Window Treatments 101- Solar Shades

Among the many choices for window coverings in today's market, the Solar Shade now reigns King...or Queen, if you prefer! They are simple, eco-friendly, energy-efficient, easy to maintain, and have a long and care-free life! Plus, there are solutions at all price ranges. To decide which treatment is right for your room, your budget and your style, start by reviewing your options. This is the second in a series of posts where we will discuss many of the options, give you the pros and cons and sample pricing for a 36" wide by 48" long shade. Your shades should be custom fit to your windows for the best results.

What makes these shades "solar shades"?

The fabrics used in making these shades were designed to reduce solar heat gain, preserve interior surfaces and materials, improve the quality of home and work environments and protect natural resources by conserving energy. Most of the fabrics have GREENGUARD certification. The most popular styles are woven from vinyl-coated polyester yarns or from vinyl-coated polyester blends with acrylic or olefin yarns. The collection of the newest styles is nature-inspired and woven with diverse texture and rich colors that maintain the qualities desired; unmatched durability, minimal maintenance and excellent outside visibility.

Styles

Roman Shade

If you like the look of the folding roman shade, these glare and UV busters are available in that style as shown here. A series of horizontal lines created by the stitching that helps with the folds as they raise is not a good choice if you want to maximize your view.

Roller Shade

The simplicity of this roller style is enhanced by the subtle texture of the fabric shown here. There are over 100 fabrics to choose from with a range of colors and neutral textured fabrics. A valance to cover the roller is optional.

Panels on Tracks For some large walls of windows or doors, a panel track with long sheets of the fabric is the best solution. The only drawback here is there must be room at the side of the windows or next to the wall for the panels to stack up pushed to the side and not covering the windows or doors.

Features/Benefits:
• See your view while reducing glare and protecting from UV rays
• Standard Rollease Roller operation, cordless operation upgrade
• Can do a Bottom-Up only shade on pulley or track system
• Cordless option available
• Specially-woven fabrics provide up to 97% UV protection and reduce glare
• Select from three openness levels (3%, 5% and 10%) for the amount of light blocking you need.
• Huge amount of fabric choices
• Fabric resists dust, easy to clean
• Special Eco-friendly fabric PVC-free and 100% recyclable
• Can do very wide and very long windows with heavy duty controls and rollers

Drawbacks:

• Limited night time privacy
• Factory deductions for cord operation hardware will allow light to "leak" around inside mounted shades of 1/8-1/4"

Typical Price 36"wide x 48"long:

Mid-range fabric with a Bead/Reel cord mechanism $136

Add Fabric-Covered or Curved Cassette Fascia +60-76

Motorization - battery operation +450