I have a 2400 sq. ft. McMansion that has absolutely zero shade and a majority of my windows are on the side of my house facing South-Southwest. This side of my home has six windows and a big sliding glass door. My wife gets migraines very easily and we always make sure to keep a consistent temperature. One of the big problems that we have is that our A/C (I guess just the compressor/condensing unit) is not sized properly for our home; the air handler seems fine as the furnace works fine in the cold winters.
In any event, it is presently 81 degrees Fahrenheit outside with a lot of direct sunlight, and it is only 70 degrees Fahrenheit in my home, with no A/C running at all. I have custom built solar screens that I assembled from supplies available at Lowes in three of these windows, now. It cost about me about $20 per window to do this ($12 for the frame kit and $8 for screen material). The materials are manufactured by New York Wire. I am going to build three more for the other windows windows with direct sunlight exposure. In addition, I am going to look for a means to shade my sliding glass door.
I already have interior shades. Today, I put a thermometer in one of the windows with a screen and it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit; a window without the screen was 132 degrees Fahrenheit. Shading your windows from the exterior is the key. I expect that this $120 total investment will be more than paid for during this year. Once it gets cool enough that we would consider turning on the furnace, I will remove the screens.
I made these screens to cover the entire window. The existing screens only covered one-half of my windows. I leave the existing screens in place, and use clips to hold the new screens in place.
There was some chart online somewhere that discussed what different surfaces were responsible for what percentage of heat transfer in your home (e.g. exterior walls, doors, windows, etc).
In any event, it is relatively cheap means to lower your electricity consumption, and if you are into being green, it is double-green (because green is worthless if it doesn't save you some green in your wallet).
How does it look from the outside? I could definitely see some HoA's getting really anal about that.
Xnarg
Senior Member - 5K
posted: May. 20, 2009 @ 4:28p
I took our south-facing storm door to a place that tints auto glass and had them put an 87% reflective film on the inside. This has made a world of difference for us. Even in below freezing weather in the winter, the solid door behind the storm door would get too hot because of the greenhouse effect. Now the solid door never gets too hot anymore, increasing its longevity. The tinted film application cost about $110. We have to be careful that it doesn't get scratched, but it's done pretty well for the last couple of years. An added benefit is that we can see out while outsiders can't see in.
pthor1231 said: How does it look from the outside? I could definitely see some HoA's getting really anal about that.
That is definitely a concern, and is something that is going to be a judgement call. We have an HoA, but it is still run by a law firm that is out of state, so they aren't really that active.
There are typically samples that are at the store, so you could stop by and give it a look.
I have taken some pics, so I will see if I can post them.
Once again, it is going to be a judgement call. I could see one HoA getting bent out of shape, and another never worrying about it.
For what it's worth, I didn't ask. It is my house and I will do what I want. I work on my car when and it is against the covenents, too. Also, these are "temporary," so that may make a difference.
Dus10 said: It cost about me about $20 per window to do this ($12 for the frame kit and $8 for screen material. The materials are manufactured by New York WireCan you list the item numbers from your Lowes receipt ? Not sure Lowes will carry this stuff nationwide, but perhaps.
I extended our roof overhang a couple of feet on the south side, and now our south windows get no direct sunlight during air conditioning season (Feb - Nov). This was actually cheaper than awnings.
Xnarg said: I took our south-facing storm door to a place that tints auto glass and had them put an 87% reflective film on the inside. This has made a world of difference for us. Even in below freezing weather in the winter, the solid door behind the storm door would get too hot because of the greenhouse effect. Now the solid door never gets too hot anymore, increasing its longevity. The tinted film application cost about $110. We have to be careful that it doesn't get scratched, but it's done pretty well for the last couple of years. An added benefit is that we can see out while outsiders can't see in.
applying film to your window will likely void window manufacturer warranty. plant a shade tree on the west side of your house to reduce heat gain in the afternoon.
larrymoencurly said: I extended our roof overhang a couple of feet on the south side, and now our south windows get no direct sunlight during air conditioning seasonA permanent, wooden/etc extension that you nailed up to the eaves ? Or something else ?
In Texas, solar screens are very common, even in neighborhoods with HOA's. We installed them on all of our Windows last summer. OP, make sure you buy the more expensive solar screen that is 90% sun blockage. Some is as low as 60%. 90% means it blocks 90% of solar heat. In our sun facing windows we measure temps 2-4 degrees above the room temp. Without the screens, temps are 30 degrees above room temp.
We built ours ourselves, but pros can do it too. The hardest part was figuring out how to attach them.
Our highest electric bill in the summar is usually no more than $155/mo. We also have a radiant barrier, and morning shade, but we have a dark, red brick house.
biomedeng
Senior Member
posted: May. 20, 2009 @ 6:20p
miserly said: applying film to your window will likely void window manufacturer warranty. plant a shade tree on the west side of your house to reduce heat gain in the afternoon. Although this is a good idea, a shade tree could take 10-30 years to grow big enough to provide substantial shade. I think people are more interested in things they can do now that give a substantial savings this year.
