The reasons for needing exterior solar shades can feel obvious. For instance, your outdoor patio tiles might be hot enough to fry eggs on, or your outdoor sectional’s cushions might be becoming more and more sun-bleached by the day.
Any way you look at it, one thing is for sure: you need some type of outdoor coverage and relief from the Texas sun.
Our experts at Premier Shades & Screens are here to share the three best benefits of custom exterior solar shades that make your outdoor space more enjoyable.
So, What Are Exterior Solar Shades?
Exterior solar shades are durable, roll-down outdoor screens made of tightly woven PVC-coated fiberglass mesh or vinyl-coated polyester, mounted directly above exterior windows, porches, or patio openings.
They can block a substantial amount of solar heat gain, UV rays, and intense glare before they reach your outdoor living spaces or seep through your home’s windows or glass doors, like sliding patio doors.
Homeowners lower these mesh screens, manually or automatically, during peak sun hours to transform scorching decks and screened porches into comfortable outdoor lounges.
3 Benefits of Exterior Solar Shades for My Texas Home
Here are our three favorite benefits you can experience when you invest in exterior solar shades:
1. Reduce the Strain on Your HVAC Unit
Exterior solar shades act as an extra year-round barrier for your home. By minimizing solar heat before it enters your home through windows, solar shades prevent thermal buildup and reduce summertime cooling loads.
During other times of the year, lowering the shades reduces drafty heat loss and cuts seasonal energy costs.
2. Increase Protection of Your Home’s Interior
Sun damage doesn’t announce itself in the moment. Instead, it quietly fades your home’s floors, furniture, photographs, and artwork over a few seasons, and there’s not much you can do to fix what’s been damaged by the sun. Solar shade fabrics block UV rays, preventing the often costly challenges they cause.
Additionally, with custom exterior solar shades, you can invest in high-quality patio furniture pieces without having to replace them as often.
3. Improve Glare Control for Screens and Sightlines
Trying to watch TV, scroll through posts on a tablet, or respond to a text when the sun glare makes the screen hard to see is so frustrating. Exterior solar shades eliminate that annoyance while still letting in natural light and a view of the yard.
Fabric openness refers to the tightness of the shade’s weave, which determines the balance between light and privacy you get.
For example, a tighter weave in the 1% to 5% range blocks more UV and glare but slightly limits visibility, while a more open weave in the 5% to 10% range keeps sightlines clear while still cutting heat.
Shop Custom Solar Shades Near Plano, TX
At Premier Shades & Screens, we work with homeowners to design exterior solar shades tailored to how they use their specific patio, porch, or window because we know that there’s no one-size-fits-all option.
Contact us online or call (214) 845-7676 to schedule your free consultation and start beating the Texas heat!
Premier Shades & Screens is proud to serve our neighbors across Dallas, Fort Worth, Collin County, McKinney, Plano, Tarrant County, and Denton County, TX.