mshollysd

There is also a window covering that lets light in but reflects most of the heat and direct sun out. You put it on the windows and still benefit from the light. I also recommend a good fan, pointed upward in a corner, so that the air will circulate but you aren't chasing pieces around when the fan hits you. I have a 4 ft floresent light hung above me when I am quilting so that is also cool.

Rettie V. Grama

My Living room faces the Northwest. In the afternoon, it already gets to be about 85 degrees in here. I bought black room darkening draperies. When the sun beging to heat up the house, I close thoses drapes to block out the sun. Keeps cool.

Aurora

No AC for me, I open the windows and enjoy the fresh air.

Grambi

We just built a quilting studio/guest house out of a grain silo. We put in a "mini-split" made by LG. My husband got it for less than $1000 online. It is quiet, and cools the 500 sq ft area very quickly. Ours has a heat pump that warms the house in the winter. You do have a small connection to the miniature compressor outside. I really am happy with it.

madamheather

We had the same problem with the whole house--live in Tucson--AC maxed out and the inside temp was around 90. We changed all the windows in the house to double pane and I made block out drapes with that rubberized layer over the windows that get the sun. It is amazing how the temp changes when the drape is put down when sun shines in--only issue it blocks out the light. We had problems with black mold with swamp coolers, so be watchful if you use a evap method of cooling. Good luck--the heat is really miserable and it also dry rots all the wood in your house.

ThreadHead

I also have a bedroom that gets hot during the day.
I put a fan on the roof to pull out the hot air in the attic and put extra insulation over that room. It helped some, but it's still hot and my SIL who is in construction said to put up more insulation on the wall where the sun hits. He said I would lose about 4 inches of the room, but it would stop most of the heat. If you touch your walls, are they hot or cold? I also put a tree in the yard to shade that side of the house, but it's not big enough yet to do the job.
Syl

Tudey

I live in Northern California, but my sewing room gets full afternoon sun, even with the blinds drawn. It was getting mighty hot in there to work! I had a large piece of black velvet and I tacked it up over the window. Now I can't tell if it is day or night outside, but I can sew whenever I want!

PABerard

I don't know how much it would cost to replace those windows with a double hung window and stick a window AC unit in there. Certainly cheaper, I would think, than setting the entire house at 60*.

I have the same situation that you do, except I have double hung windows and I put a window unit in there for a few months of the year. But before I got that I would sew downstairs during the day when I could. Usually I just sewed at night and early in the morning.

blyn330

I had a portable unit at last house and had to get a piece of plexiglass cut to size of window with enough room left cut out to vent the ac hose----it worked great

Lizzygail

I added a room to our house for sewing/crafting and put in a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim inverter. No ducting/venting etc. just the cabling run up the side of the house from the outside unit and a 3" hole in the wall from the outside to the unit on the wall inside. It's on a thermostat and WONDERFUL!!! Can put the fan to silent mode and don't even know it's running. Heats and cools beautifully.