Spend time on your patio without risking a sunburn by getting solar shades. Typically made of tightly woven fabric to filter out the sun while still being thin enough to see through, solar shades are a fantastic alternative cover for windows. Today there are even more solar shade options that can protect both your patio and your home’s interiors from the damaging rays of the sun. Unlike curtains and other window treatments, they don’t completely block your view of the outdoors even when fully extended. Rolled down from a panel at the top of your windows, solar shades effectively block or filter out unwanted sunlight.

Part 1: What are Solar Shades?

Solar shades offer the following benefits:

• Greater Thermal Comfort. Solar shades help block excessive sunlight, so you can better enjoy spending time on your patio. You can have guests over for a bit of a chat and a cool glass of lemonade without having to suffer the sun in your face and sweat dripping down your back from the excessive heat. Investing in solar shades could be just what you need if you live in a warm, sunny climate year round.
• Reduced Cooling Bills. Solar shades can help significantly reduce the amount of radiant heat in your home, allowing your interiors to remain cool and comfortable without relying too much on air conditioning. This makes for greater energy savings.
• Prevents Sun Damage. Solar shades help protect your outdoor furniture from harmful ultraviolet rays that can cause fading. They also can prevent fading and damage to your interior walls, furniture and flooring.
• Protection From Insects. Solar shades create a barrier against pesky insects like mosquitoes. This means no annoying buzzing sounds or painful insect bites, making your patio a more comfortable and inviting space for reading or bonding with your family.
• Improves Privacy. Some of the fabrics used by solar shades today are thin enough to see through, but also thick enough to maintain your privacy from neighbors. When your solar shades are fully extended, they can also control wind movement through your patio.

Solar shade installation is a popular home upgrade for good reason: There are a lot of advantages they can provide.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our three-part blog, where we provide tips on selecting the right solar shades for your home.