Question : Your pricing is very low compared to your competitors, is there something I should be worried about ? Low pricing doesn't necessarily mean a great value. & Answer : That's right, I know all about low-balling companies that base their entire business practice on being cheaper than everyone else. The ONLY reason we are so inexpensive is that we do all the work ourselves. My wife Paula and myself Josh do everything ourselves, we do not have a team of employees, so we do not have that enormous added expense. The huge savings in cost we pass directly along to you. Some of our competitors try to compete with our pricing, however I have seen a great deal of their work, and they in NO WAY compare to ours. Read through our Customer Feedback as testimonials to the quality of work we provide. Our final product is something to be proud of, which we are very proud of each and every job we do.
Question : You have two density options 80% and 90%, what’s the difference between the two ? Does 90% mean better ? Is your 90% solar screen material much better than your 80% material ? & Answer : The difference is simple; a 90% screen offers 10% more shading than a 80% screen. For West facing windows that are sun-stricken for more than 5 hours of the day, we recommend the denser 90% material. For the rest of your windows, we recommend the 80% material. The 80% material is a SUPERB product. It’s our favorite of all materials. The 90% material has a really dark stark staunch look to it, that in our opinion (and that of most of our customers) is unattractive. For West facing windows that are sun-stricken for more than five hours a day, we feel that the extra 10% shading is very much helpful. That extra 10% shade for the rest of the house however will make the house inside and out dark and dreary. We are not fans of using the 90% material all the way around your house.
Question : What is the Warranty of your solar screens ? & Answer : We proudly offer an incredibly strong two year warranty on our screens. Our warranty is limited in the simple sense that we do not warrant personal or storm damage. However, with that said, solar screens do not have any moveable parts, therefore once they are installed properly, there's not really anything that can go wrong with them. Never the less, for two years, if something does go wrong, please don't hesitate to give us a shout.
Question : Can a Solar Screen be installed on a Door ? & Answer : Absolutely ! Pictures A & B) For swing doors, we mount the solar screen within the molding of the window frame. Picture C) For a flat installed rate of $130 (if accompanied with a solar window screen order for your house) we can custom build to fit a sliding solar screen door. We custom build our sliding solar screen doors specific to the measurements of your sliding door frame out of a Very Heavy Duty Aluminum material. The framing we use is unlike anything you can buy off the shelf, it's very sturdy and heavy duty. And, we of course can roll any of our five colors of fabrics within the frame. Optionally, if you would like to cover the non opening portion of the door, we can build you a pocket (as shown in picture c). The pocket we will fix to the outside of your sliding door frame covering the non opening panel. The solar screen door when in the open position will slide behind this pocket. The installed cost for the pocket is a flat rate of $130 as well. For the sliding screen door and the pocket both made out of the same heavy duty frame, rolled with our solar screen material, when accompanied with a 500" or over solar window screen order, is a minimal flat installed cost of $260 regardless of the sizes.
Question : What's the difference between Window Tinting (Film) and Solar Screens ? & Answer : There's a huge difference between the two products. Window Tinting merely blocks the Sun's UV Rays from getting through the glass in to the interior. Yes, to prevent fading of your interior's belongings, and to cut down on the UV rays from entering your home, window film / tint works. Window Film / Tinting only provides a 'fraction' of the shade that a Solar Screen does. A Solar Screen not only blocks the suns rays from entering the interior through the windows, but it ALSO shades the windows themselves from getting hot. The heat of a hot heated-up window / glass will of course transfer in to the home. Envision leaving your oven on, but the door shut, while the heat is captured within the oven, the heat still radiates through the glass of the door. The same applies to your windows when they get hot from the sun's rays. The whole idea of a solar screen is to provide shade for that window so that it doesn't get hot from the sun's rays and that the sun's rays do not make their way through the glass in to your interior. Keep in mind that window tint is installed on the inside pane of your double pained glass window. With this approach, the sun will penetrate the outside pain of glass heating it up, but more importantly the sun's energy will get absorbed by the inside pain of your double pained window, therefore making that pain of glass get super hot. Window manufacturer's will void the window warranty if it has window tint / film simply because of this problem. When that inside pain of glass gets that hot it's commonly prone to crack. Why does a window crack that has tint / film on it you ask? Because the glass gets so hot from the sun due to the tint on that inside pain stopping most of the sun's energy thus causing the glass to have to absorb it. Solar screens stop the sun outside of the window, the sun NEVER reaches the inside of the home or the glass of your windows. Why doesn't the glass in my car that has window tint / film crack this way? Two reasons, 1) with double pained windows, the heat is captured within the two pains of glass making that trapped air HOT adding to the hot inside pain of glass which by the way is very thin, and 2) there' s a gigantic difference between the thickness of your home's windows pains of glass verses that of your car's glass windows. The glass windows of your car are considerably thicker and much more tolerant, as you would expect because the inside of you car can get so hot. Considering effectiveness and efficiency, window tint / film can not remotely be compared to solar screens.
