What If Your Attic Doesn't Have a Fan?

Quick Tips

• Try a handheld fan. You can significantly increase the relief it provides by wetting a T-shirt, wringing out excess water and putting it on. The moisture will cool your skin as it evaporates. Re-wet the shirt as needed. Leave all the attic windows open to allow any breezes to enter; keep bugs out with screens. And remember: heat rises, so, it’s best to avoid the attic during the hottest hours of the day.

Internal Tactic

• Cool off from the inside out. While you’re in the attic, sip an icy-cold beverage or snack on a cool frozen treat. When you cook your breakfast, lunch and dinner, avoid using your stove and oven so heat doesn't rise into the attic. Additionally, eating cold foods will keep you cooler. Make a cold gazpacho soup, or dine on salad, sandwiches or cold finger foods such as deviled eggs, sushi or sliced cheese and pepperoni on crackers.

Lowered Temp

• Cool off from the outside in. Immediately before and after spending time in the attic, take a cold shower or a quick soak in a bathtub full of cool water. While you’re in the attic, keep a cold pack from the freezer on the back of your neck. If you don’t have a cold pack, tie a sealable plastic bag filled with ice cubes to your neck. If you’re going to be sitting still, immerse your feet in a bucket of icewater. And if you can, wear nothing or just your underwear to let your skin breathe; if not, wear light, breathable fabrics such as cotton.

Smart Décor

• Invest in some thermal drapes to hang over the attic windows. They cost a little more than a regular set of curtains because they are specially designed to keep rooms temperate and comfortable by blocking out the bitter cold of winter and the stifling heat of summer. Instead of incandescent light bulbs, which give off heat, use cooler fluorescents in attic lamps and chandeliers. Turn off anything electrical in the attic when not in use.