With summer approaching [I know it's still winter, technically, but it's Houston], thinking about some heat mitigation options for the house.

We have 7 windows that get a lot of afternoon sun, and the front door has a frosted glass window.

Thought about the exterior solar screens, for the 7 normal windows, but looking online gives a pretty wide variety [and cost] of options.

Planning on some interior UV film on the front door window.

Anyone done DIY install of solar screens, and what percentage blockage did you do?
Worth the $?

The local hardware store used to have contact information for a guy who would rescreen and/or build window screens using standard or shade screen cloth. He was about the same cost as the materials alone. I don’t know if you have a old fashioned hardware store around there but it’s worth a try. I have solar screens on the west side windows of my house and it makes a big difference.

Those custom exterior screens seem to be the setup. Assuming you have newer windows that still have the Argon gas inside (or whatever that is that they put in multi layer windows).

They're definitely newer double pane windows. House was remodeled a year or two before we bought it in 2022.

I've seen mostly rolls of the screen material, but very little on how it's installed.
Doesn't seem to be many 'off the shelf' ready to install options.

We are having 2 new 94" x 75" solar screens made to replace our current 29 y.o. 90 percent ones. They will cost us $450 for the pair.

Oh wow.
Ours are what I'd call typical sized residential windows.

Roughly 34x51 & have a top and bottom channel that look like it would retain a framed screen

The only problem I see with them is you can’t get to the outside of the glass w/o removing the screen. My home only has windows that the lower half fold inward for cleaning. I mean I could remove the lower window, then see if I could squeeze the squeegee between the screen and the exterior glass

In almost 3 years, I've not really had the need to clean the outside of the glass. So that's a minor thing, and less of an issue if they have the spring bows on top like a regular window screen to make for easy removal

Don’t get blue ones, they’re bad for Windows.

On the tint, is ceramic tint an option like it is for cars? It's supposed to block infrared heat. I wish we could get away with cleaning our windows every 3 years.

quote:

solar screens

Interesting, looking into these for the Casa de HRK, the house faces south and summer heat can be too much now that the two giant Oak Trees are out.

found this company online, locations all over the southwest, Houston, Dallas, Austin etc. but alias, not FL unfortunately, still lots of good options colors, shapes...



https://www.affordablewindowsc...custom-solar-screens

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Don’t get blue ones, they’re bad for Windows.

On the tint, is ceramic tint an option like it is for cars? It's supposed to block infrared heat. I wish we could get away with cleaning our windows every 3 years.

I've always read not to use interior tint on gas-filled windows. Something about damaging seals or causing them to crack/shatter.

I’ve read it depends on the type of glass and how thick the glass is. We’re far enough south that the sum doesn’t hit our windows during the cooling season. It helps that the house is short and has 2’ overhangs.

My Dad’s new house has 10’ ceilings, 18” overhangs and is built 12’ up. He get sun in the south facing windows for a longer period than we do. He’s got impact glass and I’ve been trying to figure out in tint on the inside would be OK or not. Solar screens might be the ticket.

We went with exterior powered retractable roller screens with a 95% mesh last year on our west facing windows.

2 trilled window and a single window cost us $5k. We likely won’t see the payback in energy savings but the comfort level in the hot summer afternoons is a big benefit.

The only thing is we have to keep them up on really windy days as they do move around a lot.

Downside. They are affected by the winds and not cheap. May have to add an exterior power circuit near window locations. Standard colors may not match the house.

Pros: interior comfort.

Hope that helps

Yeah, power screens aren't really in consideration.
Really just interested in the type that look like a standard window screen, with similar retention types.
The framing on our windows seems to be set up to accommodate this, even without removing the existing lower screens. Separate track/channel present on the outer edge.

Was really hoping for a viable DIY option at a reasonable cost. But all I'm finding is the screen material, nothing on the framing.

Yeah, i thought about that too and changed my mind after buying all the materials. Our windows are single hung and so I would have had to attach the whole screen outside the operable window.

Then I thought of how the frame would flap in the wind and how annoying that would be….

Couldn’t find a good center point attachment for a center mullion to keep the frame from bending in on itself. Then my screen building skills really suck so that’s when I ended up paying the professionals.

Now I just have to grab the remote to lower the blinds in the afternoon and then retract them after sundown.