Question : Does any one color work better than others ? Does a lighter material let in more sun light ? & Answer : No, all five colors work the same, they all either have a 80% weave or a 90% weave, meaning they either let in 20% or 10% of the sun's rays. The difference in colors is strictly for aesthetics, as an option to better compliment your home's exterior. Sure, naturally the darker materials (black & chocolate) will get hotter to the touch, but because the material is an inch away from the glass, it is non-impactful.
Question : How well will I be able to see through the solar screen material ? & Answer : You can see through our material EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. The even weave of the fabric lends the 'best' outward visibility of ALL the solar screen fabrics currently available. Looking through the 80% material isn't too much different from looking through your current bug screens. The 90% material is a bit denser, yet you can see through the material exceptionally well.
Question : How will you mount (install) our new solar screens ? Are they removable ? Can I take the screens off to wash my windows ? & Answer : Our screens are absolutely removable. In fact we dedicated an entire page of Videos titled Videos of How We install for you to see to answer these types of questions.
Question : Will solar screens keep the bugs out like my current insect screens do ? & Answer : Absolutely, in fact the weave of our solar screen material is MUCH tighter than that of your current insect screen material.
Question : Do the solar screens fit over our current insect screens ? Or, do you remove our current insect screens before you install the new solar screens ? & Answer : We do remove the insect screens before we install your new solar screens. The solar screens will take the place of your current insect screens. Please see our Videos of How We Install page to learn more about how we install our screens.
Question : Do you dispose of our old screens ? What do you do with our old screens ? Will you haul them off for us ? & Answer : Absolutely we will haul off your old screens for you. However, if your current insect screens are somewhat new and in good condition, we recommend that your store them for a potential future need. For example when you go to sell your house years down the road, it’s a positive that you have available your original insect screens. If they are not in good shape, and if they are old solar screens, we will by default haul them off for you.
Question : Can Solar Screens be installed on the windows of my commercial building ?
& Answer : Absolutely, if it is glass, we can install a solar screen over it. The pricing for commercial buildings is a little bit more, not much, and we only will do up to a 2nd story building. Never the less, we install solar window screens for business owners all the time on the windows of their commercial buildings.
Question : With regards to privacy, will solar screens replace the need for window blinds or shutters ? & Answer : No, we often install solar screens for new home owners that do not have blinds, however while solar screens do provide privacy during the day, they do not at night. Window Blinds and Window Shutters are still needed for evening privacy.
Question : For future reference, how do we clean the screens ? Do we take them down to clean them ? How often should we clean them ? Do they even need to be cleaned ? & Answer : If you need to clean them, then you do so with them installed in place. No need to take them off. Using a bucket of soapy water wipe them down by hand with a rag. You'll find however that this won't be necessary often. In a new construction area that's dusty you may however find yourself wanting to wipe them off 'occasionally'. The dust will settle on the outside of the screen, which means there is NO reason to take the screen off to clean the underside.
