Here at our Blindsgalore offices in California, we get a lot of questions about how to manage the intense sunshine, especially in the summer months. Here, sunshine is a factor all year long. It can cause fading and damage to interior fabrics and furnishings and make your home uncomfortably hot. When that gorgeous sun heats up your house, you may want to consider replacing your blinds or shades to accommodate California’s intense sunshine and heat. If, for example, your window faces south or west, the sun may be more of an issue during certain times of the year. Here are three solutions that can help, and can save energy consumption in the long run.
1. Outdoor Shades
These durable fabric shades help keep your outdoor patio area cooler and prevent the sun from heating up the window’s surface and transferring heat to the room’s interior. Made from solar fabrics or outdoor awning fabric, they are designed to shield the outside of the house from sun before it has chance to heat up your house. Best of all, they can be retracted when you don’t need them during seasonal changes.
2. Solar Shades
Sometimes called solar screens,these are made from special mesh fabrics much like screens. They are designed to reflect the sun and its UV rays, keeping rooms cooler and helping protect fabrics and furnishings from solar damage. Perhaps best of all, solar screens allow view-through, so you can keep the view to the outdoors. These blinds are perfect for California properties with fantastic beach and ocean views.
3. Cellular Shades
Cellular shades are popular because of their neat pleated appearance paired with their superior insulation properties. The honeycomb construction of cellular blinds and shades offers an insulating air space that helps keep California rooms cooler. When shopping for cellular shades, you will be able to choose from single, double and even triple cell configurations. In general, more cells mean a higher insulation value. Also consider the size of the window you are covering when choosing the size of the cell. Larger windows look best with larger cell sizes and smaller windows with smaller cell sizes. Also look for cellular shades with a white back side to help reflect the most heat.
No matter which ways your windows face, we want to help you love your view.