Custom Solar Screens
Most homeowners fight the sun from the inside with blinds, curtains, or fabric shades. Solar screens take a different approach: they mount on the outside of the window and stop heat before it ever reaches the glass. At Colby Window Solutions, we build and install custom solar screens sized to your exact windows, in the openness and color combination that fits how each side of the house actually gets used.
Sun screens and solar screens are the same covering with two different names, and we build both the same way: a tightly woven mesh fabric, framed and mounted flush to the exterior, engineered to cut glare and UV before they become a problem inside the house.
What Solar Screens Are Built to Do
A solar screen is a woven mesh fabric, usually PVC-coated polyester or fiberglass, stretched across a frame and mounted directly over a window or patio opening from the outside. Because the mesh intercepts sunlight before it touches the glass, it stops heat at the source instead of managing it after it has already entered the room.
Two things determine how a given screen performs: openness factor, which is how much of the weave is open space versus solid material, and color, which changes how much light gets absorbed, reflected, or let through. Darker, tighter weaves block more sun. Lighter, more open weaves trade some heat and glare control for a clearer view. Homeowners searching for sun screens and homeowners searching for solar screens are usually after the exact same thing, and we quote and install them the same way either way.
Solar Screens vs. Interior Solar Shades
It’s worth being clear about the difference, because the two get confused constantly. Interior fabric shades, the kind we cover with our roller shades, hang inside the room and manage light after it has already passed through the glass. Solar screens do the opposite: they sit outside, so the heat and UV never make it past the window in the first place.
That difference matters more than it sounds. A screen mounted outside is working before the sun becomes a problem indoors, which is why exterior solar screens are typically the stronger choice for windows that take direct, sustained sun for large parts of the day.
What Actually Controls a Solar Screen’s Performance
Two variables do almost all the work: how open the weave is, and what color the screen is. According to Efficient Window Coverings, a resource backed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, changing the openness factor alone can shift shading performance by up to 25 percent, while changing the screen’s color, keeping everything else the same, can shift performance by as much as 100 percent. Darker screens consistently outperform lighter ones at blocking heat and glare.
That is also why solar screens carry strong UV protection ratings across the board. The same source puts UV protection from solar screens in the 75 to 99 percent range, which is a meaningful reason homeowners choose them for rooms with fading floors, furniture, or artwork.
Solar Screen Options We Install
The right combination of openness and color depends on the window, the direction it faces, and what you’re trying to solve.
Low Openness Sun Screens
Tighter weaves in the 1 to 5 percent openness range block the most sun and offer the strongest daytime privacy. A good fit for west-facing windows or rooms that take brutal, sustained afternoon exposure.
- Maximum heat and glare reduction
- Strongest daytime privacy from outside
- Best for the harshest sun exposure
High Openness Solar Screens
Weaves in the 10 to 25 percent range preserve more of the outward view and let in more natural light, while still cutting a meaningful amount of glare and UV compared to a bare window.
- Clearer outward visibility
- More natural light retained
- Good for moderate sun exposure
Dark Mesh, Better Performance
Black and charcoal screens consistently deliver the best combination of heat rejection, glare control, and outward visibility of any color option, which is why they’re the most requested finish.
- Best all-around performance for the color
- Reduces glare without a washed-out look
- Blends into most exterior color schemes
Motorized Sun Screens
For larger openings or hard-to-reach windows, motorized solar screens raise and lower on a remote or wall control instead of a manual crank, and can pair with existing smart-home setups.
- Convenient for oversized or high windows
- Works with existing smart-home controls
- Overlaps with our smart shades lineup
Where Sun Screens Make the Biggest Difference
Any window that takes direct, sustained sun is a candidate for sun screens, but a few situations tend to show the most improvement:
- West-facing windows that heat up every afternoon
- Home offices and media rooms with screen glare
- Rooms with hardwood floors, rugs, or artwork prone to fading
- Garage and utility windows with no other shading
- Multi-window walls where interior coverings alone aren’t cutting it
If the goal is shading an outdoor living space rather than a window, our patio shades are built specifically for that kind of coverage.