Question : Should we clean our windows prior to you installing our new solar screens ? & Answer : We do recommend that you clean your windows before we put your new screens up, as it'll be a lot easier to clean them now, and you'll likely not have to clean them again for quite a while once the screens are up. When you do clean them, it is okay if you leave the old screens off your windows, and if you set them aside we will haul them off for you (if you like) so you don't have to deal with the disposing of them. Our recommendation for a window cleaning service is Summit Window Cleaning; Robb Aleman, 512-745-2239, summit_windowcleaning@yahoo.com. Robb has a $100 Minimum. Roughly, his rates are (which includes the window sill (window's track)) $4.00 p/ outside window or $6.50 p/ inside and outside window. Robb's rates are extremely reasonable, he's reliable and he does a great job. Robb is so good that he stays booked pretty far in advance, so to get him to come out quickly to clean your windows, it would be best that you contact him directly by phone instead of email.
Question : How about when I need to clean the windows after the screens are installed ? Am I inviting more work for myself ? & Answer : No, in fact you will find that you will RARELY need or want to clean your windows once the screens are up. The reason being is that the material is so dense that it will keep out the dust and the foreign materials that account for a dirty window. People often ask about rain dirtying up the windows through the screen, and because the material is so dense, that simply is not a factor, as the falling rain does not directly come in contact with the glass through the material. Sure, moisture will find its way to your glass, but the rain with its dust will never make it to the glass.
Question : I like to open my windows to let in a breeze during the cooler months, -Will the solar screens allow for a breeze to pass through like my current bug screens ? & Answer : Absolutely ! The solar screens breathe quite well. You will absolutely be able to enjoy the cool outside air through your new screens when needed.
Question : Do you know what the major sources of heat gain for my home are in our area here in Austin Texas ?
& Answer : Research from the Department of Energy led me to the following graph. Windows are the number-one source of heat gain in the summer, responsible for 48% of the cooling costs for your home. The most effective way of preventing this heat gain is by shading the sun before it heats the glass. Interior blinds, drapes, and window film all block the sun after they have penetrated and heated the window glass, so the heat is free to radiate into the home. Solar screens can block up to 90% of the sun’s energy before it heats your windows, dramatically reducing the heat in your home and the load on your air conditioner.
Question : How much light will the solar screens cut out in my home from the outside? With the solar screens should I expect the inside of my house to become dark ? & Answer : I tell people often that a great way to vision this question is to look at the light that is being let in through the windows that are currently covered by your patio. An additional example is to imagine a full shade tree between your windows and the sun, that's the same effect a solar screen will have with regards to letting light through. You'll gain shade, not darkness. You will get plenty of filtered light. Often this question is brought up by our customers and is 'always' pleasantly dismissed as a concern once the screens are installed.
Question : How much money can I expect to save on my electric bill ? What will be my utility savings ? & Answer : Sadly, this is too broad of question with far too many variables to provide a black and white answer. Never the less, I can tell you with 100% assurance that the ambient indoor temperature surrounding an un-shaded sun stricken window will drop DRAMATICALLY once the window is shaded with a solar screen. If your home has 60% of its windows that receive direct sun-light for the majority of the day, you can expect to see a SIGNIFICANT reduction in your utility costs. If only 10% of your home's windows are impacted by the sun, you won't see too much of a utility cost benefit, however you will see a major improvement in those rooms that are impacted by the sun-stricken windows. A window that is exposed to the sun's rays need to be shaded to alleviate the heat generated by the sun's rays from entering into the home through the windows.
Question : I do not live in the Austin TX area, -will you ship your screens to me ? Can I order the screens from you, then come by to pick them up to install myself. & Answer : No, we do not ship or do custom builds for pick up orders, as we only install screens on the windows that we have measured ourselves. To my knowledge, I don't know of anyone that will ship a large solar screen as they are way too big and bulky thus fragile due to size. It would seem to me that they would have to be crated to keep them from getting damaged during transit, which would be prohibitively costly. If you live in a rural area, you could try assembling them yourself. The Home Depot sells the materials needed to build them yourself, or you could internet source the raw materials.
