Why Upstairs Rooms Stay Hot in So Many Southlake Homes

Perhaps you came home from work yesterday and felt refreshed in your downstairs living space. Then, however, you climbed the stairs to turn in for the night, and it just felt hot, hardly the temperature conducive to a good night’s sleep.

Sleep is important for good health, reducing stress, aiding in memory, and even helping weight to stay stable. When uncomfortable temperatures disrupt sleep, the consequences can be more significant than they might at first seem.

Whether you live in one of Southlake’s single-family homes, a multi-story townhouse, or a luxury estate, you’ll likely be asking yourself the exact same question: What’s going on?

We’ll share common reasons in this blog post, and if you’re looking for a solution for your home now, please reach out to Moss Heating, Cooling & Plumbing online.

Three Problems That Contribute to Hotter Upstairs

1. The Parcel Theory

This theory explains that because warmer air is less dense than cooler air, it rises. As gravity pulls the denser, cooler air down towards the surface of the Earth, it forces the less dense, warmer air up. In the case of a Southlake, Texas home, “up” means the upper stories of your house.

The hot sun also plays a role, beating down on the attic, which is naturally closer to upstairs rooms rather than the downstairs ones. As another factor, the rooms that receive afternoon sunlight can become even warmer than the rest of the upstairs.

In short, these factors can cause uneven cooling in Southlake, TX. 

2. Less Than Optimal Ductwork

More than one in five homes in Southlake were built before 1990, with some nearing a century in age. Older homes are more likely to have outdated ductwork and, as the HVAC system directs air-conditioned air to a second story, some of its impact can get diluted along the way, leading to uneven cooling in Southlake, TX homes.

3. One Thermostat for the Entire House

Older homes, and those that didn’t come with a zoned design, can have one thermostat to handle the cooling needs of the entire multi-story house. It’s typically located on the first floor. In this arrangement, the desired temperature gets reached on the first floor, causing the HVAC system to shut off. 

Meanwhile, the second story remains warmer than desired. Couple that problem with less-than-optimal ductwork and the scientific principle that warm air rises, and the upstairs rooms can feel quite uncomfortable. 

DIY Strategies That You Can Use to Help Cool Your Home

The next question following “What’s going on?” would be “What can be done to make the cool comfort in my home more evenly spread?”

1. Ensure Quality Attic Insulation

Average daytime temperatures in Southlake exceed ninety degrees in June, July, and August, with averages almost reaching that point in September. Even the evenings typically remain in the eighties. 

As the hot sun hammers the roof, the surface absorbs radiation, which heats up the attic to an extreme degree. One way to address this is to effectively use insulation to create a barrier that traps much of this solar heat, preventing it from superheating the upstairs floor in your Southlake home.

2. Use Ceiling Fans 

Although ceiling fans don’t actually cool your house down, they can be a useful tool in connection with a quality HVAC system. When spinning in a counterclockwise direction, the fans can help to push cool air down, creating a breeze that can feel good. Overall, they’re a fairly low-cost strategy to help keep your upstairs feel more comfortable.

3. Block the Sunlight Upstairs

Seeing the sunlight streaming into an upstairs bedroom can look pretty, but it also can add to the heat you feel. So, use blinds, curtains with backings, and other window treatments that can prevent this direct sunlight from pouring into your rooms. This can prevent the heat from penetrating the rooms and allow your air conditioning and ceiling fans to work the best that they can.

4. Doublecheck Your Vents

Ensure that your vents upstairs are fully open. If you’ve got a return vent system with a top and bottom component, open the upper portion during the summer months. This allows your air conditioning unit to draw air from higher in the room, pushing hot air out and cooling the room during the summer. 

5. Regularly Change HVAC Air Filters and Clear Outdoor Debris

When you regularly ensure that your air filter is clean, this allows your air conditioning system to run more effectively. Even when this doesn’t directly address uneven cooling in Southlake, TX homes, it allows you to maximize the system you have. Also make sure that your outdoor unit isn’t blocked with leaves, twigs, trash, and other debris.

Strategies That HVAC Professionals Use

1. Regular AC System Maintenance

When your AC system is regularly maintained, this helps your system to work at its optimal levels, extending its lifespan and allowing you to enjoy cool comfort for as long as possible. This serves as one of the smartest strategies you can use to feel as cool as possible for as long as possible.

Through our thorough visual inspection and professional diagnostics, we will also get to the root of any areas in your system that may not be working optimally anymore, which can include early issues with ductwork, electrical connections, and so forth.

2. AC Repair When Needed

Whether it’s a leak in a refrigerant line, an issue with an aging compressor, or another issue altogether, our team will handle your AC repair with close attention to detail, respecting your schedule and your home and clearly communicating what we’re doing to help achieve long-lasting cool comfort in your home. 

Because we fully stock our technicians’ trucks, we can typically perform your AC repair in a single visit. If you need help outside of regular business hours, we provide 24/7 emergency support so that you’ll feel sweet relief ASAP. 

3. AC Replacement Installations

Perhaps your heating and cooling system has reached the end of its lifespan. When that happens, we’ll share the best option for your home: energy-efficient AC installation solutions that will effectively cool your home and help to prevent uneven cooling in Southlake, TX, on upper floors.

As part of our analysis and recommendations, we’ll ensure your new HVAC system is right-sized for your home, using zone cooling and multiple thermostats where appropriate to deliver the best system for you.

Fight Back Against Uneven Cooling in Southlake, TX With Moss

At Moss, we believe that you should feel comfortable in your own home. In fact, this is where you should find the most comfort, and we focus our dependable solutions on making that happen for you.

We provide long-lasting solutions with expert, proactive, and transparent service, along with peace of mind. You can get an instant quote here.