Openness Factor at a Glance
Here’s a quick side-by-side look at how openness factor trades off across the features homeowners care about most.
| Openness Factor | Heat & Glare Blocked | Outward Visibility | Daytime Privacy | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% to 5% (Low) | Highest | Limited | Strongest | West-facing walls, harsh afternoon sun |
| 5% to 10% (Moderate) | High | Moderate | Good | Most residential windows |
| 10% to 25% (High) | Moderate | Best | Lighter | Windows where the view matters most |
Why Custom Solar Screens Outperform Snap-On Kits
Pre-cut, snap-on solar screen kits exist, and for a small utility window they can be fine. Where they fall apart is fit: mismatched panel sizes, gaps at the frame, and hardware that was never engineered for the exact opening. A custom solar screen is measured and framed to your window, not the closest size on a shelf.
What a Custom Install Adds
- An exact fit at the frame with no gaps for sun to sneak through
- Hardware built to hold up under wind and repeated use
- Consistent color and openness across every window on the house
- Manual or motorized operation, installed correctly the first time
- Professional measuring so the finished look is clean from the ground
Curious what a solar screen project typically costs? Our cost guide breaks down what affects pricing, and we offer financing options if you’d rather spread a larger project out over time.
Our Process
On-site evaluation
We walk the exterior with you to identify which windows take the most direct sun and where solar screens will make the biggest difference.
Openness and color selection
We help you weigh heat control against visibility and pick the openness and color combination that fits each side of the house.
Precise measuring and fabrication
Every screen is built to the exact dimensions of its opening, so there are no gaps and no mismatched panels.
Professional installation
Screens are mounted flush and level, with hardware rated to hold up outdoors season after season.
Signs It’s Time to Add or Replace Solar Screens
Some homeowners are starting from scratch on sun control. Others already have screens that just aren’t cutting it anymore.
- A west-facing or south-facing room heats up noticeably every afternoon
- Furniture, flooring, or artwork is visibly fading from sun exposure
- Glare makes it hard to see a TV or computer screen during the day
- Existing screens are torn, sagging, or discolored from years of sun
- You’re relying on interior blinds alone and still feel the heat
- You want a consistent look across every window on one side of the house
Solar Screens Fit Into a Bigger Plan
Solar screens handle sun control at the window, but they’re not the only tool for the job. If heat and glare on the glass itself are more of the concern than what’s happening outside it, our window film is worth a look. If slat-based adjustment and a more structured interior look matter more to you, compare blinds and shutters instead, or explore smart shades for motorized interior convenience. Still weighing your options? We install every type of window treatment, so we can walk you through all of them.
Solar Screens FAQs
Nothing. Solar screens and sun screens are the same exterior mesh screen, just two common names for it.
No. Depending on the openness factor you choose, solar screens can preserve a clear outward view while still cutting a meaningful amount of heat, glare, and UV. Lower openness blocks more sun with less visibility, and higher openness does the opposite.
For blocking heat, yes. Because solar screens mount outside and stop the sun before it reaches the glass, they typically outperform interior fabric shades, which only manage heat after it has already entered the room.
Darker colors, like black and charcoal, generally provide the strongest combination of heat rejection, glare control, and visibility of any color option.
Yes. Motorized solar screens are a popular option for larger openings, oversized windows, and homes with existing smart-home controls.
Yes. Contact us to schedule a consultation and go over solar screen options for your home.
Get Started with Custom Solar Screens
Solar screens are one of the most direct ways to cut heat, glare, and UV exposure before they ever become a problem inside the house. Homeowners in the East Valley can see materials and finishes in person at the Mesa showroom, while the Florence office handles scheduling and consultations by phone and online for homeowners farther south.