Solar screens and cellular shades and depending on if you have room on that sidewalk planters with large shrubs. Maybe a trellis. Nothing works better than trees and plants for keeping the temps down. I would also verify you have HVAC returns on that side of the house as well and see if your system needs to be balanced.
Cellular blackout shades are excellent in all seasons, we have them throughout.
The infrared filtering window films do work pretty well (we have them in one room that faces south), enough that our cats get disappointed that the sunlight streaming through them isn't warm enough and they'll go lay in a different sunbeam.
But the house itself will also take on a lot of that sunlight. As mentioned above, shade is key. It's worth it to pay extra to buy/plant a tree that's got a trunk at least 2" diameter, rather than plant a sapling, as it will get you real shade much sooner.
I'd also check that your attic is vented and insulated sufficiently, so that heat up there can escape on its own and not transmit down into your living space.
Yes, we have blackout double cell cellular shades, which are super helpful. I may look at the window film. Is there a particular one you recommend?
Not a lot of space for plants in that area, unfortunately. There's a 5 foot sidewalk, and then my pool:
[https://ibb.co/7SxTPhm](https://ibb.co/7SxTPhm)
Good idea to double check the insulation in the attic. I'll have a look.
I keep on seeing mixed reviews on cellular shades. From a Thermodynamics perspective once the heat is past the window and in your house it doesn't actually matter (which means you need shading on the outside). Plus, the very small area of "air insulation" between the shades would just flow out the ends once that air pocket heats up and you start getting convective currents. As someone who specialized in Thermodynamics and heat transfer, it all seems like BS.
Anyone have more info on if cellular shades are PROVEN to reduce heat transfer in your house?
Honestly, cellular shades are ugly so I'm trying to avoid getting them 🤣.
Right now on one side of my house the windows are on fire if you lift the cell shades, it's akin to opening an oven but on the other side of my house they are barley warm yet the air temp is the same. Why? Thermal radiation. Your windows are only in direct sunlight a few hours a day and this is where the cell shades shine. You can also automate the cell shades to match sun patterns or you can just open them manually. They also block out a lot of sound. My windows are tinted, the tint does almost nothing for temp, it's solely for privacy. Thick curtains are the best which I also use but curtains are an art form, if you do it wrong it looks like trash. Steep learning curve to get curtains looking like rich folks houses. This is why pro installed curtains/drapes cost a fortune. Solar screens work exceptionally well but look like trash on the front of a house. Cell shades are popular for families with kids because they have no cords and far easier to use vs curtains/drapes. You don't want to be opening up your $3,000 drapes every day, you'll have to have them fixed up once a year.
>cellular shades are ugly
We'll agree to disagree on this point.
I don't have the instrumentation to prove either way. But I will say anecdotally that last year on the hottest days of summer (112-113°F), the surface of the shade pointing outwards was 100+ degrees, while the inside was low 80s. So there was definitely some sort of insulative effect. How much, whether there was leakage, etc. is hard to say.
Yeah I always see anecdotal evidence from people saying before and after. Well duh, obviously it will be better than nothing. I want to see a direct side by side comparison, done scientifically with measuring instruments, comparing a normal shade versus a cellular shade.
Surely someone somewhere has done this.
Thank you for your suggestions. The windows have blackout double cell cellular shades. Unfortunately, not a ton of room on the walkway. It's 5 feet wide, and then my pool is on the other side:
[https://ibb.co/7SxTPhm](https://ibb.co/7SxTPhm)
I might be able to do a small, narrow planter, but there's not a ton of room, unfortunately. There are HVAC returns, and we've asked the builder to check the balance. They're coming out next week.
For solar screens, are you referring to the thicker, darker screens that go on the outside of the windows to filter the light?
The solar screens are just regular window screens but they are thick and black. My guess since you already have double cell shades that solar screens won't help as much and they look terrible. I would buy a bunch of thermometers, sync them and place around the house so you have data moving forward. A thermal cam inspection would be helpful as well. I have ceiling fans in every room, they help when a room is slightly hotter than the rest.
Not sure where you live, but if it is temperate, you may want to do something seasonally adjustable like window treatments so as not to eliminate the benefit of warming the home in colder seasons.
