Outdoor Porch Shade Ideas

This blog covers the enclosed patio option from another angle, focusing on providing shade and making the porch a more relaxing place to be. From retractable awnings to motorized shades – this is all about blocking out the sun and cooling down the front or back porch.

The outdoor living spaces around your house can be some of the most enjoyable parts of the home for relaxing and entertaining. A well-furnished and pretty front porch or enclosed patio can dramatically increase the size of your home’s ‘livable’ area, allowing you to enjoy the fresh outdoors and adding to your property’s value.

However, the one thing that can cause problems for all of that is the sun. Whether it’s getting just too hot, shining in people’s eyes or fading your furniture and fittings over a long exposure, too much sun can be terrible for your outdoor areas.

The solution is getting outdoor shades that can block out the worst of the sun’s effects. Not only can solar shades help with light filtering, but different designs can also help protect from insects or give the space added privacy. To help you determine what size, angle and style would work best for you and the specific space here, we’ll look at some of the best outdoor porch shades and patio covering ideas.

8 Ideas for Outdoor Porch Shades

1. Retractable Awnings

When it comes to sun shades, awnings are one of the most obvious solutions. Too much sun overhead, roll out some fabric to block it out. The great thing about awnings is they can just be rolled back in when you don’t need them, and many electric motors can now be controlled from your smartphone. Awnings can also be created to fit pretty much any space and required projection, as well as coming in a huge variety of fabrics and styles.

2. Outdoor Porch Shades

If you’re looking to keep the sun off the porch or verandah at your home, you’re in luck, as there is an incredible wealth of porch shade ideas out there. They can be horizontal, vertical or slanted to match how the sun gets in. They can be light screens to let in air but no insects or heavier duty to provide a full UV block for everyone and everything on your porch. A mechanical or manual rollable option will give you more flexibility around the amount of light getting through. However, fixed shades may provide more design options.

3. Umbrellas

Umbrellas are a classic and low-tech way to keep the sun off certain areas in your outside living spaces, like seating or a dining table. The good thing about sun umbrellas is that they are flexible and generally easy to set up. They also come in a wide variety of styles to suit the decoration ideas you’re going for and can be taken in when not in use. However, they do have downsides in that they can generally only provide a relatively small area with protection and are not very good at stopping horizontal sunlight. They can also be quite susceptible to winds, meaning they must have heavy bases, which can be difficult to move about.

4. Roll-Down Solar Screens

For front porch shade ideas, roll-down screens are some of the best outdoor porch shades you’ll find. Outdoor roller shades come in a number of fabrics and can be custom fitted for your specific space. With an outdoor roller shade for your porch, you have the flexibility of adjusting the amount of light, and with bottom-up and top-down options, you can also create all the privacy you need.

5. Custom Screens

Screens are the classic outdoor porch shades and have been used for centuries to keep sun, rain and insects away from outside living areas. The concept of the screen hasn’t changed much over that time, but new technologies and materials now give you a real choice when it comes to deciding what’s best for the needs and look of your home. As outdoor porch shades, a screened-in porch is a very common amenity, especially in the south. Still, with modern manufacturing possibilities, you can also screen off very large outside areas as well.

6. Pergola

If you’ve got the space and will, a pergola can be a beautiful patio shade. Basically, it’s a simple construction with four columns and roof beams, and a canopy is pulled along the roof to give shade to the area below. A lattice pergola is a similar design but without any canopy, intending to deliver the minimum of light blockage. Not only does it keep the sun off, but it’s also a really cute design feature and provides lots of DIY and upcycling potential.

7. Extruded Screening Systems

Another advantage of the improvement in outdoor porch shades is how to screen systems can be combined with metal extrusion to cater for maximum width and height openings without the tightness or consistency of the screen material being affected. Extruded screen systems can also add in chair rails for extra safety, kick panels to protect against active pets or sudden water flows and spindle systems to protect children as well as adding a design feature.

8. Trees

One of the most obvious outdoor porch shades is having a verdant tree outside it. Trees have long provided natural shade for the sun’s worst extremes and, at the right angle, can give protection from rain as well as privacy from the street. While certainly an environmentally friendly option and adds a touch of class to your home, trees can also be difficult to maintain, take a long time to grow, and the leafy ones that are best as outdoor porch shades also create a lot of yard work and porch sweeping come fall.

