Hear from Our Customers
Right now, your outdoor space sits empty most of the year. The sun beats down, temperatures hit 105°F, and even your AC can’t keep up with the heat pouring through west-facing windows. Your furniture fades, your energy bills climb, and you’re stuck inside while your patio collects dust.
Exterior roller shades change that. They block up to 99% of UV rays before they ever hit your windows, dropping surface temperatures by 15 degrees and cutting AC runtime by 3-5 hours daily. That’s real money back in your pocket every month.
You get outdoor spaces you can actually use in summer. Covered patios stay 30 degrees cooler. Furniture stops fading. And your home doesn’t feel like a sauna by 2 PM.
This isn’t about making things look nice. It’s about making your home work better in Central Texas heat.
A Plus Shutters & Shades grew out of A Plus Home Remodel, a company that’s been transforming homes across the Austin metro for more than 10 years. We opened our dedicated showroom in Arlington because we saw too many homeowners getting sold the wrong products by companies that didn’t understand Texas weather.
Brushy Creek homeowners deal with specific challenges. Your neighborhood sits in full sun most of the day. Your homes have large windows and covered patios built for outdoor living. You need window treatments that handle 100-degree summers and protect high-end furnishings without blocking your view of those beautiful oak trees.
We focus exclusively on Texas-made products because they’re built for this climate. Our installation team has seen every window configuration in Williamson County, and we know which motorized outdoor shades hold up and which ones fail after one season.
You schedule a free consultation, and we come to your home in Brushy Creek. We measure your windows and outdoor spaces, look at sun exposure throughout the day, and talk about what’s not working right now. Are your energy bills too high? Is your patio unusable? Is furniture fading?
We show you fabric options that make sense for your situation. If you’ve got a west-facing patio that gets hammered by afternoon sun, we’re recommending different outdoor shade blinds than someone with a covered north-facing space. We talk about motorized options, smart home integration, and whether blackout roller shades or solar shades make more sense for your windows.
Once you approve the quote, we order custom-sized exterior window blinds built specifically for your measurements. Installation typically happens within two to three weeks. Our team shows up, installs everything, tests the motorization if applicable, and walks you through operation.
You’re not waiting months. You’re not dealing with generic big-box products that don’t fit right. You get outdoor roller shades installed correctly the first time by people who’ve done this hundreds of times across Round Rock and Cedar Park.
Ready to get started?
Every installation starts with fabrics designed for Texas weather. These aren’t indoor roller shades hung outside. They’re engineered to handle heat, wind, and UV exposure without breaking down. You’re choosing from materials that block 90-99% of UV rays while still allowing filtered light and airflow.
Motorization is standard for most outdoor patio blind installations. You control them with a remote, smartphone app, or voice commands through Alexa or Google Assistant. When storms roll in, you’re not running outside to manually crank shades up. You’re hitting a button from your couch.
We handle spans up to 25 feet wide, which matters in Brushy Creek where covered patios and outdoor living areas run large. The shades mount to your existing structure, whether that’s a pergola, covered patio, or directly to your home’s exterior. Installation includes all hardware, motorization setup, and smart home integration if you want it.
You also get guidance on maintenance, which is minimal. These outdoor roller shades are built to last years with basic cleaning. We’re not selling you something that needs constant attention. In Williamson County’s climate, durability matters more than aesthetics, and you’re getting both.
You’re looking at potential reductions of 15-25% on cooling costs during summer months, but the real number depends on your home’s window exposure and how much direct sun you’re currently dealing with. If you’ve got large west or south-facing windows, you’re probably seeing the biggest impact because that’s where solar heat gain hits hardest between 2-7 PM.
Exterior roller shades block heat before it enters your home, which is significantly more effective than interior blinds. Your AC isn’t fighting against heat that’s already inside. Most Brushy Creek homeowners report their AC runs 3-5 fewer hours per day once exterior shades are installed on problem windows.
The payback period typically runs 3-5 years depending on your current energy costs and how many windows you’re covering. After that, you’re saving money every month. And your HVAC system lasts longer because it’s not overworking every afternoon.
