Ok, looks like Spring updates are starting early...or, I'm bored and looking to get a start on some projects, one area of this house I'm looking to update are the window shades. Our home is south-facing with pretty intense sunlight for about 7-8 months out of the year, fortunately we've got a front porch that provides solid coverage for the front windows but, the West-side windows get the full solar effect. We've got blackout drapes when we're looking to completely wall-off the sun but, during the day would like to get some light through without a direct blast of sunlight so, looking at those bottom-up/top-down type shades.

What's the member experience with these and any features or, brands to be aware of?

Look into solar roller shades.

They block out the sun UV and still let light in.

They have different levels of UV protection.1%, 3%, 5%, 10% etc. 1% blocks out the most.

That's my opinion from 25 years of managing a window covering factory with what you may be looking to achieve.

The top down bottom up cell shades have thin diameter strings in them and tend to break over time.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
Ok, looks like Spring updates are starting early...or, I'm bored and looking to get a start on some projects, one area of this house I'm looking to update are the window shades. Our home is south-facing with pretty intense sunlight for about 7-8 months out of the year, fortunately we've got a front porch that provides solid coverage for the front windows but, the West-side windows get the full solar effect. We've got blackout drapes when we're looking to completely wall-off the sun but, during the day would like to get some light through without a direct blast of sunlight so, looking at those bottom-up/top-down type shades.

What's the member experience with these and any features or, brands to be aware of?

We just did our entire house (15 windows) in the top/down, bottom/up cellular shades from Blinds.com

Very easy installation and very happy with the product. Would buy again.
Only additional advice would be to analyze if you need the one's with the "chain roll" controls. We only ordered them for our bedroom as the bed is in the way to get to the windows and do the manual adjustments that the normal design has.
The wife is significantly vertically challenged and it might have been good to order that option on a couple of other windows that are taller.
I personally like the "cleaner" look of the shades without the chain adjusters.
Pretty sure you can order them in a variety of colors and shade creating options.

quote:

Originally posted by PR64:

The top down bottom up cell shades have thin diameter strings in them and tend to break over time.

I'm not a fan of the roll-up shades. I get what you're driving at and I'll take a look and see what the current designs are like.
As for the strings snapping...were you seeing their fail because of daily usage taking its toll or, simply material degradation? We have no kids so, we can rule-out the abuse that a younger household endures.

I just installed three of the cellular shades from Blinds.com and have several others like them in the house. Have had no problems at all with them, and these are the "cheap" ones. Bottom up type with no strings, top is fixed.

On a side note, I ordered these on Feb 2nd, and they delivered on February 14th...from China, via Fed Ex. Or, at least that is what the shipping notice said.

Trying to beat the tariffs I reckon.

I have them on every window in the house. I don’t like drapes or mini blinds. I’ve got blackout shades on exterior facing windows in the front. You still some light via the rectangle shape (outline of the window) but you can’t see anything in or out. In the back, next to the backyard, they are a little bit lighter so I can see clearly out of them but a contractor couldn’t see into the house. The lighter ones, you can see through them at night if lights are on but I don’t have anyone working on the house etc, at night. Then I have blackout frames, in addition to the blackout shades in the HT and my studio as the sun hits that side of the house very intensely in the afternoon until the sun sets. Zero light gets through with the combination of shade/frame. All are operated with a metal drawstring type thing. Sorry don’t know the technical name for them. There are multiple options for how you can roll them up and down and I chose the least likely thing to break. Mine have been installed for 10 years at this point and not one has broken. They’ve been perfect. K.I.S.S. Principle.

There are various brands but the installer is the most important thing to nail down. Worry or concern yourself with a solid installer, and they will lead you to the right brands.

All my new shades are top/down, bottom/up cellular shades.

I have a first floor of 1" mini blinds.
The first floor is more public space.

I don't care if someone can see into my kitchen/living room.

The top/down, bottom/up cellular shades give much more privacy while letting in light.

You can get the room darkening, that keeps out the light.

Your choice.

I bought mine at home depot

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

quote:

Originally posted by PR64:

The top down bottom up cell shades have thin diameter strings in them and tend to break over time.

I'm not a fan of the roll-up shades. I get what you're driving at and I'll take a look and see what the current designs are like.
As for the strings snapping...were you seeing their fail because of daily usage taking its toll or, simply material degradation? We have no kids so, we can rule-out the abuse that a younger household endures.

I can’t speak to how much they got hit by the sun or how they were treated.

I do know that we had to do many restringing repairs to the cell shades.

I’m not saying that they are all going to break but string is string and it wears out.

I also get not liking roller shades but you might be surprised by the fabric options that are available in today’s market.

Don’t get me wrong, cell shades are nice but are more delicate than roller shades.

At the end of the day get what your wife wants. That’s what I always told the guys if they were there during sales calls…

Spent some time at Lowes and Home Depot today, felt like I was living-out a scene from Old School

Friend recommend I should check out what Costco offers...I always hustle past the stands towards the exit selling home improvement services and never stopped to check any of them out only because there was a representative looking for your attention. Anybody had luck with these? Is this a situation where Costco contracts out the services they're looking to provide to a local company?

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
Spent some time at Lowes and Home Depot today, felt like I was living-out a scene from Old School

Friend recommend I should check out what Costco offers...I always hustle past the stands towards the exit selling home improvement services and never stopped to check any of them out only because there was a representative looking for your attention. Anybody had luck with these? Is this a situation where Costco contracts out the services they're looking to provide to a local company?

Anything I’ve ever had quoted from that little area in Costco has been a massive rip off. I always use Angies List. Have for more than a decade. See reviews, call/email the 2-3 you feel the most comfortable with, and get bids. Once all bids are in, decide.

Strongly suggest starting with DIY window film. I reallllly wish I did it on my previous home. Not that hard to get ~95% good for less than $10-20 per window. (Of course professional would look better, but at likely $100 per window and that's out of my budget)

To address your original question, I have been happy with Levelor cut to fit in store, now available only at Lowes (Lowes bought the brand, that is why they are no longer found in HD). Good bang for the buck compared to the other stuff. (In the '00s I spent several thousand on "Come to your house, flip thru the books, measure and install within a few weeks company." Yes, they were nice, but eventually the UV light and age took its toll, and I don't think they were worth it in the end.

quote:

Originally posted by Speedbird:
Strongly suggest starting with DIY window film. I reallllly wish I did it on my previous home. Not that hard to get ~95% good for less than $10-20 per window. (Of course professional would look better, but at likely $100 per window and that's out of my budget)

I was just talking with my neighbor about windows and this came up. The rooms in the front of his house are the tall ceiling-cathedral type, and the windows all around make it resemble a greenhouse, during the Fall that part just heats up in the afternoon. Suggested at the very least have a film applied to the windows to at least reduce the intensity of the light coming in.