Hear from Our Customers
You stop avoiding your own patio during lunch and dinner. The space you built to enjoy becomes usable again, not just something you look at through the window while the AC runs.
Outdoor roller shades block up to 94% of solar heat gain in Old Town. That’s not marketing talk—it’s the difference between 105 degrees on your deck and 85 degrees under shade. Your furniture stops fading. Your energy bill drops because your AC isn’t fighting the sun pouring through every window and door. And bugs stay outside where they belong.
The ROI isn’t abstract. Homeowners see 10-20% annual energy savings with motorized systems that adjust throughout the day. Your outdoor furniture lasts years longer without UV damage. And when summer storms roll through Old Town, these shades hold up—they’re built for Texas wind and weather, not just decoration.
A Plus Shutters & Shades came out of A Plus Home Remodel, a construction company with over a decade in the DFW area. We’re not new to Texas homes or what works here. We opened a dedicated showroom because we saw too many homeowners getting generic solutions that didn’t hold up.
Old Town sits right in the path of Gulf Coast humidity, summer heat that breaks 100 degrees, and storm systems that test every outdoor installation. We measure for that. Every shade is custom-built for your exact dimensions and exposure, then installed by people who’ve been doing this long enough to know what fails and why.
We use Texas-made products when possible. We back installations with a five-year warranty. And we don’t disappear after the install—if something needs adjustment, we’re still here.
We start with a free consultation at your property in Old Town. We measure your space, check sun exposure throughout the day, and talk about how you actually use the area. If you want motorization or smart home integration, we discuss that too—not as an upsell, but because it matters for how the system performs.
You’ll see material samples during that visit. We’ll show you opacity levels, colors, and explain what blocks heat versus what blocks view. Some people want blackout roller shades for complete coverage. Others want solar screens that reduce glare but keep visibility. It depends on your setup and what you’re trying to solve.
Once you approve everything, we order custom-built shades for your measurements. Installation typically takes a few hours depending on how many openings we’re covering. We mount the system, test the operation, and if it’s motorized, we sync it with your phone or voice assistant. Then we walk you through maintenance—which is minimal—and leave you with warranty documentation.
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Every exterior roller shade system includes custom fabrication to your exact measurements, professional installation, and a manufacturer warranty plus our five-year installation guarantee. You’re not buying off-the-shelf products—these are built for your home’s specific openings and sun exposure.
Old Town homes deal with western sun exposure that makes patios unbearable from 2 PM onward. We account for that in fabric selection and placement. If your patio faces south or west, we’ll recommend materials rated to block 90-95% of UV rays while still allowing airflow. If you’re covering a screened porch, we’ll talk about track systems that seal against bugs and wind-driven rain.
Motorized options come with Somfy systems that integrate with Google Assistant, Alexa, and most smart home platforms. You can set schedules based on time of day or temperature. When it hits 95 degrees, your shades lower automatically. When the sun moves, they adjust. That’s not luxury—it’s how you actually get energy savings and consistent comfort without thinking about it.
Materials vary based on budget and need. Fabric options range from solar screens to blackout materials. Mounting systems are aluminum or powder-coated steel, built to handle Texas wind loads. And if you’re in a storm-prone area of Old Town, we can install hurricane-rated shades that protect windows and outdoor spaces when weather turns severe.
Exterior roller shades can drop ambient temperature by 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit when installed correctly. That’s the difference between a patio that’s 110 degrees in direct sun and one that’s 90 degrees under shade. The key is “exterior”—shades mounted outside the window or opening block heat before it enters your space.
In Old Town, where summer temps regularly exceed 100 degrees, this isn’t a small improvement. It’s what makes a covered patio usable during the day instead of just after sunset. The fabric blocks up to 94% of solar heat gain, meaning your AC isn’t fighting radiant heat coming through glass and open spaces.
This also translates to energy savings. Homeowners typically see 10-20% reductions in cooling costs during summer months because the system prevents heat from building up in the first place. The savings are higher if you add motorization that adjusts shades based on sun position and temperature throughout the day.
