Beating the heat - suggestions required

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Kneo said:
A coat of Surya Cool Cement (approx 200 bucks for 5 kg) on the terrace.

Is this good enough? Does it beat the purpose of applying regular chuna?

BTW regular chuna is plaster of paris right? :ashamed:
 
I think the more effective solution would be the thatched roof mentioned here

First, get a thatch roof constructed above your bedroom roof slab. To do this you need to put up bamboo framework (4 poles at 4 corners and a criss cross lattice of split bamboo poles on top of that). Then spread hay on top of this lattice making sure that the hay is tied down to the framework. This will cut down the direct solar radiation which accounts for most of the heat. Just make sure it is about 7 feet above your slab so that you can walk under it.

Then you can plaster the top surface of your roof slab with mud (about 1 inch thick would do I guess). Make sure it is mixed properly so that it forms a homogeneous layer. Let it dry slowly to avoid cracking.

This would surely be better than cement on its own which is still exposed to the sun's rays, plus you have access & use of the terrace.
 
Nope regular chuna and POP are different AFAIK.

@linuxtechie - Thanks for your concern but it's not as bad as it seems to be. Babies are born and brought up in much extreme conditions in the world !

Polystyrene is a much effective idea, although as compared to the cement thing it would be costlier and applying it would be a hassle. Walls are not much of concern actually as the highest temps are achieved when the sun is overhead and walls would get most of the sunlight at dawn or dusk which is not a heat source at all.

@greenhorn - With the heat that I am talking about, the water would evaporate in 5 mins flat.

@blr_p: One of my preconditions is cost and hassles. I agree that this is the perfect solution and if had that kind of time and money, I'd definitely get it done. Believe me, in today's aesthetic world, it would be a cool thing to have on your terrace !
 
Think of it this way, your roof is already made of cement and currently it is quite hot inside.

What diff is half a cm of cement on top going to do to change it ?

Here is a cheap but ugly solution. The idea is keep the sun off the roof.

Get a bedsheet or other material and secure at either end and then stick a cpl of bricks in the centre under, you only need maybe 1 foot clearance betwen the sheet and the roof.

Done, and i bet more effective than cement or polystyrene.

No access to the terrace tho, but if its cooling you want.... :)
 
um, how about shade nets ? My dad uses them to cover his orchids, and that part of the house is pretty cool :)

ooh, and some potted plants below them!
 
^^Bring down the temperatures, say delta 5-6, not more perhaps. This Surya Cool Cement seems to be interesting from the guy who's posted in T-BHP thread of yours. Shall try it this weekend if its available.

Today the afternoon temps were around 42-43'C. Could barely walk. Aw man, this place's pathetic during April. :(
 
^^

Avoid getting out in the afternoons with your skin exposed. You may easily get sun stroke. I believe you are staying in the L&T quarters. Would they allow you to put cement on the terrace?
 
^Yep. NVM, at least the HR of this god-forbid organisation would not take such steps. :|
 
Kneo said:
@medpal - Its your city - SURAT

@gannu - Amen to that - the heat in Surat is unbearable, specially in the afternoons when you have to travel on a bike - its a killer.

@medpal - The 5 month old is still surviving just on breast milk and boiled moong dal water. I guess we should start giving him water though. Thanks for the suggestion. Will talk to some pediatrician and get it started soon.

I am planning to go for a cooler and another suggestion suggested by a member on TBHP - A coat of Surya Cool Cement (approx 200 bucks for 5 kg) on the terrace.

Welcome to the aftermaths of so called global warming.

In my 8 years in surat this summer is happening to be the hottest already. Mercury is kissing 42 degrees and no signs of slowing down.

In Surat you have to say good bye to idea of cooler. As already humid atmosphere will make the heat unbearable.

like we mentioned you make a layer of chuna / cement whatever reflect the light away from your roof.

you can add temporary structure so that there is gap of 2/3 feets between structure and roof so that the heat little bearable.

If you are in better areas then open up the windows at the sunset and by sleep time the atmosphere cools down considerably.

@gannu : this heat is nothing against heat of ahmedabad. and chuna is calcium carbonate.
 
