Installing solar sun screen on sunny windows is a great way to block much of the direct sunlight out of your home. This can reduce the solar heat and harmful UV rays coming in your windows by up to 90%.
While it does obscure the view out your windows more than standard screening and allows less air circulation when the window is open, solar sun screen works well for windows on the south and west side of your house that receive a lot of direct sun.
Replacing your existing screen with solar sun screen on sunny windows will keep your house cooler in the summer, reducing air conditioning costs, and protect fabrics and furniture from fading.
Further Information
- How to Keep Harmful Sunlight from Coming Through Windows (article)
- How to Replace a Window Screen (video)
- Save Energy with Window Film (video)
- Exterior Sun Control Products (Phifer Incorporated)
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Danny Lipford: It’s rare that I ever leave the house without my sunglasses. For good reason, too. Doctors say sunglasses with UV lenses help protect our eyes from developing cataracts. Plus, you look really cool wearing them, right? Well, here’s a green twist. You should think about sunglasses for your home.
What I’m talking about is solar shade cloth. This stuff has been around for several years and the reason it fits into Thinking Green is because strategically placed solar shade cloth can screen out solar energy which, in turn, reduces heat gain and helps lower home cooling expenses.
Good quality solar cloth can filter out up to 90% of harmful UV rays. The benefit isn’t limited to the inside either. Under cover of this cloth, outside ambient temperature can be fifteen degrees cooler. One other green benefit is that once they’re in place, you’re helping to keep your home cool without using any extra energy or spending any money.
Hi,
I am looking at ideas on how to block out the summer sun that enters a very large 2-story window in a stairwell.
So far inside treatments – i.e tinting, knock out drapes, have not worked.
The temp can rise from 65 deg to 95 on a hot day near the summer solstice in June / July when the sun reaches its peak height in the Idaho sky here.
Thanks
Hi, John,
TodaysHomeowner.com features several articles on this topic.
We recommend these links to start:
https://todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-reduce-damage-from-sunlight-in-windows/
https://todayshomeowner.com/sun-blocking-windows/
Thanks for reading!
Dear Mr. Lipford: I like to watch your program as often as I get the chance. I have a very serious erosion problem in our backyard that needs immediate attention, the only thing is we are near 70 yrs old, so we can’t deal with it. Our budget is limited & have been fretting as to what to do. We live in a rural subdivion, our house sits the lowest at a dead end rd. The property next to us is a field & we’ve had a problem with our neighbor plowing extremely close to our chain link fence. Now the cement around the posts are nearly 100% exposed. The ground on his side used to be level with the bottom of our fence & now animals can crawl quite easily under it. This past wk. we had some heavy rains & it has jeopardized our yard even further. What can we do on a limited budget??? Hope to hear from you soon. Mrs. Bingham
Hi, Mrs. Bingham,
This sounds like quite a challenging situation — but there’s always a Simple Solution for those. 🙂
We recommend submitting this question to the Today’s Homeowner Radio Show for an in-depth answer.
Please use this form to contact Danny Lipford, America’s Home Expert, directly: https://www.todayshomeowner.com/radio/ask-questions/
Take care!
Hi, Mrs. Bingham,
This sounds like quite a challenging situation — but there’s always a Simple Solution for those. 🙂
We recommend submitting this question to the Today’s Homeowner Radio Show for an in-depth answer.
Please use this form to contact Danny Lipford, America’s Home Expert, directly: https://www.todayshomeowner.com/radio/ask-questions/
Take care!