Buy Solar Screens

Solar screens are designed to moderate the amount of sunlight entering a home primarily by reducing the glare and heat. If you are looking to buy solar screens, there are a number of issues to consider.

Buy Solar Screens

Solar screens come in a wide variety of styles, all designed to help you block out the energy of the sun. Rollup solar screens are very popular as they allow homeowners the flexibility of using these “sunglasses” only when needed. Solar screens, however, also come in designs that can be used for skylights, doors, patios, boats, RVs and custom made solutions. If you have a sun problem, most companies can come up with a solution regardless of the specific problem.

Before you buy solar screens, you need to detail out the exact problem you are having and how you want to solve it. Not all solar screens are alike. For instance, if you have large windows in your home, is the problem the glare, the heat or both? Depending upon you answer, certain screens will be better than others. If you have glare problems without accompanying heat issues, a lighter solar screen that blocks 60 to 65 percent of the sunlight will probably be the best solution. Alternatively, the presence of both glare and heating problems is going to require a much heavier screen, one that will block 85 to 90 percent of the solar energy raining down on your structure.

When considering solar screens, you’ll be surprised to find there are a lot of variations. To help you out, here’s a simplified guide to the various products.

• Solar Window Film – Window film is similar to the window tinting you see in cars. The film is applied directly to the window surface and decreases sunlight penetration. The advantage of window film is it is cheap. The disadvantage is it is on the window all the time, making rooms very dark during cloudy or rainy days.
• Solar Sunscreens – These are exterior screens that replace your current screens and are designed to minimize solar penetration and bugs. Not the greatest solution in our humble opinion.
• Retractable Solar Screens – These screens are typically interior screens that can be rolled up, folded and so on. The advantage of these solar screens is you have the flexibility to use them on bright days and retract them on cloudy or rainy days. By far the most popular solution, but more expensive than permanent applications.

Once you’ve made your decision on the type of solar screens you want, you may run into a second issue known as the weave of the screens. Put in simple terms, the weave refers to the amount of sun the screens allow to pass through. The heaviest weaves will block all light, while lighter weaves will allow more and more light to get into the room. The measure of the weave is known as “openness,” meaning how much light can penetrate. There is really no way to recommend a particular weave in writing. You simply need to look at examples and picture them in your home. The decision is purely a personal choice with some people preferring near darkness while others prefer a lot of light.

If you’ve decided to buy solar screens, you’ll be happy to know there are lots of choices and prices are all over the map. You can find links above to numerous solar screen suppliers.

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