Conclusion

Outdoor living spaces are the best spots for relaxing, entertaining and getting some cool fresh air. Unfortunately, the sun can have a big impact on how much you get to enjoy those spaces. Between the heat making people uncomfortable, the brightness getting in your eyes and the UV rays bleaching your furniture, the sun is a big issue for outside living. Luckily outdoor porch shades have a wealth of variety in forms, styles and materials, meaning you can find exactly what you need to keep the sun off and that fits your home perfectly.

No matter what the space of your outside living area our custom design and expert fitting teams can give you the shade you need. To find out more about outdoor porch shades from Screenmobile, you can read about them here or find your nearest Screenmobile location.

Enjoying time outside is great for our wellness. However, the outdoors present some dangers. UV rays, heat, and pests can prevent you from having the good time you deserve.

A lanai can keep you and your visitors safe from the elements while providing comfort. Lanais can also help business owners attract customers and enhance their buildings’ appeal.

What is a lanai? What are the advantages of having one? What are some other options to help you enjoy your outdoor space?

Keep reading to learn more about lanais and if one is right for you!

What Is a Lanai?

The traditional lanai meaning comes from Hawaii. The term lanai simply refers to a covered or enclosed porch or patio. Conventional lanais have a roofed entrance and exclude more than one wall, granting wider access to nature. They often open up to larger living spaces.

Although lanais originated in the Aloha State, their use spread to areas that frequently experience warm climates, like California and Florida. However, anyone across the United States can add a lanai to their home or business.

How Does a Lanai Differ from a Traditional Porch/Patio?

Porches are traditionally areas connected to buildings that have roofs but no walls.

Patios are typically uncovered, paved areas that can be attached to buildings but sometimes are not.

A porch patio combines the best traits of both, offering a covered and paved space.

Lanais are porch patios that have taken on new dimensions. They extend indoor spaces, expanding the comforts of your home outside. Some lanais have living-room-style accommodations, special lighting, TVs, and more. Lanais generally have some sort of access points between the building and the sitting area. A sliding glass door or set of french doors can lead to a hang-out spot your friends and family will never want to leave.

The Advantages of Lanais

Lanais offer several benefits for your outdoor space. Here are the top benefits of them:

Options

Location

Because you can use a lanai as an extension to your home’s interior, you can have one connected to your house wherever it is possible. Imagine waking up in the morning and walking out onto your lanai directly from your bedroom. The crisp morning air could vitalize you to face the day head-on. You could even connect your living room to one, upgrading your summer barbecues to spectacular affairs.

Access points

As previously mentioned, you can access lanais in several ways. Retractable and sliding screen doors are just a few of the alternatives you can use to enjoy nature year-round.

Furnishings

In addition to lighting and TVs, you can put anything you want in a lanai. A few stunning choices to spruce up your space include:

• • • Ceiling fans.
    • Dining table.
    • Plants.
    • Pool table.
    • Work station.

Walls, screens, or both

Your lanai can have a full wall or half of one. You can also have a screened lanai that helps keep bugs out of your face. A lanai screen can complement wall enclosures, offering pest protection and a great view of your property.

More Usable Living Space

Lanais can be used as a second living room, dining area, or workspace. You can use them however you see fit. Their main draw is that they give you more space to live and play.

Safer Access to Nature

Fresh air and sunlight can boost your energy levels. A lanai porch gives homeowners a safe outdoor space with all the comforts of home. You can relax outdoors while technically not really being outside.

Added Value

Lanais can increase your property’s value. If you place your home on the market, then a lanai can appear attractive to prospective buyers, especially if you live in warm climates.

Lanai Alternatives

If you are still determining whether a lanai is right for you, then you can explore more alternatives that can amplify your home or business.

Sunrooms: Sunrooms are great if you want to let as much sunlight as possible enter your home. A sunroom is simply a room with a large number of windows. You can build one onto an existing patio.

Three-season rooms: These sunroom variations are meant to be used three out of four seasons a year. Three-season rooms could prove beneficial if your winters are severely cold and detrimental to outdoor enjoyment. You could also use them all year. It’s your space!

Catios: Patios for cats are becoming popular across the country. These special enclosed areas are designed specifically for your feline friends.

Let Screenmobile Inspire You

Choosing the right addition for your property can be stressful. While there’s certainly an initial investment to consider, the long-term gains are immeasurable.

Building a lanai can add value to your property and quality of life. You could invite your friends and family to hang out on your lanai. Doesn’t that sound exotic? A lanai can take you away from the stresses of everyday life.

But the key is that you have to trust the company you’ve partnered with to renew your space.

If you want to get away from it all without leaving home, then Screenmobile can create the perfect environment for rest and relaxation. Since 1980, we have been the preferred choice for windows, doors, and porch screens.

