Beat Summer Heat with These 4 Ultra-Cool Window Tips

So, you’re already dreading your first early summer power bill.

You’ve got drapes up, but you know before long, the sun is going to burn right through them and make a laughing stock of your air conditioner.

Before you paint your windows black, we’ve got a few pointers for you:

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1. LoĒ³-340 Glass – We’re going to start with the best ideas and work our way down. In our not-so-humble opinion, LoĒ³-340 glass windows beat all other options for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are their ability to:

block approximately 98% of the harmful UV radiation
absorb and reflect 60% of the visible light
reflect nearly all solar infrared rays

Although LoĒ³-340’s coating can make it appear tinted from the outside, it’s not. While tinted glass works by absorbing sunlight (thereby getting hot and sometimes cracking), LoĒ³-340 works by deflecting it.

And because it’s insulated and has a U-factor of only 0.25, it provides superior thermal comfort in cold weather, as well.

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2. Sunscreens – Made from strong, polyester-coated, woven vinyl mesh, sunscreens are typically installed to exterior window frames so they can do their job of blocking up to 90% of the sun’s rays from the outside.

We recommend Suntex Solar Screen 80 and 90 because they’re:

amazingly tough and durable
are fade and mildew resistant
available in an array of design-friendly colors
able to be installed by homeowners or expertly installed by dealers

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3. Awnings – Although some might find this to be a rather old-fashioned solution, it’s actually a pretty smart and fashion-forward one. According to the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association, awnings can reduce cooling costs by over 50%.

And before you think there’s no way awnings would look good on your house, you should know that they come in almost every style and material imaginable, including wood, copper, polycarbonate, terra cotta tile, iron, steel, cloth and even solar panels.

You can get them in almost any size and, if there are times you’d rather not have them, retractable awnings are available, as well.

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4. Blackout Drapes – When most people think of blackout drapes, they imagine thick, dark, boring motel room curtains, but as you can see from the image above, today’s blackout drapes are stylish and attractive enough for any room.

When choosing blackout drapes, remember that there are differences in quality among brands. Also, blackout drapes are different than blackout curtains, which are made with only one layer of material rather than two and are apt to let in more light.

If you have questions or comments about ways in which windows can slash your cooling and heating costs or would like to know more about LoĒ³-340 glass windows, we invite you to reach out any time!

We’re Arizona’s largest window distributor and we’ve got the brands, knowledge, and skills to help you reach your energy savings goals this year, and for a long time to come.