If you've ever doubted the power of the sun, the glare and heat generated in a home with large windows will change your mind. Boiled down to its basic elements, the sun is a nuclear reactor that sends more energy in the form of sunlight to the earth in one day than the entire world uses in one year. Without a filter device, the sun can practically turn your house into a nuclear reactor!



Solar shades off a solution. They come in a variety of forms, but have a few common characteristics. Regardless of the type, they act as a semi-translucent barrier to greatly filter the amount of light and heat generated by the sunlight. Depending upon your needs, this filtering process can be tailored to completely block the sunlight [a dark room] or filter it to allow for a more reasonable amount of light and heat in the room. Put in more simple terms, solar shades act as sunglasses for your windows.

A standard shade system is going to have an automated method of raising and lowering the screens from the inside of the home. If you are looking at a system that requires manual raising and lowering, skip it. It will become a pain in the derriere to have to do so every day, particularly if you have numerous screens.

Most screens come in standard sizes, but can be custom built to the particular dimensions of your windows. When ordering the screens, it is critical that you understand how the company is sizing the screens. Are the measuring from the inside border of the window or from the outside of the window frame? Nothing is worse than getting your system and finding it doesn't fit.

You can install the screens yourself, but more and more manufacturers are requiring professional installation. Using a contractor is best unless you have previous experience with such systems. The installation seems simple, but can be frustrating in the details. Most manufacturers also require profession installation as part of the warranty for the system.

Long term exposure to the sun can be a killer for the interior of your home. Carpets and furniture will fade and fall apart. The massive production of heat can put pressure on joints and cause premature roof failure as it builds up in the attic. Solar shades are just about the only way to deal with this problem.