West-facing walls of glass
The lake or the Sound is why the window is there. A 5% screen keeps it in view and takes the glare out.
Solar Shades
Solar shades: cut the glare, keep the view.
A solar shade is a roller shade in a woven screen fabric. Lowered, it takes the glare and much of the heat out of a west-facing window while you still see the yard, the lake, or the street. Soluna™ solar fabrics from 1% to 10% openness, installed by PAPABLINDS in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond.
What openness means.
Openness is the share of the weave that is open. Lower numbers block more glare and heat and show less view; higher numbers do the opposite.
| Openness | Glare and heat | View through | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | Most blocked | Faint | Screens and TVs facing the window, west sun |
| 3% | Strong | Soft | Living rooms and offices with afternoon sun |
| 5% | Good | Clear | The middle choice for most rooms |
| 7% | Moderate | Clearer | Rooms where the view matters more |
| 10% | Light | Clearest | Shaded sides of the house, view windows |
None of them gives privacy at night with the lights on. For that, pair the screen with a room-darkening fabric in a dual shade.
Seattle sun is low, not strong.
The complaint here is rarely heat. It is glare: a low sun in October at 4 p.m. that comes straight through a west window and onto the television, the monitor, or the dining table. A solar screen takes that edge off without turning the room dark, which a room-darkening shade would.
On the hot days we do get, a screen on the outside-facing windows keeps the afternoon heat down in rooms without air conditioning, which is most Seattle-area homes built before the last few years.
- Glare control on west and south windows, with the view kept.
- Less afternoon heat in rooms without air conditioning.
- Fabric colors from light to dark; darker screens see through better.
- Same hardware as other Soluna™ rollers: cordless, motorized, cassettes.
© 2021 Norman®. All Rights Reserved.Rooms that ask for a solar shade.
The monitor problem
A 1% or 3% screen behind the desk ends the afternoon squint without closing the room.
Sun on the counter
A screen fabric wipes clean and does not mind steam, and the window stays a window.
Glass on three sides
Coupled solar shades on one line cover a run of windows and lift together.
Options on solar shades.
- Openness 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 percent
- PrecisionLift™ cordless
- Motorized: AutoWand™ or Norman Smart Motorization
- Dual shade with a room-darkening fabric for night
- Cassette, fascia, or fabric valance
- Night privacy from the screen alone
Solar shade questions.
Which openness should I choose?
For a screen or a TV facing the window, 1% or 3%. For a living room where the view matters, 5%. For the shaded side of the house or a pure view window, 7% or 10%. We bring the sample swatches and hold them up against the actual sun at the visit.
Light or dark fabric?
Darker screens see through better and cut glare more; lighter screens reflect more heat and brighten the room. Charcoal and bronze are the usual choice for view windows.
Can people see in at night?
Yes, with the lights on. A solar screen is a view-through fabric in both directions. For a bedroom or a ground-floor window, add a room-darkening fabric as a dual shade.
Inside or outside the glass?
Inside. These are interior roller shades; the screen fabric is the same idea as an exterior sun screen, mounted where it stays clean and dry.
Solar shades for glare and heat in Seattle-area homes
Solar shades are roller shades in a woven screen fabric. They were designed for hot climates, but the reason people in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond ask for them is glare: the low autumn and winter sun that comes straight through a west window onto a screen or a table. A Soluna™ solar shade cuts that glare and much of the heat while the view stays. PAPABLINDS measures and installs them across the Greater Seattle Area.
Openness explained
The fabric is a weave, and openness is the share of it that is open. A 1% fabric blocks the most light and shows a faint view; a 10% fabric shows the clearest view and blocks the least. Most living rooms land at 5%; home offices and media rooms at 1% or 3%; view windows facing the water at 7% or 10%.
Solar shades and privacy
A screen is see-through in both directions. By day the outside is brighter, so the room is hidden; at night with the lights on, the reverse. For a window that needs privacy at night, we pair the screen with a room-darkening or light-filtering fabric in a dual shade, or we put a solar shade on the view window and a different shade on the bedroom.
Motorized solar shades
A wall of west-facing glass usually means three or more shades, and that is where motorization earns its cost: one button at 3 p.m., or a schedule that lowers the shades before the sun swings around. Power and charging are confirmed at the visit.
Request a free in-home visit in the afternoon, when the sun is on the window, and we hold the openness samples against it.