When you visit a showroom or call The Shade Store, our Design Consultants are ready and waiting to provide expert design advice and help you choose the perfect window treatments for your home. Please welcome back our guest blogger Liz Irwin, a design consultant in our Garden City, NY showroom.
Summer is fast approaching, and for beach communities all around, that means it is time to get ready for that hallowed Memorial Day to Labor Day stint; the official “Lifeguard is on Duty” season. When you’re on that sand next to the ocean, listening to the tide roll in, it’s going to be bright, it’s going to be hot, and it’s going to be glorious.
While hot and bright are great adjectives to use to describe the beach, you probably don’t want those words to describe the interior of your living room. However, much like the SPF 45 you should use to protect yourself from the harmful effects of UV rays, your furniture, flooring, art, and interiors need protection from the same.
Here’s a roundup of some of the best UV protective window treatments, which will help reduce sun glare, protect interior fading, and keep your home cooler during the hot summer months.
Solar Shades
Has the sun glare ever kept you from reading, watching television, or working in your home office? If so, you may want to visit me or another Design Consultant at one of The Shade Store’s 70+ showrooms to see our Solar Shade selections in person.
Solar Shades – 5% – Beige
Developed for museums a number of years ago, solar shades are sheer, transparent shades formulated to block UV rays, protect against fading, and of course, reduce sun glare. Solar shades are available with a number of control options including stainless steel chain, cordless, and motorized.
The percentages tied to solar shades are a measure of UV protection, transparency, and the tightness of the material’s weave. Lower percentages indicate tighter weaves, less transparency, and more UV protection. For example, a solar shade with a percentage of 1% will give 99% UV protection, but less transparency due to the tightness of the weave. The Shade Store offers 4 transparencies: 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10%.
Our solar shade collection is particularly exceptional — boasting texture, tone-on-tone prints, bold colors, and more. They’re handcrafted by our skilled artisans right here in the USA. A great benefit is that you can clean our solar shades with virtually any household cleaner!
One important consideration to take into account with solar shades is that they do not offer night time privacy. If you also need privacy from your neighbors at night, then you may need to layer your solar shade with another type of window treatment, such as drapery. Don’t despair, though! The Shade Store has plenty of options for you.
Cellular Shades
Light Filtering 3/8″ Double Cellular Shade in White
When you need a UV blocking window treatment option that can also help create comfortable indoor temperatures or provide full privacy, consider cellular shades. Cellular shades can provide up to 99% protection against harmful UV rays.
These shades are offered in both a light-filtering and blackout option, and are available in two different pleat sizes: 3/8” and 3/4”. There is a myriad of neutral tones and colors to choose from, and there’s always the ever-popular “Day/Night” shade option, which allows you to have a sheer shade on the top, and a blackout or privacy option on the bottom, for unparalleled functionality.
Cellular shades have a reputation for being very good insulators. They actually insulate spaces so well, that they’re not recommended for high humidity or cooking spaces. No worries — we have alternative options for those spaces as well!
Sunbrella® Solar Collection for The Shade Store
Sunbrella Solar Shades -10% Solistico – Oatmeal
You’ve read all about Sunbrella®, right? You know, the magical, unicorn textile that can be easily cleaned, doesn’t off–gas, and lays beautifully. But did you know the materials in our exclusive Sunbrella® Solar Collection are fully UV protective? It doesn’t get any better than that!
Sunbrella® materials are offered in a wide variety of colors, textures, and patterns for Roman shades and draperies as well. Due to their mildew resistance and easy-to-clean nature, they make an exceptional choice for bathrooms and kitchens.
As an additional advantage, The Shade Store installers confirm that Sunbrella® materials drape gorgeously right out of the box — no need to wait the standard 72 hours to let the box fold creases fall out.
Use Our Expertise
Still unsure how to protect your space from UV damage? Give us a call, or visit one of our 70+ showrooms, and speak with one of our expert Design Consultants.
Our advice, our swatches, our photo renderings, our remote or in-showroom design consultations — they’re all free! Let us know what you’re after, and we’ll take care of the rest.
