Hear from Our Customers
Your patio stops being that space you avoid between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. You’re not squinting through lunch or watching your furniture fade season after season. The air conditioning isn’t running nonstop trying to cool rooms with west-facing windows that turn into ovens every afternoon.
Exterior roller shades handle the heat before it ever reaches your windows or your living space. That means your AC works less, your energy bill drops by up to 30%, and rooms that used to be unbearable in summer actually stay comfortable. You get privacy without losing your view, and you control it all with a button if you go motorized.
This isn’t about decoration. It’s about making your home livable in Texas heat and protecting what you’ve invested in your furniture, your floors, and your sanity during July and August.
A Plus Shutters & Shades has spent more than 10 years in construction and home remodeling across the DFW area, including Elroy and the surrounding communities. We’re not a franchise following a script. We’re a local operation that understands what Texas weather does to homes and how to build solutions that actually hold up.
We measure, we custom-fit, and we install with the kind of precision that comes from doing this hundreds of times. You’re not getting a one-size-fits-all product shipped from somewhere else. You’re getting Texas-made roller shades built for your exact openings and installed by people who know what they’re doing.
Elroy homeowners deal with the same heat, the same sun exposure, and the same energy costs as the rest of Central Texas. We’ve worked in this area long enough to know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to outdoor shade solutions.
We start with a free consultation at your home in Elroy. We measure your openings, look at sun exposure, talk about what you’re trying to solve, and show you fabric samples so you can see opacity options in real light. You’ll know upfront what this costs and what your options are.
Once you decide to move forward, your shades are custom-built to your specifications. We’re talking about powder-coated aluminum frames and fabrics that are designed to handle Texas heat and UV without breaking down. When they’re ready, our install team comes out and mounts everything properly—no gaps, no sagging, no shortcuts.
If you go motorized, we integrate the controls so you can operate your outdoor roller shades from your phone, a remote, or even voice commands through Alexa or Google Assistant. The whole process is straightforward, and you’re not left guessing what happens next or when your shades will actually be ready.
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Every exterior roller shade we install is built to your exact measurements. You pick the fabric opacity—from light-filtering options that soften the glare to blackout roller shades that block everything. The frames are powder-coated aluminum that won’t rust or warp in Elroy’s heat and humidity.
You’re in Central Texas, where summer temperatures regularly hit the high 90s and UV exposure is relentless. Our solar screen fabrics are specifically rated to block up to 99% of UV rays and reduce heat gain before it penetrates your windows or patio doors. That’s how you cut cooling costs by 15% to 30%, depending on your home’s exposure.
Motorization is available on any size shade, which matters when you’re dealing with large patio openings or multiple outdoor shade blinds across your home. You control them individually or together, and they integrate with most smart home systems. We handle the wiring and setup during installation.
You also get options for side channels that block wind and light gaps, making your outdoor space more comfortable and private. These aren’t decorative add-ons. They’re functional upgrades that make a real difference when you’re trying to create a usable outdoor room in Texas weather.
Smaller exterior roller shades typically start around $1,500 installed, while larger openings or motorized patio roller shades can run upwards of $6,000 depending on size, fabric choice, and features. The price varies based on the width and height of your openings, whether you want manual or motorized operation, and the type of fabric you choose.
We give you an exact quote after measuring your space during the free consultation. There’s no guessing or surprise costs later. The investment includes custom fabrication, professional installation, and materials that are built to last in Texas heat—not the kind of outdoor shade blinds you’ll replace in three years.
Most Elroy homeowners see a return on that investment through lower energy bills, especially if you’re shading west-facing windows or large patio doors that let in massive amounts of heat. You’re also protecting furniture and flooring from UV damage, which adds up over time.
Exterior roller shades stop heat before it ever reaches your windows, which is why they reduce cooling costs by up to 30%. Interior shades can only block heat after it’s already penetrated the glass and started warming up your room. By that point, your AC is already fighting an uphill battle.
When you install outdoor roller shades on the outside of your windows or patio, you’re creating a barrier that reflects solar heat away from your home entirely. The glass stays cooler, the room stays cooler, and your HVAC system doesn’t have to work as hard. That’s the difference between managing heat and preventing it.
In Elroy, where summer heat is a constant issue, exterior window blinds make a measurable impact on your energy bill. You’ll feel the difference in rooms that used to be unbearable in the afternoon, and you’ll see it when your cooling costs drop month after month.
Yes. Solar screen fabrics are woven to block UV rays and heat while still allowing visibility from the inside. You’re not looking at a solid wall—you’re looking through a mesh that filters light and reduces glare but doesn’t eliminate your view. The opacity you choose determines how much visibility you retain.
A 5% openness fabric blocks more light and provides more privacy but reduces outward visibility slightly. A 10% openness fabric gives you a clearer view while still blocking the majority of UV rays and heat. During the day, people outside can’t see in clearly, but you can see out without issue.
At night, if your interior lights are on, the visibility reverses—just like any window treatment. That’s when you’d lower blackout roller shades if you want complete privacy. But during daylight hours, solar screens give you the best of both worlds: protection from heat and sun without sacrificing your view of your yard or surroundings.
Quality exterior roller shades with powder-coated aluminum frames and commercial-grade fabrics typically last 10 to 15 years in Texas, even with constant sun exposure and temperature swings. Cheaper materials—especially polyester fabrics and non-coated frames—start breaking down in a few years under the same conditions.
The key is using fabrics like Mermet fiberglass, which is specifically engineered to resist UV degradation, heat, and moisture. The powder-coated aluminum frames won’t rust, warp, or fade the way vinyl or untreated metal does. These materials are built for climates like Elroy’s, where your outdoor shade blinds are getting hit with intense sun and heat for months at a time.
We warranty our installations and use materials that we know hold up because we’ve been installing them for over a decade across the DFW area. You’re not replacing these every few years. You’re installing them once and forgetting about them except for occasional cleaning.
No. Motorized outdoor roller shades are low-maintenance once they’re installed. The motors are sealed and designed to handle outdoor conditions, and they don’t require regular servicing unless something breaks—which is rare with quality components.
You might need to replace batteries in a remote every year or two, or check the wiring connection if you have hardwired motors, but that’s about it. The shades themselves just need occasional cleaning with water and mild soap to remove dust and pollen. The fabric and frames are built to withstand weather without constant upkeep.
The motorization actually reduces wear and tear compared to manual operation because the shades raise and lower smoothly and evenly every time. You’re not yanking on cords or cranking handles, which can stress the fabric and hardware over time. For most Elroy homeowners, motorized patio roller shades are a set-it-and-forget-it solution that just works.
Most patios, pergolas, and window openings can accommodate exterior roller shades, but the mounting surface and structure need to be solid enough to support the hardware. We can mount to brick, stucco, wood, or metal framing as long as there’s a secure attachment point. If you have an unusual setup, we assess it during the consultation and recommend the best approach.
For covered patios, we typically mount the shades to the header or beam above the opening. For open patios or pergolas, we may need to add a mounting board or work with your existing structure. Large openings might require multiple shades or a reinforced mounting system to handle the weight and wind load.
We’ve installed outdoor roller shades on everything from small windows to massive patio openings in Elroy and across the DFW area. If there’s a way to make it work structurally, we’ll figure it out during the site visit and give you a clear answer on what’s possible and what it’ll take to install correctly.
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