However, we are more than just screens. We manufacture and install solar shading, pet-resistant screens, motorized and large-format screens, and more. Our trailers carry the necessary materials and tools to complete a job on-site at the first appointment. We want to treat your time as important as we do ours. We want to get the job done right the first time.

Our service has earned us satisfied customers across the country as well as the top spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s #1 Home Repair Franchise. We are not content with achieving this honor once. We strive to win it every year, meaning you can expect the best from us each time you hire us.

Screen enclosures can transform your lanai, porch, or patio. We’re here when you’re ready to choose a convenient, efficient screen store. Please contact us with any questions or if you want to set up a service request today.

Interior window shutters were the most popular form of window covering for hundreds of years before curtains, drapes and blinds came to take over from the Victorian era onwards. However, interior shutters are currently experiencing a revival in popularity among both stylists and pragmatists. Interior shutters can make sense on many levels, and lots of homes are discovering that interior window shutters can tick a number of boxes for what they’re looking for.

Here we’ll take a look at how this most classic of window coverings provide a number of benefits and can suit almost any home or office design spec.

8 Benefits of Interior Window Shutters

1. Light Management

One of the greatest advantages of interior window shutters is the control they give homeowners over the light entering a room. This is especially applicable for louvered shutters, which can be adjusted to very specific levels to suit your needs at different times of the day. Louvered interior window shutters are those with layered slats that are adjustable by means of a switch or stick. Solid panel interior window shutters also provide light control but only in the on/off sense, though this can also be quite useful for bedrooms receiving streetlighting or early morning natural light.

2. Charming Looks

Another reason for the recent surge in the popularity of interior window shutters is how they give a classic look to any room. Solid panel, plantation, or floor-height wooden shutters can instantly create a vintage vibe in your home while also giving you numerous decorating options to work from, including varnished/stained, painted or distressed, depending on what you’re going for. With minimalistic blinds or zero window coverings on the way out and drapes feeling like too much, interior window shutters can give you a more timeless background for your decoration choices.

3. Privacy Control

Along with light interior, window shutters can also effectively control the amount of vision that gets into a room from outside. This is particularly useful on street-side first and second-floor windows. It’s also possible to get interior window shutters in what is known as cafe style, where only the lower part of the window has shutters. This gives the effect of allowing in plenty of natural light while keeping out the gaze from the street.

4. Protection Against the Elements

With energy prices going up, having an extra layer of insulation can help to keep your utility bills manageable. Interior window shutters help with this by creating an extra pocket of air between your glazed window and the shutter while also allowing you to circulate air through a room without having to open a window fully or be exposed to rain.

5. Cooler Home

While interior window shutters are effective protection against cold and rain, they are flexible enough to also work in the other direction, allowing air to circulate through a room or your whole home even when the sun’s at its height. This has a cooling effect of allowing a breeze to move around but keeping the direct heat of the sun away from the interior.

6. Work Well in Tight Spaces

Urban living can often mean being limited in decorating options by a lack of space. This can be particularly troublesome around windows where you may need to block out very strong sunlight from a home office, for example, but a curtain won’t fit. Interior window shutters can be made to measure for any window space and can also be created to fit your own decorative look. The various styles of interior window shutters can also be applied to suit the needs you have in different situations.

7. Protecting From Sun Damage

Over-brightness does impact not only yourself or your guests but also the furnishings in your home. The UV rays from the sun can damage and fade flooring, furniture, pictures, and books over time, and it is something to be wary of before it’s too late. Interior window shutters can provide a helpful barrier against this damage while still letting light enter the room and also allowing you to ‘turn off’ the sun when you are out of your home.

8. Sound Exclusion

Along with keeping out the sun and other environmental elements, interior window shutters can also exclude noise from the street or surrounding nature. Sound waves, especially high-frequency ones, are relatively easy to block out with heavier materials such as wood, so closing your shutters at night time should be able to create a quieter home environment.

Conclusion

Interior window shutters are not just a stylish addition to your home, but they have a range of benefits too. These come from their ability to block out environmental factors, such as rain, coldness, sun rays and sound. They can also help you to maintain your privacy in your home and overall give you a flexible window covering you can alter for different situations.

If you’re interested in installing interior window shutters for one or all of these great reasons, then why not talk to the experts at Screenmobile? We can construct your shutters exactly how you want them and for whichever purpose you need and from a range of materials. To find out more, you can read about our interior window shutters here or talk to your local Screenmobile.