Do consider wet gunny bags spread on the floor, water them every 2 hrs or so..or better, leave a tap on at very slow speed..
 
@medpal - I've been visiting Surat since I was a child. Compared to Mumbai the heat there is extremely dry, it's nowhere even close to humid. In Mumbai, its extremely humid but in Surat its as dry as it can get.

BTW - I stay at Tadwadi on Rander Road. For the Gujarati-challenged, Tadwadi literally translates to orchard of palm trees - LOL, now with the concrete urbanization, even a single palm tree would be hard to find. But kudos to the SMC - they are trying their best to keep the city green. Whenever I visit Surat, I feel very pleased to see the greenery around.
 
Hey @Kneo, if its your own bungalow with some free space in the sides or in front, try to plant a sapling of trees like gulmohar or something which will grow in a few years and get big branches and a large canopy.
 
^ Good suggestion.

But unfortunately I would be visiting that place a few times in the next couple of months - so needed a short term solution. Also, we do not have large open spaces in the front or back - just a few feet of space on 2 sides.
 
medpal said:
Welcome to the aftermaths of so called global warming.

In my 8 years in surat this summer is happening to be the hottest already. Mercury is kissing 42 degrees and no signs of slowing down.

Nope, this ain't global warming.

Kneo said:
For the Gujarati-challenged, Tadwadi literally translates to orchard of palm trees - LOL, now with the concrete urbanization, even a single palm tree would be hard to find.

Bingo :hap2:

The difference between greenery & not could be as much as 5 degrees.

medpal: in those last 8 years how much more construction has taken place in Surat :)

medpal said:
In Surat you have to say good bye to idea of cooler. As already humid atmosphere will make the heat unbearable.

Now here is where the accounts differ :huh:

Kneo said:
@medpal - I've been visiting Surat since I was a child. Compared to Mumbai the heat there is extremely dry, it's nowhere even close to humid. In Mumbai, its extremely humid but in Surat its as dry as it can get.

Either it is humid or not, which is it ?

So long as the humidty is below 40% i think coolers will be ok. Tho ideally it should be 20% and below.
 
blr_p said:
Nope, this ain't global warming.

Bingo :hap2:

The difference between greenery & not could be as much as 5 degrees.

medpal: in those last 8 years how much more construction has taken place in Surat :)
Now here is where the accounts differ :huh:
Either it is humid or not, which is it ?

So long as the humidty is below 40% i think coolers will be ok. Tho ideally it should be 20% and below.

last 8 years shoe the property boom in surat and construction work has been terrific grwoing for last 1 year is has slowed down.

the link which you have shown is linking humidity figures of ahmedabad airport which is dry city.

Surat definitely is a humid city, i have found it to be alsmot identical to mumbai.

INDIA METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT
MULTIMODEL ENSEMBLE BASED DISTRICT LEVEL WEATHER FORECAST
ISSUED ON: 03-04-2009
VALID TILL 08:30 IST OF THE NEXT 5 DAYS
DISTRICT : SURAT STATE : GUJARAT
------------------- ------------------- ------------------- ------------------- ------------------- -------------------
PARAMETERS ENSEMBLE FCST
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAY-1 DAY-2 DAY-3 DAY-4 DAY-5
04/04 05/04 06/04 07/04 08/04
------------------- ------------------- ------------------- ------------------- ------------------- -------------------
Rainfall (mm) 0 0 0 0 0
Max Temp Trend (deg C) 1.5 0.0 -1.0 -1.7 -3.0
Min Temp Trend (deg C) 1.2 -1.3 -0.5 0.3 -1.9
Total cloud cover (octa) 1 2 5 1 0
Max Relative Humidity (%) 32 49 35 47 60
Min Relative Humidity (%) 17 16 16 23 24

Wind speed (kmph) 009 004 015 007 007
Wind direction (deg) 20 180 340 330 300
------------------ ------------------- ------------------- ------------------- ------------------- -------------------

NOTE: -99.0 ........ NO DATA
this is what is predicted for surat for upcoming 5 days by IMD, GOI.
so himiduty factor is typically fluctuating like in summer. but still is high
 
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