Everyone knows the dangers of too much sun exposure for your skin. Beachgoers today wouldn’t dream of hitting the waves without taking along a bottle of sunblock. Since slathering your home in SPF 45 and carting it to the beach aren’t viable options, here are some ways to keep out the sun to maintain a cool home.
Keep Out the Sun with Screens and Tints
Many homes in Las Vegas favor a sunblock approach. Most companies that offer tinting for vehicles also supply solar window films for your home. Some block up to 84 percent of the heat entering your home from the strong southern Nevada sun. Bear in mind, however, that applying post-installation films or coating usually voids any warranty protection from your windows’ manufacturer.
Solar screens decorate many houses around the Valley, and they provide up to 90 percent protection from the sun’s heat. Offered in a variety of shades, such as off-white, brown, black, and gray, the screens appear virtually opaque from the outside but allow clear views from inside the home. Solar screens are customized to match existing windows and include multipanel variations and arches, but they require periodic removal to clean off the dust and dirt blown onto them by desert winds over the course of a year.
Window Treatments
Creative individuals may prefer to use window treatments that complement their interior design and also keep out the sun. Your local home store or window treatment center will have a large selection of draperies, blinds, and shades. The most functional choices will offer some type of thermal block insulation, which helps to control glare and filters out heat rays. Estimates for home utility bill savings range from 10 to 20 percent with these window coverings.
Considered by many Las Vegas homeowners as the gold standard of window treatments that can withstand the heat, Plantation shutters can be found in both wood and laminate varieties, with an assortment of finishes. The slats also come in several sizes. Generally, these window treatments complement the decor and provide optimal control over incoming heat and light. They can be a pricey option, however, especially if you require arched panels or wish to outfit a large home.
Cool Is as Cool Does
To find the best option for keeping out the sun, you should weigh your stylistic preferences against budget considerations. You may opt for a combination, such as pairing solar screens with moderately priced curtains or plantation shutters. The more you invest in these methods of defense against the Las Vegas sun, the more you will save in associated energy costs. No matter which way you choose to go, you are sure to be cooler than anyone on your block who has not invested in some sunblock for the house.
Photo Source: Flickr
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By using combination of window awnings and blinds you will get effective result to keep sunlight out of home. You can control presence of sun rays using blinds. If window awnings are placed with perfect angle you will get good results. I would like to share beautiful collection of window awnings and blinds. Just check it out on the following link: http://www.sandatex.se/produkt-kategori/solskydd-utomhus/markisvav/
Plantation shutters are awesome. We had some installed this past summer and we absolutely love them. The folks at Shenandoah Shutters did a fantastic job helping us with buying our plantation shutters. I highly recommend them and their team. Every shutter was measured and custom hand made.
After reading about so many products I found that using solar screens on the outside of the window and using window shutters on the inside of the Windows is the best way to go. You should also be very picky on what kind of shutters you’re going to use if you live in Las Vegas. Some shutters do not have the capability to handle our hear hear in Las Vegas. If you’re going to use wood shutters make sure they’re made of good wood like ceader wood shutters but keep in mind good shutters will also have the right paint to protect those shutters as shutters in Las Vegas take a beating. Hear is where I ended up getting my window shutters for a local Las Vegas company and they had the most five star reviews on Yelp as well as the Las Vegas Diamond Award for Shutters service and installation http://www.windowshutterslasvegas.com company name Sun Off Shutters of Las Vegas
Love the ideas, I agree that screens do work well to keep out the heat. I use them for shade in both my home and my office and it makes a dramatic difference.
One solution that was not mentioned above but may work for you, would be some type of external structure/add on.
Building a Pergola for shade could block sunlight pouring through a window or two, especially during the brightest part of the day. And two birds one stone, a Pergola will also provided a shaded spot outdoors for you to enjoy 🙂