McKinney Solar Screens For Windows

Solar screens shield windows from 65% to 90% of the sun's harmful UV radiation and block 80%–90% of the heat emitted by those rays. The result is better access to optimal temperature management for a house or place of business, while still receiving plenty of beautiful sunlight. It is worth being clear that this is not a blackout treatment — you keep your daylight and you still see out clearly.

Arguably more than anywhere else, and for a reason beyond comfort. Period homes frequently contain original woodwork, floors, textiles and furniture that have already lasted a century, and UV is precisely what degrades them — slowly, invisibly and permanently. Shielding 65% to 90% of UV radiation on a south or west elevation is preservation as much as cooling. Older single-glazed windows also have little inherent solar control, so the comfort difference is dramatic too.

Position. By the time sunlight reaches a blind it has already come through the glass and turned into heat inside the room — the blind is managing a problem that has already arrived. A solar screen sits outside the glass and stops the radiation before the window sees it. Blinds are good for privacy and light control; they are simply not an effective tool for heat rejection, which is why so many Texas homeowners have blinds and still have a room they cannot cool.

West-facing, without much doubt. They take low direct sun through the hottest part of the afternoon, which is when your air conditioning is already working hardest. South is the second priority. East gets morning sun only and is optional. North is usually not worth doing at all. If budget matters, screening west and south glass captures most of the benefit for well under half the cost of doing an entire property.

Less than on single-glazed windows, and we would rather tell you that upfront. Low-E glass is already doing part of the solar control job, so the incremental benefit is smaller — which is the situation across most of the newer housing west of US-75. That said, on a west elevation taking direct afternoon sun, screens still make a noticeable difference even over low-E, particularly on large great-room glazing.

Yes — solar screens are advantageous for both residential and business properties. On retail and office frontage the benefits are the same but the numbers are larger: reduced cooling load across a big glazed elevation, lower utility bills, and better comfort for customers and staff sitting near the glass. It is also considerably cheaper than re-glazing a commercial elevation to improve its performance.

Dimmer, not dark — you still receive plenty of beautiful sunlight. The effect from inside is more like good sunglasses than a blind, and you see out clearly during daylight hours. Because we specify per room rather than applying one option everywhere, if a particular room's brightness matters to you, say so and we will adjust the specification or leave that window unscreened.

Quality screen fabric generally holds up for many years, though direct exposure is exactly what wears them and west-facing screens always age fastest. Frames typically outlast the fabric considerably, which is why rescreening — putting new fabric into your existing frames — is the usual repair rather than buying whole new screens. We keep our costs competitive and guarantee warranties on our work.