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How People Kept Houses Cool Before Air
Conditioning Was Invented
By Tricia Drevets + 8 Comments ✓ This post may contain affiliate links*

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At 112-years-old, my house has aged well in many respects. You don’t find its
interesting alcoves, side porches, and attractive columns in modern houses. However,
most century-old homes were fitted for central air-conditioning decades ago. Mine has x
not been.

Whenever people learn I live in a house without air-conditioning, their jaws drop. They
stare at me in disbelief. I end some of these conversations by cheerfully telling folks I
recently purchased two portable AC units for my children’s bedrooms. However, others
often persist by asking me questions about how we manage.

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That is when I share some of our hard-learned tips for staying comfortable in a home
without air conditioning. They are lessons that our predecessors knew well, and they
can help anyone who is trying to save on energy costs or who wants to be prepared for
a long-term power outage.

First, notice I wrote “comfortable,” not cool. During an intense heat wave – we usually
get more than a few 100-plus days each summer where I live — it is impossible to
keep your house “cool” without AC. However, there are things we can do to stay as
comfortable as possible. And it is important to keep in mind that even air conditioners x
can’t do their best work under extreme conditions.

Next, we need to understand that heat can be deadly. According to the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), extreme heat causes more deaths in American cities than all
other weather events combined. More than 400 Americans die each year from heat-
related illnesses, and the very young and the very old are the most vulnerable.
Precautions are necessary, especially for those age groups.

However, our stalwart forebears survived heat waves without technology, and so can
we – if we use some of their know-how. Here are 11 ways people kept their houses
cool before AC was commonplace.

1. They Used Window Coverings To Block The Sun

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You can help your home stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer by
opening and closing shades and curtains according to the sun’s patterns.
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Your ancestors were mindful of the sun’s movements throughout the day, and they
kept shades and curtain closed to block out its radiant heat in the summer. Outdoor
window awnings are another way our ancestors shielded their homes from the hot sun.

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2. They Built Homes With High Ceilings
This design creates a form of internal air convection since hot air naturally rises.
(Today, you can hasten this effect by using ceiling fans to draw the hot air up in the
summer). Those towers and turrets of Victorian mansions did more than add visual
interest; they captured hot air.

3. They Encouraged Cross Ventilation

Century-old homes have strategically placed windows and doors that are on opposite x
sides. That was no accident. The plan was to open at the same time to enable
refreshing morning and evening breezes to flow through the house. They also closed
these windows during the heat of the day to help retain the cooler air and to keep the
building heat out.

4. They Added Coolness To The Air

Here’s a trick your great grandmother would have recommended. Hang your wet
sheets indoors in front of an open window. As the breeze hits the sheets, it will provide
a nice cooling effect to your home – and your laundry will dry energy-free at the same
time.

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They also created the same effect by placing ice from the icebox or basement in front x
of a window. (If you like this idea and want to create a modern version of this concept,
here is a video for a DIY swamp cooler using only a Styrofoam cooler, a PVC pipe, a
battery-operated fan, and some ice.)

5. They Cooled Off With Water

I recently saw a photo taken during a heat wave in London’s East End in the late
1950s. People were outside their crowded flats, fanning themselves with newspapers
and taking it easy in the early evening. Many were sitting in chairs with their feet in
buckets of water. It works! (So do baby wading pools.)

Another simple way to cool off that our great grandparents used is soaking a
handkerchief or bandana in cool water, wringing it out and wrapping it around the
neck. (Washing your hair? Skip the hairdryer, and allow your hair to air dry for a cooling x
effect.)

6. They Used Reflective Roofing

The term “cool roof” is used today to describe a roof that absorbs less heat and
reflects more sunlight than a standard roof. However, many Americans – especially in
the South and Southwest – built their homes with this concept in mind in pre-AC days.
They used light-colored shingles or painted their roofs white to keep the sun’s rays x
from heating their homes.

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7. They Slept Outside
Houses – especially those in the South – built in the Victorian era or before usually had
one or more sleeping porches. It was common for families to move their beds and
bedding temporarily to these covered porches during all or part of the summer. (You
can transform a deck or balcony to serve as your own sleeping porch. Kids love it!)

8. They Used Trees And Shrubbery To Provide Shade

Today’s modern housing developments often cut down trees to make room for homes. x
Home builders did just the opposite in pre-AC days. They tried to design homes near
trees that would provide cooling shade.

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If that was not possible, homeowners planted trees and shrubs to offer shade to their
homes in the summer. This process works well to keep occupants more comfortable all
year round. The leaves of deciduous trees help block sunlight in the summer, and when x
they fall off in the autumn, they allow warming sunlight to reach your home in the
winter.

9. They Ate Smaller Meals

Our ancestors didn’t have the luxury of out-of-season fruits and vegetables and frozen
entrees. Instead, they made the most of nature’s bounty during the hot weather.
Watermelon, leafy greens, celery, cucumbers, and tomatoes all contain mostly water. x
Not only do they taste great, but they help keep you hydrated.

