A great way to enjoy the summer is to keep your home cool. A great way to do this is with outdoor shades.
Outdoor shades, also called sun shades, can significantly reduce cooling costs inside your home as well as create a more pleasant outdoor atmosphere for your patio, deck or sunroom. In very hot climates, people also use outdoor shades on their sun-facing windows. Exterior shades offer numerous benefits:
- Lower cooling costs
- They can help to block damaging UV rays and reduce glare without sacrificing views
- When used on windows, allow you to keep the window open for ventilation
- Dress up the look of a patio
- Provide additional privacy
You can purchase outdoor shades in many retail stores as well as online. They range in quality and price from the cheap plastic ones you can pick up at the Home Depot that’ll last for a couple years max, to high-quality exterior sun shades, like Coolaroo, which will last for many years.
The other nice thing about the higher-quality outdoor shades is they are usually made to order, so they will fit exactly. Coolaroo shades, for example, are available in two opacities, 8% and 20%. The 8% openness outdoor shades block more light (allows in 8% of incoming light). The 20% openness outdoor shades allow in more light for greater view-through. Coolaroo makes two version of their exterior shades: the Coolaroo designer series and the Coolaroo premier series.
The Designer sun shades provide 20-25% heat reduction by blocking 92% of UV rays and 75% of sunlight. The Premier Series solar screen material provides 15% heat reduction by blocking 80% of UV rays and 66% of sunlight.. So, depending on how intense the sun is in your part of the world, you can make the right choice.