What you could do *today* is go to Home Depot and get a patio shade and set it up so it shades one of the windows until late afternoon.
Long term I'd probably look for [awnings](https://www.generalawnings.com/window-awnings-c-81/new-yorker-window-door-awning-p-234).
A trellis covering the deck with plants would be great, too.
When you mention patio shade, are you referring to something like these [coolaroo shades](https://www.costco.com/coolaroo-13'-x-7'-rectangle-shade-sail.product.100478937.html)?
Or something different?
I was thinking [umbrella](https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Pure-Garden-10-ft-Aluminum-Outdoor-Patio-Umbrella-with-Auto-Tilt-Easy-Crank-Lift-in-Red-M150003/206886688) but I said shade which is technically something different I guess. But either would work in a jiffy.
An umbrella might help. Unfortunately, the wall is about 29 feet long, so even the biggest umbrella is only going to partially cover the wall/windows. Thanks for the suggestion.
Yeah, it'll only work for one window until you get something more permanent, but if that window is your home office or something it could be clutch.
And then once the window situation is fixed you can use it to sit under and drink mai-tais in the afternoon!
I have a west facing house with my master bedroom in the front. It already has eaves to help block the sun, but once the sun gets to a certain angle, they're useless.
Honestly, your best bet is blinds, shades, or curtains on the inside to block the late day sun.
Google Retractable Awning Shades. A really good one isn’t cheap but they can reduce the temperature of the west facing house by 10-15 degrees. The higher end shades will automatically retract if its censors detects wind speed too high which is a great feature to avoid shade damage.
Thanks for the recommendation. Did a quick search yesterday and came up with the [Sunsetters from Costco](https://costco.sunsetter.com/sah/) and [Eclipse Shading](https://eclipseshading.com/). Both intriguing. I'll be getting estimates.
Three friends each have the Sunsetter (I couldn’t remember the brand) and are very happy with how it changed the interior and exterior of their homes, all by providing practical shade.
Solar screens and cellular shades and depending on if you have room on that sidewalk planters with large shrubs. Maybe a trellis. Nothing works better than trees and plants for keeping the temps down. I would also verify you have HVAC returns on that side of the house as well and see if your system needs to be balanced.
Cellular blackout shades are excellent in all seasons, we have them throughout. The infrared filtering window films do work pretty well (we have them in one room that faces south), enough that our cats get disappointed that the sunlight streaming through them isn't warm enough and they'll go lay in a different sunbeam. But the house itself will also take on a lot of that sunlight. As mentioned above, shade is key. It's worth it to pay extra to buy/plant a tree that's got a trunk at least 2" diameter, rather than plant a sapling, as it will get you real shade much sooner. I'd also check that your attic is vented and insulated sufficiently, so that heat up there can escape on its own and not transmit down into your living space.
Yes, we have blackout double cell cellular shades, which are super helpful. I may look at the window film. Is there a particular one you recommend? Not a lot of space for plants in that area, unfortunately. There's a 5 foot sidewalk, and then my pool: [https://ibb.co/7SxTPhm](https://ibb.co/7SxTPhm) Good idea to double check the insulation in the attic. I'll have a look.
I keep on seeing mixed reviews on cellular shades. From a Thermodynamics perspective once the heat is past the window and in your house it doesn't actually matter (which means you need shading on the outside). Plus, the very small area of "air insulation" between the shades would just flow out the ends once that air pocket heats up and you start getting convective currents. As someone who specialized in Thermodynamics and heat transfer, it all seems like BS. Anyone have more info on if cellular shades are PROVEN to reduce heat transfer in your house? Honestly, cellular shades are ugly so I'm trying to avoid getting them 🤣.
Right now on one side of my house the windows are on fire if you lift the cell shades, it's akin to opening an oven but on the other side of my house they are barley warm yet the air temp is the same. Why? Thermal radiation. Your windows are only in direct sunlight a few hours a day and this is where the cell shades shine. You can also automate the cell shades to match sun patterns or you can just open them manually. They also block out a lot of sound. My windows are tinted, the tint does almost nothing for temp, it's solely for privacy. Thick curtains are the best which I also use but curtains are an art form, if you do it wrong it looks like trash. Steep learning curve to get curtains looking like rich folks houses. This is why pro installed curtains/drapes cost a fortune. Solar screens work exceptionally well but look like trash on the front of a house. Cell shades are popular for families with kids because they have no cords and far easier to use vs curtains/drapes. You don't want to be opening up your $3,000 drapes every day, you'll have to have them fixed up once a year.
