Solar Shade Buying Guide
Feb 17, 2022Window Shades do a lot for our interior spaces. Their primary purpose is to dress our windows and make them look better. Ask any interior designer, and they will refer to window treatments as the “icing” that completes the overall look and feel of your interior design. But window treatments do more than just make our windows look better; they also help increase the functionality of our windows. In our solar shade buying guide, we’re going to take a look at what solar shades are and why you should consider getting them.
Solar shades are quite popular in New York since they do a stellar job at keeping the sun’s heat at bay. Before we get to the buying guide part of our solar shade discussion, let’s learn a bit more about these shades.
WHAT ARE SOLAR SHADES?
At a glance, solar shades look like a variation of roller shades. They have a similar lift mechanism and aesthetic appeal. However, unlike regular roller shades, these shades are designed to counter the harmful effects of direct sunlight. They’re made of UV blocking material that helps reduce the amount of harmful UV light seeping into your rooms.
You shouldn’t confuse solar shades for windows with solar-powered window coverings. This solar shade buying guide is solely focusing on solar shades that are designed for filtering UV light coming through your windows.
Most of these shades are made with a sunlight resistant fabric with a woven texture. This material filters UV light without completely preventing natural light from penetrating your room. They let you enjoy ambient lighting without having to worry about UV damage.
BENEFITS OF SOLAR SHADES:
Solar shades are quite practical window coverings. They increase your window’s functionality while also making them look good. Here are some of the most prominent reasons why these shades are a great option for your windows.
Temperature Management:
Solar shades may not be your go-to window coverings for heat control, but they can be relied on for basic temperature management. They can decrease the amount of heat coming in through your windows during summertime, keeping your interior cooler.
Light Control:
These shades are great at filtering light coming through your windows and making it softer. The best solar shades do a great job at diffusing light as it passes through them. This results in a softly-lit interior space that looks amazing.
UV Protection:
This is what solar shades are best at. Solar shades for windows are made using special materials that block UV light. As sunlight passes through your shades, it dramatically reduces the amount of UV light being carried in. This safeguards your floor, furniture, and other fixtures from UV damage. The best solar shades can provide you with UV protection for a very long time.
SOLAR SHADE BUYING GUIDE: WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE BEST SOLAR SHADES?
When you’re buying solar shades, there are a few factors that you should keep in mind. Remember, whenever you’re about to buy window coverings of any kind, you need to look for a balance between aesthetics and functionality. In order to get the best solar shades for your windows, here’s what you should consider:
- Solar shade percentage
- The shape and size of your windows
- The amount of privacy you want
Solar Shade Percentage
Every solar shade has a percentage rating that describes its level of “openness” between your solar shade’s weave. Like we mentioned before, solar shades for windows are made from a woven fabric. Different solar shades come with different weave patterns. A higher solar shade percentage means there’s more space in-between your shade’s fabric’s weave. And a lower solar shade percentage means there’s lesser space between your fabric’s weave.
Standard solar shade percentage starts from 1% and goes all the way up to 10%. A higher percentage means that your solar shade will let more light pass through it. It will also mean that your shades will be more see-through. A lower solar shade percentage will mean the opposite.
The best solar shade percentage for you will depend on how much sunlight comes in through your windows and how much privacy you want. You can always ask your window treatment company to help you pick your solar shade percentage.
The shape and size of your windows
The shape and size of your windows play a massive role in determining the overall look and feel of your window covering. Luckily, solar shades have a minimalistic design that makes them look great on most windows. They look the best on wider windows, and they perform the best on them too. Narrower windows often don’t need solar shades since they don’t have too much light coming in through them.
Solar shades look their best on wide and tall windows in living rooms and sun-rooms. If you have extra tall windows, you should consider investing in motorized solar shades. The manual lift mechanism of solar shades can be tedious to use, especially if your shades are big. Motorized solar shades have an automated lift mechanism that lets you lift or lower your shades with the press of a button. Motorized solar shades can be expensive when compared to regular ones, but they are also worth it. You can also have already installed regular shades converted into motorized solar shades.
Privacy
The amount of privacy you want from your shades is worth considering. Solar shades with a higher solar shade percentage will be more see-through. What this means is that people will be able to see inside your windows easily, especially when it’s dark outside. Even solar shades with the lowest percentage will let people see through your windows during nighttime. Unfortunately, solar shades aren’t great at privacy control since they simply aren’t designed for it.
You can find a workaround for this problem by opting for outdoor motorized solar shades instead. Since these shades will be installed outside, they will offer better privacy control. But this option does not work for everyone. You should consult your window treatment company about what type of solar shade will suit you the most.
SOLAR SHADE BUYING GUIDE: CONCLUSION
Solar shades are great for protecting your interior spaces from UV rays without completely getting rid of natural light. These shades are made using special materials that block UV rays while allowing light to pass through them. The best solar shades can provide you with superb UV protection for years.
There are a handful of factors that you should keep in mind when buying solar shade for your windows. Our solar shade buying guide has covered all of the major factors that determine how well your solar shades will work for you. By the end of our solar shade buying guide, you should be able to figure out what to look for in the best solar shades for your windows.
If you still have any confusion regarding solar shades, you can always get in touch with our team. We at Alluring Windows have a wide variety of solar shade solutions that we can help you pick from. Get in touch with us today to figure out what kind of solar shades will work best for your interior space.