My south-facing apartment gets brutally hot in the summer and I’m always looking for ways to keep it a bit cooler. I think I’ll hang some of those bamboo shades but I’m not sure if I should put them inside or outside.
I would thinking hanging them outside would keep it cooler than hanging them inside. If I put them outside I’d have to get vinyl siding hooks and hang them on those. Will the hooks be strong enough? I thought if I got three narrow ones (rather than one or two longer ones) the hooks would work better because they’d be holding less weight. What about the vinyl siding? Will it be strong enough to hold up the shades? I could stagger the shades so there’s only one on each strip of siding. It wouldn’t look all that nice though.
If I hang them inside it’ll be much easier but like I said, I think it would work better if they were hung on the outside.
I’m hoping someone might have an opinion or some advice about it.
Hanging them outside would keep the glass and window ledge/frame cool and provide shade inside. Hanging them inside would provide shade but would also mean the window ledge and frame would get all hot. I’d rather keep the heat outside.
You say apartment, but I think I remember you’re the owner? Perhaps consider investing in real awnings? You’ll get the shade you’re after and a nice look, rather than a weird (honestly) kinda ghetto setup with shades on the outside blowing all over the place. Awnings + shades inside would be the way to go. If you can’t do the awnings, consider shutters. Those would still be considered an improvement rather than an eyesore.
Just rent! There used to be awnings up in front of the windows but years ago one fell off and just about hit someone so they don’t want anyone to put more up. I’m thinking maybe it might be better to get some shades that can be installed inside the window frame? That might be better. It will still let some heat in but won’t look as you rightly put it - ghetto!
It also does get quite windy out on the patio so I hadn’t really thought about that.
Yah, I would stick to the indoor installation then. You’re also less likely to get dinged for damage to drywall than to outdoor siding. There are also indoor shutters you can install, they accordion to the sides if that’s a look you might like, with adjustable louvers to adjust the amount of light coming in. Don’t know how much those compare in cost, though!
When we had them in Seattle (in an apartment) they hung outside the window. They provide better cooling there. If hung inside, the window, pane, and blinds themselves get hot inside your dwelling. IIRC ours had tie-downs on the bottom so they didn’t blow around.
Would your landlord even allow you to hang anything on the outside? And you’d have to go outside anytime you wanted to raise or lower them…that seems inconvenient. Are you on the first floor? If not, how are you going to get to the windows to hang anything? Do you own a ladder?
Sure, the glass pane will get hot. But your lease probably doesn’t allow you to put things outside, plus the shades will get destroyed by the weather a lot faster, plus you can’t adjust them without opening the window.
I had a similar problem, on my outdoor deck. I was worried though that it would degrade quickly in the elements. Its been about 10 years now with no degradation. I run wires or fishing line from the top to bottom on either face so it doesn’t blow around in the wind. It rolls up and down between these sets of wires.
the most interesting ‘problem’ I have with the set up is that wasps will attempt to hibernate in the rolled up shade during the fall. There’s been more than a few years, where I’ve unrolled it for the first time in the spring and a bunch of dead wasps fall out. I’ve never found them attempting to live there during the summer though.