Summer isn’t too far away and many homeowners are already looking for ways to save money by using the air conditioner as little as possible during the warmer months ahead. If you’ve already taken the steps of replacing old doors, trading out drafty old windows for new vinyl replacement windows, making sure your weatherstripping is in good shape, and looking for air leaks around doors and windows, you’re off to an excellent start. Ceiling fans are also a great tool to help keep your house more comfortable during the warm summer months. But another great option worth considering is having solar screens installed.
Solar screens are screens that cover your windows to help keep light from the sun and its heat from getting into the house. You can easily extend the solar shades during the daytime and put them up again at night or on days when it’s not so sunny anymore.
So what’s the difference between solar shades and other window treatments like curtains or blinds? After all, can’t you just close either of those when you want to cut down on the amount of sun coming in, too? Solar shades are unique in that, in addition to blocking out sunlight, they can provide you with extra privacy by making it hard to see into your home from the outside, but you can still see out from the inside of your home. You get to have the benefits of having your blinds or curtains shut, but without having them completely block your view.
Since solar screens help keep heat from the sun out of your house, they’re very effective at keeping rooms cooler without having to turn up the air conditioner. In fact, solar screens can help keep rooms up to 15 degrees cooler. On a hot summer day, those 15 degrees can really make a big difference. By putting solar screens on windows that are on the southern side of your home, you could save up to 35% on your cooling bills!
Solar screens also filter out the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Carpeting, furniture, and pictures that hang on walls can become faded and discolored over time if they’re exposed to a lot of sunlight. By installing solar screens, you won’t have to worry about encountering this problem. Solar screens are also a great way to cut down on that annoying glare the sun can cause on TVs and computer screens.
When the weather gets cooler again, you can always raise your solar shades during the day to let the sun help keep your home warmer without having to turn up the thermostat. Solar shades can be a great way to make your home more comfortable and enjoyable all year long. And with all they money you can save on your heating and cooling bills, they should pay for themselves within a matter of a few of years.