Xnarg
Senior Member - 5K
posted: May. 20, 2009 @ 6:34p
miserly said: Xnarg said: I took our south-facing storm door to a place that tints auto glass and had them put an 87% reflective film on the inside. This has made a world of difference for us. Even in below freezing weather in the winter, the solid door behind the storm door would get too hot because of the greenhouse effect. Now the solid door never gets too hot anymore, increasing its longevity. The tinted film application cost about $110. We have to be careful that it doesn't get scratched, but it's done pretty well for the last couple of years. An added benefit is that we can see out while outsiders can't see in.applying film to your window will likely void window manufacturer warranty. plant a shade tree on the west side of your house to reduce heat gain in the afternoon.I'm not concerned about voiding a warranty on a $100 pane of glass (which is removable from the storm door).
There is no convenient way to shade the front door.
The front door faces due south. We have PLENTY of trees on our property, but it would be impossible to situation one right in front of the front door, where the walkway is. We do have one evergreen slightly to the east of the walkway, and that provides some shade during the early morning. There is a large deciduous tree to the west of the walkway, which obviously provides no shade during the winter. The sun on the south side of the house is actually more of a problem in the winter when it comes to heating up the front door/storm door.
The way our home is situated on our lot, there isn't enough space between the western lot line and the house for a tree. We have 15' high shrubs, but the peak of the roof is 30' high, so there is no way in that limited ground space that we could grow a tree tall enough to shade the roof.
Dus10 said: Xnarg said: ...An added benefit is that we can see out while outsiders can't see in.
That is another benefit to this, as well.
Also, if you are willing to do it yourself, you can buy the tint film yourself and apply it, but your mileage (quality) will vary.I just did this on the apartment that I'm renting. A 15' by 4' roll of film (highest heat blockage at Home Depot) and the tools need to apply the film cost me about $50.
Applying it to the two 4'x4' skylights in my apartment and then putting up some cloth to block some of the light has made a world of difference. Totally worth the difficulty of applying the material. I'm sure I will save the money on cooling costs in a year.
If I owned the apartment (or cared more about the appearance), I probably would have paid a couple hundred dollars to get it done professionally.
EEngineer
Member
posted: May. 20, 2009 @ 7:42p
In warm/sunny parts of the country it is a good idea to look for houses that have the roof extend out over the house a few feet. Not only does this keep the walls of your house dry but it keeps the sun off the walls/windows.
or get low e- coating put on. these are not dark, but allow more light in, so you don't get the heat gain, but keep the views. otherwise, just black out the windows during the day.
lampy2k4
Senior Member - 1K
posted: May. 20, 2009 @ 8:16p
I was just thinking about researching this as we have a huge window in our LR that gets lots of sunlight. I was going to see if there was a way to "tint" the windows myself without removing them.
Also, does anyone know if such screens would qualify for energy tax credits?
Just so everyone is clear, solar screens are a totally different technology than window films and coatings. Think of an insect screen with thicker webbing, webbing that will cast a thicker/darker shadow than insect screening. This is better thsn film as it blocks 90% of the radiant heat before it hits the glass.
Agree with the OP, however; in my case most of the heat trapped at my house happens at the attic, and not because of windows facing the sun. Attic fan is installed but still, lots of heat up there.
You can if you want heat gain from the sun, but even in winter they can save energy as they reduce the cooling effect of cold winds on your glass as they can reduce airflow. We left ours on all winter -- our natural gas heating bill never got above $30/month. Perhaps we could have saved a little by removing them, but it wasn't worth getting out the ladder.
Cheapoking said: Agree with the OP, however; in my case most of the heat trapped at my house happens at the attic, and not because of windows facing the sun. Attic fan is installed but still, lots of heat up there.
Get a radiant barrier installed. We had one put in by our builder. On a 100 degree day at 5pm our attic temp will be about 110 instead of 135 or so. You can get a spray on one installed, or if you need a new roof, get new OSB installed with a radiant barrier built in.
First, a 2400 sq ft house does not make a McMansion. Second, you have crappy contractor grade windows. Third, way to bring the property values down in your sub by putting WalMart style stick on shades on the windows instead of just buying good new windows.
