Consider installing power or ridge vents to help cool the attic and provide better ventilation which also helps prevent ice dams in winter.
How to keep 2nd floor cool.
Air sealing prevents conditioned air from leaving the home.
To handle this problem there are four common ways to improve cooling on your second floor.
Divide the house into two zones one for each floor.
Air seal the windows in the attic and second floor.
Locate all of the vents on the second floor and check to see if they are blocked in any way.
Make the second floor return vent duct bigger.
Remove any furniture blocking the air flow.
Reducing the airflow to the first floor with also ensure longer cycle times as your thermostat is most likely on the first floor as well.
Add a small return vent duct to each room on the second floor.
Block off the second story from the ground floor.
These appliances draw excess moisture out of a room and collect it into a bucket for disposal or routed into a drain.
Use a floor fan or ceiling fan to improve or direct cold air flow upstairs.
Keeping your blinds closed in areas that are unbearably hot will reduce the temperature of your upstairs.
Keeping cool in a 2 story house from a lot of experience i can say that a simple easy to implement yet significant contribution to improving a 2nd floor that gets too hot in summer is to install insulating shades lower them in the morning then raise and vent at night.
If you allow sunlight to shine in through a window you are adding heat to your home.
Fully open each vent to allow for maximum air flow.
Set the fan to be on all the time.
Longer cycle times mean more cool air is getting to the second floor.
An excellent way to keep the second floor of your house cool is to close your blinds or curtains.
Use curtains and drapes to block sunlight.
Open doors on the second floor so air is more evenly distributed when using a central ac system close doors that lead to rooms where cooling isn t a priority when using a supplemental ac unit upgrade your thermostat to a programmable or smart wifi version.
This will block the excess heat from the sunlight.