The outside space can be as important as the inside when designing a home. As well as being a beautiful place to relax and enjoy, a well-designed landscape can also help keep indoor heating and cooling costs down. How does it do that?
Landscape shading is a method used to provide shade to areas of the house that see the most sun. If done correctly, the landscape shading method has been known to reduce indoor temperatures by as much as 9 degrees. On a hot day, that would make a big difference.
So, what steps are needed to ensure that landscape shading is done successfully? You will need to determine the precise location in which to plant your trees and shrubs so that they will provide the maximum amount of shade during the hottest time of the day. Another essential step is choosing the right kind of trees and shrubs. For example, you may want a tree to shade the house in the summer but also allow the sun to heat the home in the winter. For this, you would need a deciduous tree as it will lose its leaves in the winter. To benefit from as much shade as possible during the summer months, you will also need to choose a tree that is dense.
Before you begin planning your outside space it’s important to note that it will take some time before you can fully enjoy the benefits of landscape shading. Trees take a long time to grow. If you are looking for more immediate results, vines are a good alternative as they will grow much quicker.
