While indoor shades are usually a lot more about design than function, outdoor shade doesn’t necessarily serve the same purpose. Outdoor shade focuses more on protection from the elements than upon aesthetics. But like indoor shades, outdoor shades come in many styles, types, sizes, and materials. Each type is specific to what you need for your home, and each look suites a specific set of houses.
Outdoor blinds/shades are not something to be bought on a whim; impulse shoppers don’t usually go shopping for outdoor solar shades or exterior sun shades. For outdoor blinds, we need to decide why we need an outdoor blind before we actually go buy one. Starting the process like this will help you decide what could work for you.
- What space are you buying it for?
- Is it because you’re looking for something to stave off the cold or are you actually looking for something to block out the sun’s blistering heat?
- Do you plan to keep it closed or open most of the time?
- What’s the color of the area in your home where you plan on installing the shade?
- How much light do you want to let through into your home?
- Will an outdoor blind fix the issues you’ve been having with heat and lighting?
- What kind of weather do you usually have?
- Make sure you take a few measurements if you want to be certain, you’d be surprised how simple your choice is if you brought along measurements and some measuring tape.
Figure Out Your Application Before Choosing Your Outdoor Shade
So, while we’re on the topic, we should remember that outdoor shades are a long term investment. While it isn’t necessary to break the bank, a higher budget wouldn’t hurt the process. Outdoor shades are pretty affordable, and they can be used in different ways.
- Outdoor shade can help block out the sunlight from those large bedroom windows you have at home.
- Homes with glass walls rely heavily on the outdoor shade for their privacy.
- Your patio or alfresco can be covered up to keep in the heat in during winter and keep the sun out in summer.
- A good set of custom outdoor shade can turn your outdoor dining area into a meeting room or even a temporary lounge.
To Blackout or Not to Blackout?
With outdoor shade, we usually prefer the standard solid opaque types, but to do such a thing would limit our options if not considered. Sheer vs blackout outdoor shade is a question many have found themselves asking.
Sheer outdoor shades don’t look useful right off the bat. But the key here is to understand the kind of lighting they provide. If you have a room that faces the sun, it would conserve energy if you were to use sheer shades so you get some light in the room while not having to use artificial lighting.
Types of Outdoor Shades and Blinds That You’ll Want to Look at
- If we’re talking outdoor blinds, the first thing that comes to mind are veranda blinds. These blinds are usually used in verandas because of their ability to blend UV protection along with visibility. This type of blind is also recommended if you have furniture out on your verandah, which can age and fade faster under direct sunlight. If you’re not up for the visibility, then using sheer outdoor shades will work in your favor.
- Retractable blinds and shades are for the people who want a more aggressive “sunblock” factor. Given that this type of shade can block most of the sunlight from above, it allows us to make good use of the low diffused light that comes through. An outdoor shade like this are usually water resistant and are tougher than usual.
- Shades are also great at creating a sort of rest area from the sun even if you only want it to be temporary. Awnings such as the folding arm type awning work very well as an outdoor roof. This is more pronounced when the outdoor roof in question can also be folded up and put away after it serves its purpose. There is a risk of the material catching the winds.
- Shades are also effective when used on pivot arms. In such cases, the arm is strong enough to resist the winds thanks to the positioning of the awning itself. This type of setup is usually strongly recommended for higher floors and verandahs.
- External alfresco shades are the ultimate windbreakers when it comes to keeping the heat out. These blinds are thick and heavy enough to block out the sun during the day while also ensuring insulation for the night.
- Shades offer a lot of protection, but ziplock shades offer a more absolute form of defense against those pesky bugs that keep trying to get into your home. These shades seal themselves on all sides, keeping out anything that flies. But if you already have a problem with insects, call your exterminator today!
In Conclusion:
Getting an outdoor shade is an important decision for anyone. And even if you don’t think you’ve found your ideal kind of outdoor shades, there are other ways to get what you need. Check out other outdoor shades from www.sbf.co.ke
Or Contact us +254798882837 or email us info@sbf.co.ke