Exterior roller shades stop heat before it reaches your windows, while interior shades try to block heat that’s already inside your home. That’s the entire difference, and it’s significant in Texas.
When sun hits a window with interior blinds, the glass heats up and radiates warmth into your room even if the blinds are closed. You’ve trapped heat between the glass and the shade, and it has nowhere to go but inside. Exterior shades create a barrier outside the window, so the glass never heats up in the first place.
You’ll feel the difference immediately. Rooms with exterior roller shades stay noticeably cooler, and your AC doesn’t cycle as frequently. Interior blackout roller shades help with light control and privacy, but they’re not designed for heat rejection the way outdoor roller shades are. If energy savings matter to you, exterior is the only option that makes a real dent in cooling costs.
Quality exterior roller shades are engineered for wind loads, but you need proper installation and the right fabric tension for your specific exposure. Shades mounted in protected areas like covered patios handle wind differently than shades on open south-facing walls.
Most outdoor roller shades we install in Brushy Creek are rated for winds up to 30-40 mph when properly tensioned. If you’ve got motorized shades, you can retract them before severe weather hits. That’s why smart home integration matters—you get alerts and can control shades remotely if a storm rolls in while you’re at work.
The fabric itself resists tearing and stretching because it’s made from solution-dyed acrylic or vinyl-coated polyester designed specifically for outdoor use. These aren’t the same materials used in interior window treatments. We also use side channels and bottom bars that keep shades stable in wind rather than flapping around. If you live in an especially exposed area, we’ll recommend specific mounting options during your consultation that add stability.
That depends entirely on the fabric openness percentage you choose, and this is where the consultation matters. Solar shade fabrics come in different openness factors—typically 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10%—that determine how much light and view passes through.
A 10% openness fabric blocks 90% of UV rays while maintaining a clear view outside. You can see your yard, but the sun’s intensity is dramatically reduced. A 3% openness fabric blocks 97% of UV rays and provides more privacy, but you lose some view clarity. A 1% fabric is nearly opaque and works like a blackout roller shade while still allowing some filtered light.
Most Brushy Creek homeowners choose 5% openness for outdoor patio blinds because it balances view, light control, and heat rejection. You’re not sitting in darkness, but you’re also not squinting from glare. For windows facing neighbors or streets where privacy matters, a 3% fabric makes more sense. We bring samples to your consultation so you can see exactly what each openness level looks like in your actual lighting conditions.
Installation typically takes 2-4 hours depending on how many shades you’re having installed and whether we’re mounting to existing structures or adding new brackets. A single large patio shade goes faster than multiple window shades that each need individual mounting.
The timeline from consultation to installation runs about two to three weeks. That includes measuring, ordering custom-sized outdoor roller shades built to your exact specifications, and scheduling installation. We’re not pulling stock sizes off a shelf—everything is made specifically for your windows and outdoor spaces.
On installation day, our team shows up with everything needed. We mount the brackets, install the roller mechanism, attach and tension the fabric, and set up motorization if applicable. If you’re integrating with smart home systems, we handle that setup and make sure everything responds correctly to your phone or voice commands. You don’t need to be handy or help with installation. We take care of it, test everything, and show you how to operate your new exterior window blinds before we leave.
Exterior roller shades cost more upfront than basic patio umbrellas or shade sails, but they’re permanent, motorized, and actually reduce your energy bills. You’re comparing a $2,000-5,000 investment that lasts 10-15 years and cuts cooling costs against temporary solutions that need replacing every few years and don’t impact your HVAC performance.
Retractable awnings are the closest comparison, and they typically cost about the same or more than motorized outdoor roller shades. The difference is shades take up less space when retracted, require less maintenance, and integrate with smart home systems more easily. Awnings work well for very large areas, but roller shades give you more precise light control.
The energy savings alone often justify the cost within 3-5 years for Brushy Creek homes with significant sun exposure. After that, you’re saving money every summer while also protecting furniture from UV damage and making outdoor spaces usable year-round. If you’re planning to stay in your home long-term, exterior roller shades pay for themselves. If you’re selling soon, they’re an upgrade buyers in this market specifically look for because outdoor living matters in Central Texas.
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