7 Ways to Stop Your Office From Overheating

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The British weather is finally picking up. Long gone are the cold, dark days of the harsh winter and instead, flowers are starting to bloom and the sun is beginning to shine.

However, forecasters have predicted a surprise summer heatwave and Britain is set for its hottest summer EVER.

The mild spring weather has made the UK warmer than the Mediterranean and temperatures are expected to soar past 25Ă‚ĹźC over the coming months.

That can spell a big problem for workers in small, compact buildings like offices. And it’s not just the people that you need to safeguard- gadgets like your laptop and iPad can overheat too. So without further ado, here are the 7 best ways to stop your office from overheating.

1.     Fans

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Computers need proper air circulation. Clean the office gadgets regularly to avoid the build-up of dust which can start a fire. Check the placement of the equipment, make sure the fans are in good working order and always keep server rooms clean and cool.

2.     Solar Control Film

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Window films can combat intense glare, solar heat gain and reduce energy costs. Overheating can cause employee discomfort and equipment heat damage but a solar control film can help. Better still, most window films also provide “one way” daytime vision for extra security.

3.     Air conditioning

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Workers’ productivity decreases if they are hot and bothered. Install some air conditioning if you haven’t done so already and set the temperature to 22Ă‚ĹźC. This is the ideal indoor temperature which is best for productivity. Studies by CIBSE show that people start to feel warm at 25Ă‚ĹźC, ‘hot’ at 28Ă‚ĹźC and there is significant risk of heat stress at 35Ă‚ĹźC.

4.     Go barefoot

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Follow in the footsteps of Nick Clegg and go barefoot in the office. The Deputy Prime Minister has revealed that he takes his shoes and socks off  at work to prevent his feet from getting too hot.

However, this is a fairly lax approach to office attire- to allow your staff to walk around barefoot- and the office could end up smelling of sweaty feet. Not very professional when prospective clients come in.

5.     Leave the door open

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A high-power desktop PC can generate a lot of heat in a room. The simplest way and cheapest solution, would be to leave the office door open. We appreciate this may not be an option if you need to keep the door shut due to privacy or noise pollution but when possible, try to keep the door open to circulate the air.

6.     Increase thermal mass properties

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It may be that you need to look at the energy efficiency design of the building. A passive measure to maintain a cool working environment is to increase the thermal mass properties of the building. It allows a building to support a more comfortable temperature over a 24 hour period. You can also add insulation on the outside of thermal mass to slow the flow of heat.

7.     Plant vegetation outside the building

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Plant trees and flowers outside the office (if you are on a ground floor) to use for shade. Roof overhangs can also provide shade for glaring sun angles. Vegetation around a building can buffer the building’s increasing temperatures.

So there you have 7 effective ways to stop your office from overheating this summer. If all else fails, treat your employees to some ice cream- that will soon cool them down.

Got any more sizzling ideas? Let us know by commenting below.

This article was provided by Lustalux, the UK’s specialists in window film, blinds and graphics. Visit the site today to find out more about our solar control window film.

 

(All images courtesy of Bespoke Internet and Lustalux).

 

 

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