Patio Screens

Whether you live in town or out in the desert, patio screening is one of the most effective methods to protect your home from heat, winds and even cold temperatures. Patio screening offers some insulation from outside temperatures that can translate to 1-5 degrees difference in heat or cold transferred to exterior walls and thereby the interior of the home. That little bit of temperature insulation reduces the energy needed to cool or heat your home and can save as much as 25% on utility costs.

The obvious benefit to protecting a patio from direct sunlight is that surfaces are cooler – patio furniture, stone or concrete floors, barbecue grills and even ceramic planters. There is a marked difference in temperatures you can feel when holding your hand against an outside wall in the sun, and an outside wall in the shade. If a sunny outside wall is warm, that heat is absorbed to the interiors. If an outside wall is cool to the touch, that reduced level of temperature is absorbed to the interiors. During the warm months of the year a screened patio will mean that exterior walls are cooler and the home will require less energy from air conditioning to maintain a comfortable inside temperature. The same holds true for colder months, so that outer walls that are protected against winds especially, and cold temperatures will translate into lower heating bills.

By retracting and extending patio screening against winds or heat during the day and evening, you can pro-actively regulate your energy usage. Raise outdoor screening in the summer after sunset to allow the night air to flow unrestricted and cold down exterior walls as the temperature drops. Lower the patio screening in the morning and through-out the day as needed to protect outdoor areas from direct sunlight. Patio screening is also very effective against winds to either cool down or protect an outdoor space from blowing debris. In the winter months, patio screening retracted during the day to allow heat from the sun to reach exterior walls, and lowered at dusk to hold the warmth in is an excellent way to naturally capture more warmth to keep your home comfortable.