The modern air conditioner was not invented until the 1920's, and it wasn't until the latter half of the 1900's that they started to become a common occurrence. It still use to get hot and sticky back then at certain times of the year like it does in present day; so what did they do to keep the home cool back then?
Well, here's 5 ways people kept their homes cool before the wave of air conditioning came in to play;
Well, here's 5 ways people kept their homes cool before the wave of air conditioning came in to play;
 | Tall ceilings Ceilings as high as 10, 12 and in some cases even 14 feet were common in older homes. As heat rises to the ceiling, it allows for the air below that to remain cool and comfortable. Additionally, ceiling fans that were powered by electricity or elaborate rope systems also helped to facilitate air movement. |
 | Transoms A transom, which is a small window above a door allows for warmer air at the ceiling to circulate up to higher floors providing more air movement throughout the house. Transoms over exterior doors often had hinges which made opening and closing them an easy task. |
 | Large windows Asides from wanting a nice big window to look out on your grand estate, these large windows would let large quantities of heat which has built up in the house to escape. Additionally, thick drapes and curtains would often be used to stop any heat coming in. |
 | Reflective roofs and ceilings Many older homes had light coloured or silver metal roofs made of lead, tin or copper. This was a great way to reflect heat away from the home to reduce interior temperatures. |
 | Thick walls Thick brick masonry or stone walls were a great insulator and did well to keep homes cool. Walls that could be up to 24 inches thick were common in certain parts of the world and were capable of blocking sunlight coming in during the day, whilst keeping the place warm at night as the chill would set in. |
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