This One Tip Can Turn Your Home Into A Natural Air Conditioner As Mercury Soars – News18
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Increasing wall thickness can turn your home into a natural air conditioner. While some people suggest using 5-inch bricks to reduce costs, others recommend walls that are 10 inches or more in thickness
Keeping your walls at least 10 inches thick will not only provide structural strength but also help maintain a comfortable indoor temperature throughout the year. (Local18)
As the heat intensifies, indoor temperatures also rise, making it challenging to stay comfortable even inside the home. In such conditions, installing air conditioner often becomes necessary. However, there was a time when people lived comfortably on hot days without it. Also, air conditioning is not affordable for everyone.
Rajaram Saav, a house construction worker with 15 years of experience, explains that people previously built mud houses with walls 20 to 25 inches thick. Even concrete houses of that era had similarly thick walls, which prevented external heat from entering homes. However, nowadays, wall thickness has reduced to a mere 5 inches, allowing external heat to penetrate interiors easily.
What Determines Wall Thickness?
Rajaram suggests that increasing wall thickness can turn your home into a natural air conditioner. While some people suggest using 5-inch bricks to reduce costs, others recommend walls that are 10 inches or more in thickness.
He further states that wall thickness depends on several factors, including the number of floors, location, climate, and materials used. For a single-storey house, a 5-inch thick wall may suffice for a non-load-bearing partition. However, for a two- or three-storey structure, walls should be at least 10 inches thick to ensure strength and better temperature control year-round.
Things to Keep in Mind While Building Walls
Rajaram advises that 5-inch bricks should only be used for partition walls. For main structural walls, a minimum thickness of 10 inches should be maintained. If you plan to add a second floor in the future, the strength of the existing walls must be considered in advance.
Thinner, 5-inch walls are more prone to moisture seepage and allow sound to travel easily between rooms. In contrast, 10-inch or thicker walls stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter, helping reduce electricity consumption. Therefore, when building a house, ensure your walls are at least 10 inches thick. This will not only provide structural strength but also help maintain a comfortable indoor temperature year-round.
