Anyone got advice on Exterior Solar Screens?

[hamsterjill]

I'm thinking of putting solar screens on my exterior windows to hopefully, help with the South Texas heat. I know very little about them. Does anyone on DU have them? Are they worth the money? Any tips on what kind to get, etc.?

[Pool Hall Ace]

1. My husband is a contractor, and has installed them.

You want to make sure you don't get too dark of a color, for two reasons; 1) your homeowner's association (if you have one) may not approve, and 2) it may give your home a World War II look that you are not seeking. :)

People are happy with them, but I suggest trying them on the outside of one or two rooms first so you can make sure that you like the appearance and that they do not block too much light.

[hamsterjill]

4. Good idea to get one room done to see how I like them!

n/t

[MajorChode]

2. I don't like them, but a lot of my neighbors have them

When I first moved into my house, I strategically planted trees so that I would get maximum shade from the afternoon sun. I only have one window that gets blasted by the Texas sun, and for that I installed PVC shutters on the inside which is extremely effective.

Some of my neighbors have pretty dark ones and my HOA has no rules against them. I imagine that perhaps some do, but not so much in my area as I see them everywhere. The advantage to them is they are effective and relatively cheap. I don't particularly care for them because you can't easily remove them to allow more light in when you want it.

[hamsterjill]

5. Thanks. I had considered shutters.

I had thought of the shutter idea. I didn't know how well that would work, so thanks for the info!

[MajorChode]

6. It works great and the advantage is they work in the winter also

One of the disadvantages to shades is that in the winter, they block light and heat when you don't want them to do so. I suppose with some of them you can temporarily remove them, but nobody seems to do that. With shutters you can open them during the day to let in light and heat, which is nice because the sun is lower in the winter. At night you can close the shutters and they work as a thermal barrier to keep heat from escaping. They are more expensive initially, but a lot more versatile.

[rug]

3. They work better than interior solar systems.