Quality exterior roller shades are engineered for wind resistance, but the rating depends on the system you choose. Standard patio shades handle typical Texas weather—sudden storms, gusty conditions, moderate wind. Hurricane-rated shades are built for severe weather and can withstand sustained high winds and flying debris.
Old Town gets hit with Gulf Coast storm systems that bring heavy rain and strong winds. We recommend track-guided systems for those conditions because the fabric locks into side channels, preventing billowing and tearing. Freehanging shades work fine for everyday use, but they need to be retracted during severe weather warnings.
Motorized systems can be programmed to retract automatically when wind speeds hit a certain threshold. That protects the investment and means you don’t have to rush outside during a storm to manually raise the shades. The hardware—mounting brackets, motors, and tracks—is aluminum or stainless steel, so rust and corrosion aren’t issues even with constant humidity exposure.
It depends on the fabric opacity you choose. Solar screens allow visibility from inside while blocking view from outside—you can see your yard, but neighbors can’t see in clearly. Blackout roller shades eliminate visibility entirely, which works well for privacy or media rooms but isn’t ideal if you want to enjoy the view.
Most Old Town homeowners go with solar screen fabrics in the 5-10% openness range. That blocks 90-95% of UV rays and heat while maintaining outward visibility. During the day, people outside see a tinted surface, not what’s happening inside. At night with interior lights on, visibility reverses—so if privacy after dark matters, you’ll want tighter weave fabric or a secondary solution.
The fabric choice also affects airflow. Tighter weaves block more heat and UV but reduce breeze. If your patio relies on cross-ventilation, we’ll recommend a more open weave that still provides shade and protection without cutting off airflow entirely. It’s a balance based on your priorities—privacy, view, airflow, or maximum heat blocking.
Motorized exterior roller shades use Somfy motors and controls that integrate with most smart home platforms—Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, and others. You control them via voice command, phone app, or programmed schedules without touching a switch.
The setup process is straightforward. During installation, we sync the motor to your home network and connect it to your preferred platform. From there, you create routines—shades lower at 2 PM when the sun hits the patio, or they raise at sunset so you can see outside during dinner. You can also tie them to temperature sensors, so shades automatically adjust when it gets too hot.
Old Town homeowners use automation to maximize energy savings. Shades close during peak sun hours to block heat, then open when the sun shifts or temps drop. That keeps your space comfortable without constant manual adjustments. The system also includes remote controls as backup, so if your network goes down or you just want a physical button, you’re not stuck.
Yes, if you install track-guided systems with tight side seals. The fabric itself blocks insects when lowered, and the side channels prevent bugs from sneaking around the edges. This works best on screened porches or covered patios where you’re creating an enclosed space, not just adding shade to an open deck.
Texas bugs—mosquitoes, flies, wasps—are relentless in Old Town, especially near dusk when you actually want to use your patio. Standard outdoor roller shades with solar screen fabric stop most flying insects because the weave is tight enough to block entry while still allowing airflow. If you want complete bug protection, we can install screens with finer mesh, though that reduces visibility and breeze.
The key is proper installation. Gaps around the edges or bottom defeat the purpose. We mount shades with minimal clearance and use weighted bottom bars that seal against the ground or deck surface when fully lowered. For porches with existing screens, exterior shades add a second barrier that also blocks sun and heat—so you’re solving multiple problems with one system.
Most residential installations in Old Town take 2-4 hours depending on the number of openings and whether you’re adding motorization. A single patio door or window is quick—usually under an hour. A full outdoor living space with multiple shades, motors, and smart home integration takes longer but still wraps up in half a day.
The process starts with mounting brackets to your home’s exterior structure—fascia, beams, or walls depending on your setup. We level everything, install the roller tube and fabric, then test operation to make sure the shade lowers evenly and retracts smoothly. For motorized systems, we sync the controls and walk you through app setup before we leave.
There’s no major construction involved. We’re not tearing into walls or running new electrical in most cases—motorized shades use low-voltage wiring or battery power. The disruption is minimal, and you can use your patio the same day. Custom fabrication takes 1-2 weeks after your consultation, so the timeline from order to installation is typically under a month.
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