You may have thought about adding sun screens to your home this summer to ward against the sun’s heat, keeping your home cooler without increasing your air-conditioning bill, but perhaps you never got around to it. Though the fall chill is in the air, it’s not too late to realize the benefits sun screens offer your home.
Sun screens keep your home warmer in the winter
Sun screens, also called solar or privacy screens, are window screens of tightly woven PVC-covered polyester yard. While they were designed to keep out the sun’s heat and harmful UV rays to lower heating costs, they also can keep your home warmer during the winter months. When outside temperatures drop, your home can lose much of its heat through the windows. The thicker solar shades act as an insulator, providing an extra barrier between your warm home and the cold winter air. The screens can help to keep drafts out and heat in. In fact, sun screens help your home retain up to 15 percent more heat. If you notice cold air seeping in through your windows during the winter, adding solar screens can be a cost effective way to insulate your home, providing a much cheaper alternative than replacing outdated windows or adding insulation to your walls.
Some people worry that sun screens will be counter-productive in winter months, blocking warming sunlight from entering their homes. But due to shorter and drearier winter days, there is less opportunity for the sun’s rays to help warm chilly rooms. Any heat gain from the sun is outdone by the screen’s insulating benefits.
If people do worry about sun screens blocking potentially beneficial sunshine, the experts at A to Z Window Screens recommend removing them from south-facing windows, which catch the most sunlight in winter.
Reap summertime benefits, too
If you install sun screens now, while the weather is cooler, your home will be ready to face the hot Sacramento summer sun. The dense weave of sun screens, combined with the specially coated polyester, blocks the sun’s rays. In addition to keeping harmful UV rays out of your home, sun screen prevents heat from building within your home, lowering your home-cooling costs during summer months. It’s estimated that the heat gain from sunlight accounts for up to one-third of a building’s cooling costs. Sun screens cut that heat gain by 80 to 90 percent and can lower the temperature of a room by 8 to 15 degrees.
Start realizing the benefits of sun screens now
While people’s minds usually turn to the benefits of sun screens during sweltering summer months, you could start realizing the cost-savings offered by sun screens now. Talk to the experts at A to Z Window Screens about how sun screens can benefit your home. You could start saving money on heating bills now, and be set to save money on your summertime heating costs, thanks to the efficiency sun screens add to your home.