports to grasp onto.

Cares

In humid climates, or in climates with long wet periods, trees and other plants shouldn't be planted too close to the home. Plant them some meters away. The ventilation of the walls through wind is absolutely necessary in these climates, since ventilation keeps homes and the surrounding soils dryer, and nearby plants will collide with that principle.

Also do not plant bushes and shrubs too close to the walls and foundations. Even in dry and temperate climates, they should be planted at least a foot away (30 cm) of the walls.

Windbreaks

Trees and bushes may be used to block winds or to deflect them, or to reduce snow problems. See: Windbreaks.