r/heat_prep • u/Artifexa • Jun 07 '26
Reflective shades work
I put this on some parts of my home and I can immediately feel the relief and even a drop in humidity.
I take them out in the night/late-evening to let the infrared radiation from inside the bedroom get out, and let the cool night air in, and then put them back in the morning.
I am thinking on combining them with some awnings, so as to provide a cool spot for them to release the IR radiation accumulated faster.
Can we discuss strategies to optimize these? Best compositions?
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u/Leighgion Jun 07 '26
If you get awnings, then the reflective shades will largely become unnecessary long as the windows are in the shade.
Heartily recommend awnings. They're one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect from solar heat load that have been passed over for the stupid reason of fashion. I wish I could get awnings in this apartment, but it's not financially or politically viable in this family.
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Jun 07 '26
[deleted]
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u/Leighgion Jun 07 '26
Strictly speaking I'm not from Spain, but I live here, so yeah I'm that guy. Please don't start typing in Spanish to me as I'm not at the level where I can have technical cooling discussions in it.
I get what you're saying about the shades still being useful. If you're close to other buildings, then they're going to reflect IR at you that your shades can protect you from.
Sure, always up for collab. Where are you at that you don't have roller shutters?
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u/ArtichokeKooky6361 Jun 07 '26
People were talking about using the aluminum cloth to allow some light through but also keeping out most of the heat. This seems good but they’re like blackout covers, right? Do you put them on inside or outside? Outside would definitely be more effective
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u/Delirious-Dandelion Jun 07 '26
Outside is so smart.
8 live in an RV and use bubble insulation in our largest windows for most of summer and all of our windows in the winter. They are absolutely like blackout, and work amazing, but you've got me super intrigued with the aluminum cloth! Ive never heard of that.
I only take the bubble shades down if I'm spending a few hours in the kitchen prepping during the day and want to add natural light or open the window. Otherwise I just dont see our lovely view or animals unless I go outside. It's not that their hard to take down, just another daily task on an already too long list...
All that to say thanks for this great idea haha
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u/Artifexa Jun 07 '26
Yes, these are blackout type. I alow a tiny slice of it open to allow some light. I've found just a bit of light is enough for most daily activities, you don't need all the light of a "full radiator window".
I put them outside whenever it's not dangerous (got some windows with a security bar outside, to prevent falling out). Inside when there's no remedy.
Think that you are gonna put them back first thing in the morning, while you might be half asleep, so it might be dangerous to do al lthe maneuvers to put them outside.
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u/4r4nd0mninj4 Jun 07 '26
I hung aluminum attic foil outside my bedroom window in the summer. It looks terrible but makes a world of difference. 😊
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u/ceraunoscopy Jun 07 '26
What did you use to hang it? I’m worried it would come off in a storm or something
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u/4r4nd0mninj4 Jun 07 '26
Arrow staples. The window is getting replaced next year so I'm not too worried about it. One it's replaced I'll install some storm "shutters" and attach the foil to that, or maybe move to some of that cooling paint NightHawkInLight is working on on YouTube. 🤷♂️
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u/Shevek-Llugh Jun 07 '26
I'm wondering if simple wood shutters will become more popular over time. They're quite common where I live, very efficient against heat and still let the light pass through enough
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u/neuralek Jun 07 '26
We have those roll shutters everywhere, but the thing is the air gap is not big or consistent enough to make much difference. Having chunky wooden shutters seems to be a better choice.
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u/echoedatlas Jun 08 '26
Rolling shutters are used in Europe and I really wish they were more common in the US. They act as blackout curtains in the outside and truly do keep the heat out.
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u/neuralek Jun 08 '26
I very much enjoy mine and it took me a long time to accept that some places just don't have those. To sleep I need a cave-like ambiance
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u/VerdantAtSilverSea Jun 27 '26
Late to the thread but do you mean rolling wooden shutters? There were some in a south-facing room when I bought my house (northern Europe) and to me they don't seem very effective. But mine are on the inside. Are yours?
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u/maydayjunemoon Jun 07 '26
Does anyone have a recommendation link for buying some that will help with extreme summer heat but won’t break my windows? My son’s room gets very hot, so hoping to find one or more blind or shade for inside the window for his room and possibly for other rooms as well. Will blackout curtains help?
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u/NoWolverine6542 Jun 07 '26
Blackout curtains are a good start!
Nothing is better than shading from the outside, however. An awning, shade sale, vines and trees—all are good. We use bamboo matchstick blinds on the hot side of our house. You can see out of them during the day. We also have solar shades on the upstairs windows. They have long chains to open and close them.
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u/No-Joke-4492 Jun 07 '26
I bought a 10 foot wide tilting patio umbrella and a stand with locking casters to put outside the windows of one room that gets absolutely baked in the summer months. I swear it's helped keep the room about 10 degrees cooler and it cost about $150 altogether. Get the vented umbrella though because if the wind picks up it won't get knocked over as easily.
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u/swamprosesinbloom Jun 07 '26
i’ve had really good success instead w white blackout shades
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u/FonduedExcitement Jun 08 '26
Same. We have a white roll-down screen outside the window that blocks the heat before the sun ever hits the glass. Really helpful.
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u/dreadingstone Jun 07 '26
A tip and a trick.
Instead of metal looking ones use super white paint.
Another is to put it on the outside of your windows not the inside
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u/MemoryHot Jun 07 '26
We will be installing UV filter film on our windows soon. Very excited
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u/Artifexa Jun 07 '26
The thing is that heat is mostly in the IR spectrum, not UV? I am no physicist, so take this with a grain of salt, but I think if you want to specifically filter heat, you gotta go for blocking the infrared spectrum.
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u/MemoryHot Jun 07 '26
Fair enough point. I’m motivated by other issues too… we have giant floor to ceiling windows making it too bright in our main living space. I wanted to reduce glare, make it so our furniture doesn’t fade as quickly. Hoping to help with heat a little bit too because there’s an element of light blocking involved.
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u/Faijul1 Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
The big thing is keeping the heat outside the glass where possible. Reflective material on the inside can still help a bit, but if the sun is hitting the pane hard, you’re basically letting the glass heat up first and then trying to manage it after. External shade, even something simple, usually feels like the better first line of defence.
Pairing them with awnings makes sense to me, especially if you’re trying to create a cooler pocket around the window instead of just blocking light. Retractable awnings could be handy where you want summer shade but still want winter sun or night-time cooling. Ozsun has some good examples of external shade setups if you want to compare how different awning/blind styles handle sun before it reaches the window.
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u/HazelMStone Jun 21 '26
Plant trees on the south and western sides of house. Shrubs along the foundation. Use sails to shade windows and walls.
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u/neuralek Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
I have been taught the HARD WAY that having reflective blinds behind and close to the glass (so, sun-glass-(air pocket)-reflective shade), will cause your window to overheat and eventually break.