COPYRIGHT 2016 JAMES DULLEY ( www.dulley.com/sea/ ) - June 2016 - (graphics ref. No. 819 at www.dulley.com/sea/column/2016-jun.htm )

"Proper landscaping can lower cooling costs, improve comfort and save energy year-round"

Dear Jim: My fairly new house needs landscaping. I think adding trees could shade the house and lower my air-conditioning bills. How do I go about selecting and placing the trees around my yard? - Alan R.

Dear Alan: Proper landscaping, particularly with trees, can have a great impact on your air-conditioning bills, your comfort and your winter heating bills. Shade from trees also improves comfort on an outdoor deck or patio and provides an attractive, safe environment for birds and other wildlife.

It is important to shade not only your windows, but also your house walls, particularly if they are made of brick or other masonry materials. Masonry slowly absorbs the sun's heat during the day and reradiates it indoors all evening. Most insulation is not effective at blocking this radiant heat through walls.

In addition to just providing shade, trees are natural air conditioners. Their leaves give off a huge amount of moisture which evaporates into the surrounding air. This produces an evaporative cooling effect, called transpiration, similar to our perspiration. Its cooling effect can be equivalent to the output of running a large window air conditioner.

As a long-term effect, trees moderate global warming and resultant climate change. One of the primary causes of global warming is increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the air. Trees consume and store carbon dioxide as carbohydrates while converting some of it to oxygen.

In most temperate and colder climates, the key to efficient landscaping with trees is to locate them to provide shade, yet allow the sun to shine through during the winter. Leaving an open area to the southwest is ideal. Planting deciduous trees in an arc can actually channel breezes to your house for more effective natural ventilation.

In hot, humid climates, the same basic concept applies except that it is best to locate the trees further from your house. The moisture loss from the leaves can exacerbate already high humidity levels. Also, with high humidity levels, the cooling effect from the leaves is reduced.

In hot, dry climates, it is wise to plant trees closer to the house and select ones that produce a high shading canopy. Trees such as high-crown palms and live oaks allow cooler airflow beneath the shade canopy.

When selecting the particular specie of tree, consider the height and shape (round, pyramidal, oval, conical, columnar) of the tree as it matures. This allows you to determine how many to plant and how far to locate them from your house. Growth rates and winter hardiness are also important selection criteria.

Keep in mind some of the fastest-growing trees are also short-lived. Avoid planting these close to your house or you may have a future expensive tree removal job. For the most efficient use of trees, plan on doing quite a bit of pruning to maintain the proper ratio of shading and openness for winter solar heating.

To complete your landscaping, plant low-water-demand groundcover plants near your house on the south and west sides. These reflect more of the sun's heat and do not store it as gravel or stone does. In drought-prone areas where plants are discouraged, keep the gravel as thin as possible to minimize heat buildup.

Dear Jim: I have always heard that you should keep a refrigerator reasonably full to make it operate most efficiently. How do I determine what "reasonably full" means? - Jeri S.

Dear Jeri: Reasonably full means having the shelves almost completely covered with a typical array of various-sized containers, bottles and cans. This provides space for air to circulate freely around the containers.

The freezer portion can be packed somewhat fuller, but still needs gaps for air flow. A fuller freezer loses less cold air each time it is opened. Mark packaging well to reduce the open time while searching for food items.

James Dulley, Publication Name, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244