Solar screens block UV rays 65-90%, preventing the sun from heating up your windows and your home. But the screens only block visibility 15% – 40% depending on fabric selected, so you still get plenty of light inside your home to keep your plants happy and healthy.
Solar shades can help reduce heat in a window, but they will not block cold. They reduce heat by blocking the amount of sunlight coming into a space, and making the windows more energy efficient. This heat reduction can help you save money on energy costs during the hot summer months.
While you can purchase solar shades with varying degrees of openness, which range from 1% to 17%, when lights are on indoors, people will be able to see into your home. However, at night you will not be able to see out of your home through the shades.
Solar Shades
These are one of the most energy efficient window shades that provide an effective shield from the sun and keep your room much cooler during the hot summer months, helping you save considerably on your energy bills.
In cooling seasons, cellular shades can reduce unwanted solar heat through windows by up to 60%, reducing the total solar gain to 20% when installed with a tight fit.
When solar screens are properly installed, you can expect them to last 10 years or more.
Cellular Shades. Cellular shades, or honeycomb shades, are one of the most energy efficient window coverings you can buy. They use a series of honeycomb-like cell pockets to trap air around your windows, keeping your rooms warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Cellular Shades
Cellular shades have the highest efficiency value, making them one of the best choices for window treatments in your home. For optimal light control and thermal performance, opt for the top-down bottom-up style, which allows you to control the amount of sunlight shining in throughout the day.
Contra Vision® White 24/7 Concealed Vision™ is a one way window film that works at night. Most one-way vision films can only provide privacy during the daytime. At night the films become see-through if the inside is illuminated and blinds or curtains are needed.
You may be asking, “Do solar shades provide privacy?” We love solar shades because they block light without blocking your view, BUT they're not a good choice for privacy. Solar shades have an open weave fabric that allows light and air to pass through. During the day you can see out but, passers-by can't see in.
Vertical blinds offer great control for light and privacy. By drawing back the blinds you can let in maximum light, bringing the outdoors in. However, you can easily balance the need for light and privacy by angling the louvres. As well as being ideal for windows, vertical blinds also work well for bi-fold doors.
Solar screens are a great way to vastly improve your home's energy efficiency, keep your home comfortable all year long, increase your home's value and protect things like your furniture and drapery.
A solar shade with medium openness factor (7%-10%) will preserve the view and provide protection against UV rays that could otherwise cause damage to you interior finishes and furnishings. A high openness factor (14%) of a solar screen results in the best visibility and significant glare reduction.
The average solar screen costs $300 per window, including labor. Most homeowners pay between $120 and $480 per window. Expect to pay more for larger windows (such as floor-to-ceiling), custom screens or certain openness/density levels.
The answer is 'yes', certain types of blinds will trap a layer of air between the fabric and the glass, helping to keep out the cold coming in from your windows. Professionally fitted blinds can be an energy efficient way to keep the heat in and the cold out.
Curtains offer better insulation and soundproofing.
In warm weather, however, blinds beat curtains in energy efficiency. Because blinds leak more heat from a room, they also decrease indoor heat gain more efficiently in the summer, by around 45 percent, which can lower your AC bills.
Closing your window blinds on hot summer days blocks the sunlight to keep your home cooler and reduce your energy use. Closing them on cold winter nights cuts down on heat loss, so your home stays warmer with less strain on your furnace.
Zebra shades offer insulation or reduced heat loss from the windows because of layering. Keeping your home warm means stopping the transfer of heat from inside to outside. Trapping air in layers is great to insulate your windows. Zebra blind does that, as it provides a layer between the blind and glass.
Thermal roller blinds are a great asset when it comes to retaining heat inside a room. They are constructed with a layer or multiple layers of thermal material which helps prevent heat loss. However, they will only be effective when they are down, so you'll need to have double glazing as well.
Do blackout blinds keep the heat out? That's the question people have been inevitably asking over the last few days as temperatures soar to 30 degrees. The short answer is yes - blackout blinds block sunlight, making them one of the best ways to keep a room cool.