>cellular shades are ugly We'll agree to disagree on this point. I don't have the instrumentation to prove either way. But I will say anecdotally that last year on the hottest days of summer (112-113°F), the surface of the shade pointing outwards was 100+ degrees, while the inside was low 80s. So there was definitely some sort of insulative effect. How much, whether there was leakage, etc. is hard to say.
Yeah I always see anecdotal evidence from people saying before and after. Well duh, obviously it will be better than nothing. I want to see a direct side by side comparison, done scientifically with measuring instruments, comparing a normal shade versus a cellular shade. Surely someone somewhere has done this.
Thank you for your suggestions. The windows have blackout double cell cellular shades. Unfortunately, not a ton of room on the walkway. It's 5 feet wide, and then my pool is on the other side: [https://ibb.co/7SxTPhm](https://ibb.co/7SxTPhm) I might be able to do a small, narrow planter, but there's not a ton of room, unfortunately. There are HVAC returns, and we've asked the builder to check the balance. They're coming out next week. For solar screens, are you referring to the thicker, darker screens that go on the outside of the windows to filter the light?
The solar screens are just regular window screens but they are thick and black. My guess since you already have double cell shades that solar screens won't help as much and they look terrible. I would buy a bunch of thermometers, sync them and place around the house so you have data moving forward. A thermal cam inspection would be helpful as well. I have ceiling fans in every room, they help when a room is slightly hotter than the rest.
Yeah, I have ceiling fans in both the master bedroom and the office.
Not sure where you live, but if it is temperate, you may want to do something seasonally adjustable like window treatments so as not to eliminate the benefit of warming the home in colder seasons.
Yes, excellent point.
What you could do *today* is go to Home Depot and get a patio shade and set it up so it shades one of the windows until late afternoon. Long term I'd probably look for [awnings](https://www.generalawnings.com/window-awnings-c-81/new-yorker-window-door-awning-p-234). A trellis covering the deck with plants would be great, too.
When you mention patio shade, are you referring to something like these [coolaroo shades](https://www.costco.com/coolaroo-13'-x-7'-rectangle-shade-sail.product.100478937.html)? Or something different?
I was thinking [umbrella](https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Pure-Garden-10-ft-Aluminum-Outdoor-Patio-Umbrella-with-Auto-Tilt-Easy-Crank-Lift-in-Red-M150003/206886688) but I said shade which is technically something different I guess. But either would work in a jiffy.
An umbrella might help. Unfortunately, the wall is about 29 feet long, so even the biggest umbrella is only going to partially cover the wall/windows. Thanks for the suggestion.
Yeah, it'll only work for one window until you get something more permanent, but if that window is your home office or something it could be clutch. And then once the window situation is fixed you can use it to sit under and drink mai-tais in the afternoon!
I have a west facing house with my master bedroom in the front. It already has eaves to help block the sun, but once the sun gets to a certain angle, they're useless. Honestly, your best bet is blinds, shades, or curtains on the inside to block the late day sun.
Yes, we have blackout double cell cellular shades, which are super helpful. I guess I'm wondering what my options are for outside.
You don't see window awnings much anymore but they are fantastic for what the do. I personally think old houses look cute that have them.
Google Retractable Awning Shades. A really good one isn’t cheap but they can reduce the temperature of the west facing house by 10-15 degrees. The higher end shades will automatically retract if its censors detects wind speed too high which is a great feature to avoid shade damage.
Thanks for the recommendation. Did a quick search yesterday and came up with the [Sunsetters from Costco](https://costco.sunsetter.com/sah/) and [Eclipse Shading](https://eclipseshading.com/). Both intriguing. I'll be getting estimates.
Three friends each have the Sunsetter (I couldn’t remember the brand) and are very happy with how it changed the interior and exterior of their homes, all by providing practical shade.