When you cover your window opening with a curtain, drape, blind, shutter, or shade, it will likely block out most of the natural light sailing into your room’s interior. However, advanced movable shading devices like solar roller shades provide you with complete control of light so, you can easily minimize or maximize the flow of natural light into your room. One special feature of solar roller shades is that they come with different openness factors or UV protection levels, such as 1%, 3%, 5%, 10%, and 14%.
With their special fabric styles, solar blinds can gently diffuse natural sunlight and provide your room’s interior with a soft glow. Meanwhile, they block out the sun’s harsh ultraviolet (UV) rays and keep your room cooler. Owing to their UV-blocking functionality, solar roller shades are also called sun shades or UV protection shades. With their UV protection functionality, they help you to protect yourself against cancer. According to the Cancer Institute NSW Government, shade is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Which Openness Factor Would Be a Good Choice for Your Solar Roller Shades?
Solar roller shades with a 5% openness factor or UV protection level are usually a good choice for your home, as they can block out 95% of the sun’s harsh UV rays, provide sufficient light glow, and keep your home at an ideal temperature. It will allow only 5 percent of the natural light to sail into your room, which is enough for a bright and clear environment. However, if you want to further maximize natural light, higher openness levels, such as 10% and 14%, are also there.
Top 12 Ways to Maximize Natural Light with Solar Roller Shades
Buying solar roller shades can be the right choice for maximizing natural light in your home, office, or other structure. These window treatments can create a safe, bright, and energy-efficient living space in your room. Here are the top 10 ways to maximize natural light with solar blinds.
- Opt for Translucent or Light-Colored Fabrics: Choose solar roller shades for your windows that are made with light-colored or translucent fabric materials. These fabrics allow more natural light to filter through while still providing some glare and heat reduction in your home. Lighter fabrics help create a brighter ambiance in the room.
- Consider Higher Openness Factors: Solar roller shades or blinds are available in different openness factors, ranging from 1% to 14% or more. Shades with higher openness factors will allow more natural light to sail into your room. So, you can consider roller shades with openness factors between 5% and 14% to maximize natural light in your home, office, or other structure.
- Utilize Dual Roller Shades: Dual roller shades combine two different fabrics or materials in a single window treatment. One fabric can be solar-reflective for heat and glare reduction, while the other can be a sheer or light-filtering material for enhanced natural light. You can adjust each shade independently, allowing you to control the amount of light and privacy.
- Opt for Sheer Fabrics: Sheer fabrics for solar roller shades are made from a transparent or semi-transparent material that diffuses natural light and reduces glare while maintaining enough visibility. These window treatments provide you with a soft and gentle glow for a comfortable feel.
- Motorized Shades with Daylight Sensors: Consider a motorized lift option and daylight sensors for your solar roller shades. These sensors can detect the amount of natural light in your room and automatically adjust the shades according to your requirements. They can be programmed to lower, raise, or adjust when the sunlight is more or less intense, ensuring optimal light utilization throughout the day.
- Install Top-Down/Bottom-up Shades: Top-down/bottom-up style of solar roller shades offers flexibility in controlling and adjusting natural light. You can lower the top section of your shade to allow light to enter from above while keeping the bottom section closed to maintain privacy. This configuration will allow for natural light to fill your room from different angles.
- Use Wider Shades: Consider using wider solar shades that cover a larger portion of your windows. By choosing shades with a width that matches or exceeds the size of the window frame, you can maximize the amount of natural light entering your room. Wider shades allow for unobstructed views and enhance the overall brightness.
- Combine Solar Roller Shades with Sheer Curtains: Pair solar roller shades with sheer curtains to create a layered window treatment. During the day, you can keep the solar roller shades partially raised, allowing natural light to enter while maintaining privacy. The sheer curtains can diffuse the light further and add an elegant touch to the room.
- Incorporate Light-reflecting Accessories: You can enhance the natural light in your room by incorporating light-reflecting accessories into your solar shades, such as mirrors, metallic accents, and other light-colored interior decor items. These additional elements help you to bounce and distribute natural light throughout your room to create a brighter and more open environment.
- Regularly Clean and Maintain Your Blinds: Keep your solar roller shades clean and well-maintained to ensure continuous optimal light transmission. Dirt, dust, and debris on the fabric can hinder the amount of natural light passing through. So, you should regularly clean your shades according to the manufacturer’s instructions to maintain their effectiveness in maximizing natural light in your home.
Summing Up
Solar roller shades can be an affordable and effective option to maximize natural light in your home. The offers several ways to adjust the required amount of light to sail into your room, such as higher openness factors, light-colored fabrics, sheer materials, top-down/bottom-up style, and motorized shades with daylight sensors. A cordless or motorized lift option will be safe for homes with young children or pets.