Hear from Our Customers
You know the drill. It’s 105 degrees outside, and your patio furniture is collecting dust because nobody wants to sit in a furnace. Your AC is running nonstop trying to cool rooms with west-facing windows, and your energy bill shows it.
Exterior roller shades change that math. They block heat before it hits the glass, dropping indoor temps by 20 to 30 degrees in the rooms that need it most. That’s not marketing speak—that’s measurable relief that shows up in lower energy bills and rooms you can actually use during the day.
You also get UV protection that keeps your furniture from fading and your family from squinting through dinner. The shades you can see through from inside but nobody can see through from outside. You keep your view, your privacy, and your sanity when the Texas sun decides to park itself over East Oak Hill for three straight months.
A Plus Shutters & Shades is part of A Plus Home Remodel, and we’ve spent over 10 years working on homes across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. That means we’ve seen every window configuration, every exposure problem, and every “the sun makes this room impossible” situation East Oak Hill throws at us.
We’re based locally, we use Texas-made products when we can, and we don’t subcontract installs to whoever answers the phone. Our team measures, fabricates, and installs your outdoor shade blinds so they work the way they’re supposed to—the first time.
East Oak Hill homes deal with intense western sun exposure and heat that doesn’t quit until October. We size and spec your exterior roller shades for that reality, not some general guideline written for a different climate.
You call or message us, and we set up a time to come out. No pressure, no sales pitch—we measure your space, talk through what you’re trying to solve, and show you samples of fabrics and operating systems that make sense for your setup.
Once you pick what works, we order your custom outdoor roller shades and schedule the install. Our crew shows up on time, mounts everything to spec, and tests the operation before we leave. If it’s motorized, we sync it with your phone or voice system so you’re not fumbling with remotes.
The whole process takes a few weeks from consultation to install, depending on customization. You’re not waiting months, and you’re not dealing with a different person every time you have a question. One team handles your project from start to finish.
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Your exterior roller shades come with commercial-grade fabric that’s built to handle wind, rain, and UV exposure without falling apart in two seasons. We’re talking about materials designed for Texas weather, not something that works fine in Oregon but melts here.
You also get a choice of manual or motorized operation. Motorized systems integrate with Somfy TaHoma, which works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and most smart home setups. That means you can drop the shades from your phone when the afternoon sun hits or set them on a schedule so you’re not thinking about it.
East Oak Hill homeowners also qualify for Austin Energy rebates—up to $1.00 per square foot if your shades meet efficiency standards. We’ll walk you through what qualifies and how to file for it, because leaving money on the table doesn’t make sense when you’re already investing in your home.
The install includes mounting hardware rated for your exterior walls, whether that’s brick, stucco, or siding. We’re not using drywall anchors and hoping for the best. These outdoor shade blinds stay put through storms and high winds.
Exterior roller shades can cut your cooling costs by 20 to 25 percent in rooms with direct sun exposure. That’s because they block heat before it enters your home, which is way more effective than trying to cool it down after it’s already inside.
In East Oak Hill, where summer temps regularly hit 100-plus degrees, west and south-facing windows turn rooms into ovens by mid-afternoon. Blackout roller shades on those windows drop the indoor temperature by 20 to 30 degrees, which means your AC isn’t fighting a losing battle all day.
If you add motorized shades with smart scheduling, you can automate them to lower during peak heat hours and raise when the sun shifts. That kind of automation can add another 10 to 20 percent in energy savings annually because you’re not relying on remembering to close them.
Exterior roller shades block heat before it hits your windows, which is the key difference. Interior shades try to stop heat after it’s already passed through the glass and entered your home. By that point, you’re just managing the damage.
When the Texas sun beats down on a window, the glass heats up and radiates that warmth into the room. An interior shade might block some of it, but the heat is already inside. Outdoor roller shades stop it at the source, keeping your glass cooler and your rooms more comfortable.
For East Oak Hill homes with large windows or sliding glass doors facing west, that difference is massive. You’ll feel it the first afternoon you have them installed. The room stays cooler, your AC runs less, and you’re not closing all your blinds just to make the space livable.
Yes, if you choose a solar screen fabric with an open weave. These outdoor shade blinds block heat and UV rays while still letting you see through them from inside. The tighter the weave, the more privacy and shade you get, but you lose some visibility.
Most East Oak Hill homeowners go with a 5 to 10 percent openness factor, which blocks 90 to 95 percent of UV rays and heat while keeping a view of the yard or street. From outside, people can’t see in—it looks like a tinted window. From inside, you get a slightly dimmed but clear view.
If you want full blackout for a covered patio or pergola, we can do that too. Those outdoor patio blinds block everything—light, heat, and visibility. It’s the difference between shade and total darkness, and it depends on how you use the space.
Quality exterior roller shades last 10 to 15 years in Texas if they’re installed correctly and made with commercial-grade materials. Cheap versions start falling apart in two to three years because the fabric breaks down under constant UV exposure and the hardware can’t handle wind.
We use fabrics rated for high heat and UV resistance, and the mounting systems are built to stay secure through storms. East Oak Hill gets its share of wind and rain, so we don’t cut corners on the components that keep your shades attached to the house.
Motorized systems have a similar lifespan if you go with Somfy or another quality brand. The motors are sealed against moisture and dust, and they’re designed for daily use. You’re not replacing them every few years unless something gets hit by a branch or damaged in a freak storm.
Most motorized outdoor roller shades have a manual override, so you can still raise or lower them if the power’s out. It’s usually a small crank or pull cord that disengages the motor and lets you operate the shade by hand.
Some systems also come with battery backup, which keeps the motor running during short outages. That’s more common on higher-end setups, but it’s worth considering if you live in an area where summer storms knock out power regularly.
If you’re worried about losing smart home control during an outage, the manual override solves that. You won’t be stuck with your blackout roller shades down in the middle of the day just because the grid went out. It’s a simple mechanical backup that works every time.
Yes. Austin Energy offers rebates up to $1.00 per square foot for qualifying solar screens and exterior window blinds that meet their energy efficiency standards. That can add up fast if you’re covering multiple windows or a large patio area.
The rebate applies to shades that block a certain percentage of solar heat gain, and most of the exterior roller shades we install qualify. We’ll help you figure out what’s eligible and walk you through the paperwork so you’re not guessing.
East Oak Hill falls under Austin Energy’s service area, so you’re covered. The rebate doesn’t cover the full cost, but it takes a decent chunk out of your total investment—and when you factor in the energy savings over the next few years, the shades basically pay for themselves.
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