People often talk about the various improvements they can make to their heating, ventilation as well as undefined method to extend its lifespan. Sure, you can use a smart thermostat to schedule running cycles, adjust the temperature on the thermostat up a few degrees while I was in summer season or down while I was in Winter, as well as so on. You could even invest in several thermostats equipped with zone control technology, so you can leave unoccupied rooms untreated by the Heating, Ventilation, as well as A/C system. However, what about the actions you can take outside of directly increasing your system? Planting trees is one possible route of action, since the shade produced by the tree will cause less sun to hit (and warm) the wall of the cabin where the sunlight is shining. Another solution comes from the color scheme of the exterior of the home, as pastel or lighter colors can help deflect sunlight. I know that’s absolutely the case, because I used to live in a cabin that was mostly dark red brick on the outside. Given the dark color as well as material itself, the bricks absorbed all of the sun as well as turned the cabin into an oversized pizza oven. One other change that can be made for long-term benefit is to redo the roof shingles, but use light-colored shingles instead of black or dark brown. Like the paint choice, light colored shingles will deflect light more effectively. All of these opportunities are worth considering when pursuing a loft improvement project, as they all impact the cabin as well as how well it deflects summer season heat for years to come!