One of the growing trends in modern homes is to utilise wall space as much as possible by opening it up and having large windows wherever possible. While this is a great look for a home, and can be especially effective if you have a nice view to look out on, it can be a difficult task covering all these windows during times when it’s hot and glary outside. Sun shades are a great option in these situations, they are versatile and inexpensive, and are fairly easy to install.
Sun shades are best used on larger windows and big glass sliding doors. It can be difficult getting coverings for these larger spaces, and a sun shade is a great choice. You can get either interior or exterior sun shades, and the one you choose will totally depend on what sort of a look you want for your home. If you have them outside, keep in mind that you will need to go out there in order to close them, and if it’s the middle of summer and stinking hot out there, this can be a bit of an effort.
Sun shades are not a blackout solution for your home, they will filter the sun out, but by no means will they stop it from coming in completely. If you want to eliminate all sunlight, then you are going to have to look at something more suitable like blackout blinds or curtains. The benefit of a sun shade over these treatments is that you can still see out of it, without frying to a crisp.
Another thing that sun shades are not is insulators. They will have a little bit of an insulating effect in your house, but generally only about 10 – 15% of the heat will be blocked using this style of covering. For a more thorough insulation, then thermal curtains are the way to go. Of course, you can have the best of both worlds by installing sun shades on the outside and thermal curtains on the inside. That way, you can look at your view until it starts getting too hot, and then close the curtains over.
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Of course, the home is not the only place that uses this type of covering. Car sun shades, while being completely different from the type of shade you install on your home windows, are called the same thing and perform the same function. The car is a notorious collector of heat, and having your car parked out in the sun for more than half an hour can raise the temperature inside dramatically. Not only does this make it impossible to get in and drive, it is also extremely damaging for your upholstery, and a car sun shade will help with that immensely.
The sun can damage your homes upholstery just as much as your cars. Not just your upholstery, but area rugs and wooden bench tops can be effected to. As important as the sun is to our daily lives, we really need to be careful that we are not over exposing our homes, our cars, or ourselves to too much of those harmful rays.
The materials used in manufacturing sun shades are usually a mix of plastics and synthetics. They are actually quite similar in design to sunglasses, and they also have different levels of shading available. You can get anything from a slight tint, which will just take the worst of the glare off, to a complete privacy shade, which will stop prying eyes from seeing into your home.