Paint your house white

[Annpan]

Me too Ina, we did it in or last place because we couldn't decide on a colour but living with white walls for a while made me realise how bright it can be (plus it is so easy to repaint if you have a 'pen on wall' based incident )

An while we are on the subject of aesthetic value of the outside colour of houses.... In Aberdeen, the local stone is a grey granite (it is called the granite city) most of the homes are this stone as are just about all the tall buildings on the main streets... I personally find it SO depressing, it is all so dark, even on a bright day.

[ina]

An while we are on the subject of aesthetic value of the outside colour of houses.... In Aberdeen, the local stone is a grey granite (it is called the granite city) most of the homes are this stone as are just about all the tall buildings on the main streets... I personally find it SO depressing, it is all so dark, even on a bright day.

Maybe - it doesn't affect me - but it makes best use of a local resource, that is in abundant supply! (Most farmers in Aberdeenshire a re stone rich... )

[wolfsong]

gah! And i was thinking of going to Strathclyde Uni, well, thats that then.
Is this guy having a laugh? Thats the most ludicrous bit of advice I've heard in a while, and surely not the most important health/architectural problem at the moment.
As for painting all our houses white, there goes my favourite little corner of england, Tobermory on Mull! I can't imagine that see front without the brightly coloured houses.
We would all go mad without colour, and who is going to pay for all the whitewash?

[Millymollymandy]

I have read the article now (hadn't before!) and it totally contradicts itself. If it is so hot that you need to paint your house white, you DON'T open windows, you shut them and close the shutters to keep the heat out. You only open them at night when the outside temp falls below the inside temp.

I bought my first ever pair of sunglasses when I first visited Greece - I was so blinded by the white everywhere. Had never needed them before that in England, although I do now as I can't function in sunshine without them - and they keep wrinkles at bay.

[Annpan]

gah! And i was thinking of going to Strathclyde Uni, well, thats that then.
Is this guy having a laugh? Thats the most ludicrous bit of advice I've heard in a while, and surely not the most important health/architectural problem at the moment.
As for painting all our houses white, there goes my favourite little corner of england, Tobermory on Mull! I can't imagine that see front without the brightly coloured houses.
We would all go mad without colour, and who is going to pay for all the whitewash?

Strathclyde Uni is in Glasgow, which is manky for a whole range of different reasons....but still a great city.... I can do guided tours (the native stone being blonde and red sandstone, you don't have the same dulling effects) There might be a campus for Strathclyde in Aberdeen, but I don't thinks so, they have their own Uni.

And... Tobermorry, on Mull in in Scotland, not England*... but quite lovely none-the-less... I like brightly coloured houses like that too.


Ina, I totally agree with the native stone being the best to build out of, but all those looming buildings on Union street is just too much dullness for me... and I don't think they should be built in something else, I was just moaning, not providing a solution
ETA - link to an image of Union St. http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/ ... street.jpg











*

[ina]

There might be a campus for Strathclyde in Aberdeen, but I don't thinks so, they have their own Uni.

Two, in fact - Aberdeen Uni and Robert Gordon University. And I try and avoid Union Street at the best of times - not so much because of the buildings, but everything else... Weekend nights and football days are totally out. Don't think I've been in town for a couple of years, tbh.

[wolfsong]

Strathclyde Uni is in Glasgow, which is manky for a whole range of different reasons....but still a great city.... I can do guided tours (the native stone being blonde and red sandstone, you don't have the same dulling effects) There might be a campus for Strathclyde in Aberdeen, but I don't thinks so, they have their own Uni.

And... Tobermorry, on Mull in in Scotland, not England*... but quite lovely none-the-less... I like brightly coloured houses like that too.

sorry yeah i know Mull's in Scotland (Duh <--slaps head), Wasn't paying much attention when i wrote that!
And Strathclyde was referring to the last academic quoted, I therefore got it into my head it was a study by them, ah well, my excuse: its to damn hot!

[ina]

sorry yeah i know Mull's in Scotland (Duh <--slaps head), Wasn't paying much attention when i wrote that!
And Strathclyde was referring to the last academic quoted, I therefore got it into my head it was a study by them, ah well, my excuse: its to damn hot!

Move to Scotland - that won't be a problem then!

[Ted79]

All greetings! Britons are being advised to paint their homes white and stay in the shade during a potential heatwave, according to a plan unveiled today by the Department of Health.

The scheme advises people to avoid going out between 11am and 3pm if they are vulnerable to the high temperatures, and to support the elderly and those in poor health during high temperatures.

Michael Dukes, of Meteogroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "We cannot be definite but the indications are that this year will be hotter than the two previous summers, with short heatwaves with temperatures above 32C (89F), especially in southern Britain."

Heat can particularly affect people with heart conditions and respiratory problems, and in extreme cases can be fatal.

Among practical steps included in the plan is advice to homeowners to paint buildings white to reflect the heat and to replace metal blinds with curtains that have white linings.

Environmental health officers, employed by local authorities, can also inspect homes and offer advice on how to deal with excessive heat.

The NHS South East's regional director of public health, Yvonne Doyle, said: "This year's plan encourages everyone to take practical action before a heatwave strikes. Keeping the home as cool as possible during hot weather and remembering the needs of friends, relatives and neighbours who could be at risk is essential."

[wolfsong]

my god! it got up to 33! Everyone in Britain must be DEAD!
I feel that this sort of attitude deserves to be well and trully squashed, anybody who finds the mid 30s "a bit hot!" should be shipped to the Antarctic in their underwear.
That's my rant for today over.

[ina]

Headline in the Press and Journal yesterday:

28 degree C - hottest day since 2006!


Argh! They really must have been short of news...

[Annpan]

my god! it got up to 33! Everyone in Britain must be DEAD!
I feel that this sort of attitude deserves to be well and trully squashed, anybody who finds the mid 30s "a bit hot!" should be shipped to the Antarctic in their underwear.
That's my rant for today over.

Seriously though, we are just not used to these temperatures and it really does kill people. I am sure that there are places in the world that would have headlines if the temperature went below -5oC, which we frequently have for days, if not weeks on end. It is all to do with the climate we are used to hasn't it.

Personally anything above 21oC is too hot.... but then, I'm Scottish

[ina]

I am sure that there are places in the world that would have headlines if the temperature went below -5oC, which we frequently have for days, if not weeks on end.

I'm sure there's a typo somewhere, Ann; -50??? Ah, sorry, the degree sign slipped down...

Yeah, I find anything above lower 20s too hot, too. And I just read somewhere that Scotland is even worse for skin cancer than Australia... It's not just the heat, it's the prevalent skin type (and the stupid behaviour of people wanting to make the most of the few sunny days we have!). Plus, it's very humid here, which makes the heat so much harder to stand. Yesterday, it was actually misty all day, but very warm - didn't know if it was condensation dripping off me, or sweat!

[Millymollymandy]

I'm quite surprised as I must have got acclimatised, as I've found the last couple of days quite cool yet it was still about 26C , I suppose it must have been because it's been quite cloudy. The high was 'only' 30.2C here but I really don't like it hotter than that. It's impossible to DO anything in it so such a waste of time. Fine when you're on holiday lazing by the sea doing nothing. Grumble grumble.

[ina]

Grumble grumble.

As long as we are grumbling, we are alive!

It's sunny out there again, but the forecast is for much cooler weather. Suits me fine, as I've promised my friend to help with the shearing one of the next days (well, not the actual clipping - that'll be done by a couple of Aussies - just rolling the fleeces etc...) - and that's so much easier when it's not so hot...