Exterior Porch Shades

Porch Shades Offer Partial To Complete Shading

Sometimes you already have partial shading on the outside of the house, such as a deck or porch that has a ceiling resting on wood columns or beams. It turns out that you can increase the shading even more, while letting air flow into the porch area for a real outdoor experience. These are known as exterior porch shades. There is considerable overlap with patio shades.

Creative Porch Shades

Porch shades have been a part of the American way of life for almost 300 years. The love affair has made them one of the more popular fixtures in every American home whether it is for privacy or for relaxation. This type of product is available through different hardware stores and even on online websites and where a myriad of colors are available.

Some shades are constructed with a simplistic design to allow for maximum functionality with minimal installation requirements so even if you don't have any DIY know-how they're easy to set up. A common choice, the lightweight basswood shades can be easily raised or lowered depending on your preference and has a maximum width of 143 inches with 17 colors available.

Porch shades are constructed mainly for use with screened porches, open verandas, and sun parlors among others. These colored shades are designed to protect the deck from intense rays of the sun during the afternoon, blowing rain, and even inclement weather. They are constructed with wind cords in order to protect them from possible wind damage when the weather brings strong winds. Furthermore, they are often positioned to provide privacy to your sun porch from the traffic on the street.

Material-wise, porch shades constructed with wood blinds are substantially more visually appealing than plastic blinds. There is another reason to go with wood - wood blinds remain cool even when exposed to the sun in the afternoon. We review a few of the other possible materials that will play to your creative strengths if you're into self home decor.

Sheets As Porch Shades

Sheets are a novel variation to traditional basswood shades. If you don't have the budget for roll up basswood shades, you just need to get a hold of an inexpensive rod and slip it into the hem of sheets. Make sure that both ends of the sheets have a small opening to allow the rod to pass through. Multicolor ties or shoe laces can be added to conceal the portion where the rod exits the sheets. You can also use them to tie the sheets when not in use so that they wouldn’t be flapping around during strong winds. Since sheets are relatively affordable and can be bought almost anywhere, this option to traditional basswood shades can be used as it effectively cuts cost. It is also great indoors as well as in your exterior porch. We actually write more about using patio curtains in general.

Woven Straw Mats As Porch Shades

Another accessible and affordable material that is used for porch shades are woven straw mats. With a little bit of ingenuity and innovation, different designs are sewn or stapled together with an optional valance to conceal the top of the mat. Follow the design of roller blinds by sewing ties at the top and placing them on both sides. This will allow you to roll them up when you don't need the shade or privacy. The design would serve much like the more common roll up basswood shades. The difference is that the use of woven straw mats are not as commonplace and don't convey that cookie-cutter feel.

Lattices As Porch Shades

One type of structure that has been known to filter light quite well is the lattice. This product is available through almost any hardware store in your area. It is quite possible that only one sheet of lattice would suffice for your needs depending of course on the exact area to be covered by the porch shades. It is important though for you to know how to measure the actual size so that you can take into consideration the maximum width as well as the maximum height that you can use for ample shade against the sun, wind, or other outdoor conditions.

Pleated Paper As Porch Shades

Pleated paper as porch shades is also one of the new variations. Aside from being priced very cheap, this product is available through home improvement warehouses in your area. The adhesive strip attached at the top of the pleated paper allows you to stick it at the top of the frame of windows or even directly onto the glass. Because they can be easily trimmed with conventional scissors to the desired maximum height and maximum width, they are ideal for trouble-free operation. Moreover, opting to stick them directly on the glass eliminates the need for additional working mechanisms. The white color allows for maximum sunlight deflection and a cooler environment. There is also no need to drill or nail in heavy-duty cords since plastic clips do the trick. You migth be surprised that with a little bit of care they last for years much like wood blinds.

Plastic Porch Shades

If high quality American basswood porch shades are a bit out of your budget at the moment, you can settle for inexpensive plastic that come in a variety of colors, widths, and lengths. Another alternative that is great for indoors, the shades are constructed of materials that can be incorporated into the design of other materials like fabric or pre-made foam stamps which are added to conceal the plastic and make them more attractive and elegant. These types of porch shades are good alternatives for those who want to match them with pillows, cushions, or even porch furniture.

Undoubtedly, there are other materials available in place of the ones we've described here. To some exterior porch shades are important because there may be instances wherein they spend more time on the porch than anywhere else in the home. The deck and patio area is also a good place to entertain guests which is why shades can be positioned in such a way that it provides you with maximum shade and privacy possible. Although nothing insulates like wood, alternative materials are slowly catching up.

The EasyShade Example

We leave you with one final example of the EasyShade system by SunSetter. The shade is a roller-type that hangs from the ceiling of the deck. When you want to use it, you turn a mechanical crank rod that lowers the shade. The mechanical crank means there's less propulsive stress on the mechanics, ensuring a shade that lasts longer. The shade is unfurled from its resting position until it reaches the railing, if you have one. Once there, it can then be latched using a bungee and hook provided by the manufacturer. When the shade is rolled up, it's housed in its own enclosure to reduce wear-and-tear, and enhance longevity.

Blocks Light But Lets In Air

The shade material of the EasyShade is such that it blocks most of the light, the wind, and rain, but lets in some air and softer light that penetrates the material. Moreover, the outdoor porch shades mean that you're hidden from view of the outside, which increases the privacy. Looking outward, you can still see the scenery.

Customizable Sizes

Size-wise, there are a number of possibilities. Even if there is no railing, a sufficiently tall outdoor porch shade of up to 6.5 ft means that it can reach from the ceiling to the floor. What about the width? There are a number of widths anywhere from 4 to 10 ft. Colorwise the selection is more limited, but a very neutral cream color can be used to accomodate just about any house paint or natural material. When considering porch shades, look for a shade material that is easy to wash and resistant to mold or mildew.