Question : Will I want to take my screens off during the Winter ? Is there a benefit to removing my screens during the Winter ? Do my screens provide Winter insulation during the Winter ? & Answer : No. For one, the cold days of winter here in Austin will come and go before you know it. Secondly, if you do take the solar screens off, you'll need to store them somewhere,and when you do, you will run the risk of damaging them. It's not worth it. Third, you will get very use to the privacy of the solar screens, and will likely not want to do without that privacy. Fourth, in Austin TX there is no solar heat to be gained from un-shaded windows during the Summer. One very important thing to keep in mind about the Winter months here in Austin TX is that on those few days out the year that it is extremely cold, there is NO Sun outside to be found. Those cold days are always cloudy and dreary. We get asked these questions often whereby customers have the idea of wanting to remove their solar screens during the winter months, and the result is always the same in that once a customer has the experience of having our solar screens on their house, they will never want to take them down to store.
Question : What is your service area ? & Answer : We only service the Austin Texas area, including Pflugerville, Round Rock, Hutto, Georgetown, Leander, Cedar Park, Lakeway, Bee Caves, Dripping Springs, Kyle, Buda and Manor. Alternatively, if you are an hour outside of South Austin, to include San Marcos and Bastrop, we work with people that will service your area, please contact us so that we can put you in touch with one of them.
Question : Are there some solar screen projects that you won't take on ? If so, is the $50 deposit refundable ? & Answer : Yes and Yes. While it is very rare, I would say about 1 out of every 200 projects. Occasionally we will come across that home or commercial building that have windows that are not conducive for us to mount solar screens on. Such instances would be some older houses with wooden windows, some vinyl windows (generally the kind that have a beveled frame), picture windows that are 10' wide by 7' tall, windows that require walking on wood, clay or cement shingled roofs, or windows that are beyond 30' in the air (like on some commercial buildings and lofts). We do not commit ourselves by means of the deposit. Final discretion is left up to us and if we choose to not take on your project we will by all means refund you the $50 deposit and discuss with you what we think some viable recommendations to you would be. If you have a situation like what we have described, please give us a call before you process the $50 deposit so that we can discuss your job first over the telephone. .
Question : If I have side-by-side windows (windows that are installed next to each other, fitted together), will you mount one solar screen over all of them, or will you build one solar screen for each window? & Answer : We will build and install a solar screen for each window. Each window takes its own solar screen. In rare cases of non-opening windows like when there is a rectangular non-opening window with a ½ circle window above it, we can build one large solar screen to fit over the two of them together.
Question : Do your solar screens fade? What's the life expectancy of your solar screens? My West facing windows get a brutal amount of direct sun, will your solar screens last very long? & Answer : Phifer, the manufacturer of our Solar Window Screen Fabric (Suntex) believes in their product so much that they warranty it from fading for up to 10Yrs. Personally, I have yet to see a faded solar screen made with the suntex fabric. I am always astonished when I drive by installations we have done over the years as to how well the fabric of our solar screens have held up in the direct West facing sun. Of all the solar screen fabrics manufactured ours is the one, the ONLY one we chose to use on our own home and it is the ONLY one that I would use for your home. Compromising to save a few dollars makes NO sense to me. Our solar screen fabric is by far the longest lasting, strongest, best out there. Over the years I have seen installed on people's houses every type of solar screen fabric made, and I am often horrified that people have had screens built for them that have faded within a mere 3Yrs. It saddens me, and just kills me that vendors will sell these people this type of inferior product all to sound attractive with a lower price which is often only minimal. The pictures below do not really do justice as to how well our solar screen fabric holds up, as the quality of these pictures was taken with our IPhone as we drove by these houses last week. These houses all face the West. They look as good today as they did the day we did their installations. You can not get a better made solar screen, one that will last longer in the direct sun than ours!
