Solar screens
What type of window covering do you use if have a nice view and don’t want to cover it up? This can be a problem, especially if you like the view from your kitchen window or like to see into your backyard.
The problem is the sun is too bright and you need a blind or roller shade to filter some of the light out. Solar screen or shades are the style of blind that you want to use. Solar window screens are ideal for when you want to see outside but still like a bit of privacy.
Solar screens are not like horizontal sheer shades (which are horizontal blinds, that come in panel strips). They are a roller shade that is semi opaque. These screens still improve energy efficiency by reducing solar heat gain and blocking the bright sunlight.
You can still mount these roller shades on the inside of the window or outside of the window frame. They can be purchased with openings from 1% to 14% openness and are made by Kirsch, Comfortex, Graber, Hunter Douglas and blindsgalore. The best colors for matching your décor and walls are grey, silver, linen and white.
As a privacy window blind they work very well in the living room they are ideal for the kitchen window if you like to see into your backyard.
If you buy these blinds with the reverse roll they don’t block out as much sun because they are further from the window. Standard roller shades always have the fabric hanging on the inside or closest to the glass. Someone decorators do like to use the reverse roll because when the shade is pulled down the fabric is flush with the wall and looks good. It does allow more sunlight to come through, so you would want to buy a tighter screen opening, no more than 5%.
They can be ordered with different pull mechanisms which you can review more details here about solar screens.
The higher percentage of openness the more you can see through the screen and the least amount of light is being blocked. This is one of the main reasons I like these blinds so much. I can buy 10% openness for my kitchen window, which doesn’t get the hot sun but has a nice view and the buy a 1% screen opening for the living room, which gets sun all afternoon. I have even seen creative decorators use these in offices where people want to see out of their office but still retain a certain amount of privacy.