Why don't you just put large buses on your lawn for shade??? Free and even more crappy!
dmlavigne1 said: Dus10 said: I have a 2400 sq. ft. McMansion ..... Third, way to bring the property values down in your sub by putting WalMart style stick on shades on the windows instead of just buying good new windows. my neighbor recently installed screens on his windows. the next day, 10 foreclosure notices were posted and 8 for sales signs went up. the following week, half the neighborhood was rented section 8 and then a sewage processing plant was built.
then yesterday my neighbor took the screens off and we were all millionaires again.
xoneinax said: larrymoencurly said: I extended our roof overhang a couple of feet on the south side, and now our south windows get no direct sunlight during air conditioning seasonA permanent, wooden/etc extension that you nailed up to the eaves ? Or something else ?I just removed the 2x6 at the end of all the rafter beams, bolted 3'-4' lengths of 2x4s to them, reused the 2x6, and then sheathed over and added roofing paper (in cold areas, sticky freeze overlay may be desired) and shingles. I also covered the eaves with stucco for fire resistance (maybe lighter material is available). In high fire areas it may be better to not have any overhang at all. Also a longer overhang may require support posts. The best length for the overhang depends on the angles of the sun during the cooling season, not only at noon but also at the times of the day when the windows are exposed to the sun. I measured only between the bottom of the windows and the edge of the overhang, but some people get fancy and also calculate the solar gain, based not only on the angles of the sun but also by considering the weather and angle of incidence between the sun and the windows (at high angles, vertically or horizontally, even direct sun mostly reflects off the glass rather than goes through). There may be some online solar calculators for this.
dmlavigne1 said: First, a 2400 sq ft house does not make a McMansion.Not if it looks good.
dmlavigne1 said: Second, you have crappy contractor grade windows.Contractor grade = McMansion grade.
Good windows can cost $5,000+ for a home, and comparable energy savings may be achievable by simply adding cheap storm windows.
Poolrad
Cranky Member
posted: May. 21, 2009 @ 7:18a
I just had 3M Nightvision 15 put on all of our windows in the front of our home in South Carolina (all were facing direct sunlight nearly all day. It has been a huge benefit, we no longer have to keep the window blinds completely closed & heat has gone way way down and the AC hardly runs. Cost was $800 for about 300 square feet of window panes (talked the contractor down from $1100 to $800 cash). I believe this is a good solution as it looks very nice and I can really tell the difference.
Poolrad said: I just had 3M Nightvision 15 put on all of our windows in the front of our home in South Carolina (all were facing direct sunlight nearly all day. It has been a huge benefit, we no longer have to keep the window blinds completely closed & heat has gone way way down and the AC hardly runs. Cost was $800 for about 300 square feet of window panes (talked the contractor down from $1100 to $800 cash). I believe this is a good solution as it looks very nice and I can really tell the difference.
Have you done any calculations to determine how quickly it will pay for itself? I can't seem to find anything other than promo websites about the stuff.
I have 2 big skylights. I am thinking just drape some of the screens over them and weight it down with 4 bricks each window. It is a flat roof with only a slight pitch.
Poolrad
Cranky Member
posted: May. 21, 2009 @ 8:33a
tehlorax said: Poolrad said: I just had 3M Nightvision 15 put on all of our windows in the front of our home in South Carolina (all were facing direct sunlight nearly all day. It has been a huge benefit, we no longer have to keep the window blinds completely closed & heat has gone way way down and the AC hardly runs. Cost was $800 for about 300 square feet of window panes (talked the contractor down from $1100 to $800 cash). I believe this is a good solution as it looks very nice and I can really tell the difference.
Have you done any calculations to determine how quickly it will pay for itself? I can't seem to find anything other than promo websites about the stuff.
Not an easy thing to do, but what I did was to take the 68% heat reduction figure that 3M & the contractor agreed to, I then took the average heat increase between 8am-7pm that we had on a normal day & reduced that by 68%. I then factored in at what degree my AC unit was set to come on & for amount of time it takes to reduce by 1 degree. I then extrapolated the amount of time being spent to cool the upstairs & downstairs units on an average sunny day prior to the film & then after. I then took the average running time & mutiplied by the energy needed by the AC units for before & after. This way I came to a daily savings average, I then multiplied that out till $800 payoff. I came up with roughly 587 days till the film pays for itself.
nycll said: I have 2 big skylights. I am thinking just drape some of the screens over them and weight it down with 4 bricks each window. It is a flat roof with only a slight pitch.It is better to get some space between the heat blocking material and the windows. I know some people who have built a raised frame above their skylights and then put the screens on the frame. Having at least a couple inches between the material and the window reduces the amount of heat transferred directly from the material to your house.
michal1980 said: These screens are as foreign to people living in the north, as roof rakes are to the people in the south.Shade screen is usually like ordinary plastic-coated fiberglass window screen, only with fewer or smaller openings in the material to block about 50% of the direct sunlight. There used to be a type of shade screen made of aluminum sheet that didn't let in any direct sunlight because it had 1/2" wide horizontal louvers punched into it. I hardly see it used any more, probably because it was always light green, which made the louvers highly visible from the outside.
kenblakely
Senior Member - 2K
posted: May. 22, 2009 @ 5:18a
Cheapoking said: hellyea81 said: Just a request that you post the pictures somewhere. Would love to see how this looks.
shura7400 said: Bump Summer is over. What everybody saved?
Total electric bill for August was $118 in central Texas. The average daily high was over 100. This is in a 2300 sqaure foot house. I am guessing the screens and the radiant barrier are saving at least $100/month. My electricity is at 9.7 cents/kw hour.
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