4 Key Things to Have in Mind When Designing Your Home for Cold Climates

The impact of extreme winters to houses in cold climates can be devastating. For this reason, if you are thinking about building a home in a cold climate, you need to pay careful attention to its design. You have to design your home in a way that enables it to withstand the extreme winter temperatures. For this reason, here are some critical things you need to remember when home building in a cold climate.

Choose Your Site Carefully

The position of your house in a cold climate is very important. Heat gain is usually desirable in cold climates. Therefore, have your house built on the southern side of a nearby hill or mountain. This will provide maximum access to solar radiation. Also, design the living areas to be on the southern side for the same reason. The utility areas can be on the northern side.

Consider A Simple Gable Roof Design

Roof designs are critical in cold climates because of the accumulation of snow and ice. With a flat roof design, for instance, snow can pile up and add a significant amount of weight to the structure. Accumulation of ice on your roof can also lead to roof leakages. Therefore, the best way to protect your home from such effects is to prevent the accumulation of ice and snow and what better way to do it than going for a gable roof. This type of roof has a sloped design that allows snow and ice to flow to the ground easily.

While considering the design of your roof, focus on the roof material too. It would be a good idea to select a metal roof. Besides being durable in such climates, metal roof shed snow easily.

Consider Maximum Window Area on The Southern Sides

Window are major components of the design of a home. Besides the aesthetics, they are excellent when it comes to maximising direct heat gain from the sun. Therefore, design for as many or large windows as possible on the southern side, where the living areas will be. However, remember that you can also lose a lot of heat through the windows. To prevent this, go for double-glazed windows for enhanced insulation.

Add A Cover to The Design of Your Entrance

Covered entrances are also essential when it comes to homes in colder climates. A covered entrance will keep you safe from the falling snow. If a visitor is outside waiting for you to open the door, a covered entrance will also protect them from the snow. A covered entrance could be something as simple as a portico.

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