Every year our desert home in New Mexico is pummeled by the wind. From sometime in March through May and even into June, the warmer winds of Spring blow in from the west across miles of open desert from California, across Arizona and New Mexico picking up speed as they go with nothing in the vast terrain of the southwest to stop them.
Sun protection in the form of window screening is one of the most effective ways to keep energy costs down.
Variations on the classic dome awning can be found through-out the world, and often at locations housing fine hospitality establishments.
If you live in a moderate climate, but don’t generally use and maintain a swimming pool in winter months, there are options. Protecting your pool from temperature changes is the first step.
Pergolas are open shade structures with a roof which is often made with fabric panels that can be opened and closed as needed.
Awnings for windows, doorways and patios can be fabricated in a huge variety of sun protection solutions. Heavy fabric fitted on a fixed frame, or a retractable scissor awning frame is the most traditional design. However, solar screening that deflects up to 95% of harmful UV rays, and allows light and air to pass through, and is fabricated of a mesh material is also a very effective solution.
Desert homes on open lots can offer very little in the way of natural shade from shrubs and trees. What foliage there may be is often low and sparse, and the building façade is exposed to the sun for the better part of the day. Addressing the need for sun and heat protection in a two storey home involves identifying the source of the exposure and how the heat might travel.
A sheltered courtyard patio is such a wonderful space and can cut at least some of the winds. But it can also absorb more heat and be less appealing in the warm months.
In addition to creating an extension of the home with a useable outdoor space, patio screens when used effectively can help to reduce energy costs throughout the year.