Damage and discoloration of furniture due to strong sunlight is a common concern for many of us. Not to mention the furnace-like environment that is created in the sweltering summer afternoons, despite switching on the AC! And that obviously leads to hefty power bills every month.
Is there no solution to beat the heat indoors and protect our furniture from the sun?
Blackout curtains can be useful, but they might not be that appealing. Moreover, you may want to see the outside and keep your room cooler at the same time. In such cases, solar shades come in handy.
Many people think that solar shades are expensive, but that may not be entirely true. DIY solar shades are also gaining a lot of popularity; check out a diy solar shades review before trying them out.
However, if DIY solar shades are not your kind, you need not worry.
Here, we have some ideas to help you buy solar shades without burning a hole in your budget.
Understand your exact requirements
Your needs should be the deciding factor in what type of shade you want to get. Shades block both UV rays and Infrared rays. Where UV rays have been found responsible for causing various diseases like skin cancer etc., infrared rays are responsible for the heat. You should carefully read the labels on the shades to understand how much the shades block.
If the shades block both UV and infrared rays, they are most suitable for most people. If the shades block much of the infrared rays, it can result in cool rooms in summer and chillier rooms in winter. The openness of the solar shade is also significant that tells how much light can pass through it. The lesser the openness factor, the lesser light it will allow to pass. Typical solar shades have around a five to seven percent openness factor.
Saving money over solar shades needs some work
You should first consider if the solar shades can be installed from the outside rather than inside. If you don’t need to cut or custom-size the solar shade, you can save a lot of money. You only have to buy it from the shop and install it outside your window. There are a lot of shops that sell solar shades from the previous season at a discounted price. There may be some preferences of yours regarding exact size and color.
These factors can increase the price of solar shades by a considerable margin. If you can forego these reservations, then you can get your solar shades at lower costs.
Roller shades
One more way to save money on solar shades is by checking with curtain and shades shops for old roller shades. If you can get old roller shades, you can conveniently change the worn-out fabric with solar-shade fabric. You need to ensure that the roller mechanism is intact. These rollers can be installed inside your windows and look fantastic. The cost is low, and you get the benefits of solar shades.
It is worth exploring the various options available in the market to get some high-quality solar shades at low prices.