In order to stay comfortable in the heat, it is critical to stay well hydrated. Sweating is
the human body’s cooling mechanism, but you need to replace that lost water to
remain healthy.
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10. They Altered Their Schedule

Our forebears planned their chores to fit around the hottest parts of the day. They got
up even earlier to do outside work during the heat of the summer, often taking a break
during the noonday sun. If necessary, they extended their workday into the shade of
the evening hours.
11. They Wore Natural-Fiber Loose-Fitting Clothing In Light x
Colors
The Cotton Council International reports that loose cotton clothing helps absorb
perspiration and allows air circulation to keep your body dry and comfortable. Light-
colored clothing also is a good idea because it allows light (and thus heat) to be
reflected away rather than absorbed by the fabric.

Staying cool during a heat wave is a challenge for all of us. If you either do not have air
conditioning or are trying to reduce your reliance on it, it is even more difficult. Keep in
mind, though, that most Americans did not have home air-conditioning until the mid- to
late 20th century.

AC is a relatively new luxury. As late as 1993, only 68 percent of all U.S. homes had
some form of AC. Now that number is closer to 85 to 90 percent with Americans using x
more air conditioning than all other countries combined.
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For more ideas, check out this list of ways to stay cool without AC.

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Comments
 x
WillyP says
A U G U S T 2 5 , 2 0 2 0 AT 4 : 1 9 P M

I surprised there was no mention of dog runs. Many southern USA houses
have two sides of the house with a covered porch in between. This creates a
cool (shaded) space for ventilation and just sitting.

REPLY

SirSensible says
J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 AT 5 : 0 3 A M

The Colonial buildings of former colonies (which often incorporated x

indigenous architecture) and countries with severe heat like Australia had the
best designs.

Very leafy gardens with large shaded pools usually with fountains, shading
houses with 10 feet high and taller ceilings. Houses were white, with heavy
external shutters and in the case of Indonesia and the very similar
“Queenslander”- had 4 sides completely covered porches and the entire
floor on high piles, raising the floor at least one metre or yard above ground x
height.

In the case of colonial Spanish, French, British and Dutch- as in US Spanish

Mission styles houses- very thick walls, high ceilings and small windows on
sides exposed to the sun. If we look at Portugal, Spain, Middle East grand
houses & Andalusia- every porch covered, thick masonry walls, high ceilings,
fretwork windows (semi-transparent), tiled flooring large shade trees and
water features. Water features lower the ambient temperature as heat is
absorbed for evaporation. Gardens retain moisture and contribute to
evaporative cooling.

REPLY

Lynch says
A U G U S T 7 , 2 0 1 9 AT 1 1 : 5 9 A M

I found it odd no mention of burying a large pipe underground. Having one

opening exit in your house and the other opening outside where air would
circulate bringing the earth cooled air inside.
REPLY x

Michael says
S E P T E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 0 AT 8 : 0 7 A M

Earth Tube cooling was an interesting 1970’s idea but sadly the molds
that love to grow in the earth tube made it less than successful.

However earth sheltered homes still work nicely. Something about

sunshine and better airflow keeping the molds under control.

My Grandparents used to sleep in the Basement during summer for

this effect.
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REPLY

Scott B says
J U LY 1 0 , 2 0 1 9 AT 1 0 : 3 0 P M
More efficient than insulating the ceiling is to insulate the roof in the attic. x
This keeps the heat higher above the ceiling.

In my grandparents home the boys slept in the attic with a gable fan drawing
cool air through the lower area and out the gable vent .

REPLY

Ross Cameron says

J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 AT 6 : 4 5 P M

I have been a roofer for years in Queensland, Australia and consequently

studied means of cooling houses in our summers which reach high temps
x
and humidity. Pioneers developed their homes to live without AC and even
electricity. A central passage from front door to back door provided a
draught to cool the house. Roof overhangs kept the sun from heating the
windows. Windows were casements which opened the whole window
space, unlike modern sliders or even hoppers. Window hoods further
shaded the glass. A hanging set of wooden louvres often hung from the
window hood to provide more shade and breeze control. Wide shaded
verandahs extended at least on one side of the house or even as many as
three sides. High ceilings let the hot air rise. Houses were built on high x
stumps to provide another cool area underneath and space for clotheslines
for rainy weather. Houses were lined with timber which didn`t retain heat. So,
hard-learned experience let our early settlers cope with a severe climate.
The only drawback was the lack of venting hot air from the roof space,
although some gable roofs fitted vents to the gables. Modern wind-powered
spinning ventilators only remove a small quantity of hot air around the vent
so they are inefficient.

REPLY

Alan says
J U N E 1 3 , 2 0 1 9 AT 5 : 4 9 A M
x
This is really interesting, thanks for sharing your knowledge!

REPLY

Blakey says
J U N E 1 3 , 2 0 1 9 AT 7 : 2 9 P M
 x

With the “whirly Birds” fitting vents in the underneath of the eaves
improves the ventilation of the roof space. In West Australia at least
we keep the house shuttered up and all windows closed and covered
internally and exiernally until late afternoon when a cool breeze usually
comes in, then it’s time to open up and cool the house down overnight
for another similar cycle. Adding insulation to the ceilings is a must for
summer and winter too!

REPLY

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