Hear from Our Customers
You know the drill. Summer hits, and your back patio turns into a no-go zone by 10 a.m. The furniture’s too hot to touch. Your AC is running nonstop trying to keep up. And forget about hosting anything outdoors unless you want everyone sweating through their shirts.
Outdoor roller shades fix that. They block up to 99% of UV rays before they ever hit your windows or your skin. Surface temperatures drop around 15 degrees. Your furniture stops fading. And your energy bill? It can drop 20-30% when you’re not fighting solar heat gain all day.
You get your outdoor space back. Morning coffee on the patio. Afternoon shade while the kids play. Evening dinners without the glare. The shade does the heavy lifting so you don’t have to time your life around the sun.
This isn’t about decoration. It’s about making your home work better in Pilot Knob’s climate.
A Plus Shutters & Shades has over 10 years in construction and window coverings across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We’re not new to Pilot Knob, and we’re not new to Texas heat. We know what works here and what doesn’t.
Our team handles everything from consultation to installation. You’re not dealing with a national chain that subcontracts the work. You’re working with local installers who’ve done hundreds of these projects and understand how outdoor shade blinds need to perform in North Texas weather.
We’re based in Arlington and serve Pilot Knob homeowners who want outdoor patio blinds that actually last. No shortcuts. No surprises. Just straight talk and solid work.
First, we come to your home in Pilot Knob for a free consultation. We measure your space, look at sun exposure, talk about what you’re trying to solve, and show you fabric samples. You’ll see openness percentages, colors, and motorized options if you want them.
Once you pick what works, we custom-order your exterior roller shades. These aren’t off-the-shelf products. They’re built to your exact measurements with weather-resistant materials designed for outdoor use.
Installation day is straightforward. Our crew shows up on time, mounts the shades to your structure, tests the operation, and walks you through how everything works. If you went motorized, we’ll sync it to your phone or smart home system before we leave.
The whole process usually takes a few weeks from consultation to install. No drawn-out timelines. No runaround. You’ll know what to expect before we ever start.
Ready to get started?
Every exterior roller shade we install uses outdoor-grade fabric that resists mold, mildew, fading, and moisture. This matters in Pilot Knob where humidity and heat can wreck cheaper materials in a season or two.
You’ll choose from different openness factors. A 5% openness outdoor patio blind blocks 95% of light and gives you solid daytime privacy while you can still see out. A 10% openness lets more view through but still cuts heat and UV. We’ll explain what makes sense for your setup.
Motorization is available on any shade. Raise and lower them from your phone, set schedules, or use voice commands through Alexa or Google Assistant. It’s not a gimmick. It’s genuinely useful when you’re entertaining or want to adjust shades without walking outside.
We also offer blackout roller shades if you need full light control for a screened porch or covered patio. These block nearly all light and give you complete privacy day or night. They’re a good fit if you’re turning your outdoor area into more of a room.
Everything’s custom-measured and professionally installed. That’s how you avoid gaps, sagging, and the headaches that come with DIY kits or big-box store products.
You’re typically looking at a 15 to 20 degree drop on surfaces like furniture, flooring, and railings. That’s not air temperature, but it’s what you feel when you sit down or walk barefoot on your deck.
The shades block up to 99% of UV rays depending on the fabric you choose. That means the sun’s heat never makes it to your patio in the first place. Instead of your space absorbing all that energy and radiating it back, the shade stops it outside.
The bigger impact shows up on your energy bill. When your windows and walls aren’t getting blasted by direct sun all afternoon, your AC doesn’t have to work as hard. Most homeowners see a 20-30% reduction in cooling costs during summer months. That adds up fast in Pilot Knob where we’re running AC from April through October.
Yes, if they’re installed correctly and you bring them up during severe weather. These are built with outdoor-grade materials—waterproof fabrics, rust-resistant hardware, and UV-stable components. They handle rain, humidity, and normal wind without issue.
That said, if you’ve got a storm rolling in with high winds, you should retract the shades. Motorized systems make this easy since you can raise them from inside with your phone. Leaving any shade down in 40+ mph winds puts unnecessary stress on the fabric and mounting hardware.
Most of our Pilot Knob customers retract their shades during storms and then lower them again once it passes. It takes 30 seconds with a motor. The shades are durable, but they’re not meant to be permanent walls. Treat them like you would an awning, and they’ll last years without problems.
Openness refers to how tightly the fabric is woven. A 5% openness means 95% of the fabric is solid material, so it blocks more light and gives you more privacy. You can still see outside, but it’s a filtered view. People outside can’t see in during the day.
A 10% openness is a looser weave. You get a clearer view out, more airflow, and it still blocks around 90% of UV rays. The tradeoff is slightly less privacy and a bit more light coming through. It’s a good middle ground if you want to maintain your view but still cut heat and glare.
For most covered patios in Pilot Knob, 5% is the go-to. It gives you solid daytime privacy, keeps the space cooler, and still lets you see your yard. If you’re shading a second-story balcony or somewhere privacy isn’t a concern, 10% works great. We bring samples so you can see the difference in person before deciding.
If you’re using the shades daily, yes. Motorization isn’t just about convenience—it’s about actually using the product you paid for. When it’s 95 degrees outside, you’re not walking out to manually crank down a shade. You’ll just leave it and deal with the heat.
With a motor, you tap your phone or use a voice command. Shades go down in seconds. You can set schedules so they lower automatically during peak sun hours and raise in the evening. If a storm’s coming, you retract them from inside. It removes all the friction.
The upfront cost is higher, but the return is in how much more you’ll use your patio. Most of our Pilot Knob clients who go motorized say they wish they’d done it sooner. It’s one of those upgrades that pays off in daily quality of life, not just resale value. If budget’s tight, you can always start with manual and upgrade later, but most people don’t regret spending a bit more upfront.
Installation itself usually takes a few hours depending on how many shades you’re adding and the complexity of your space. A single patio shade might be done in an hour. Multiple shades across a large outdoor area could take half a day.
The timeline from consultation to installation is typically two to three weeks. That includes measuring, ordering your custom shades, and scheduling the install. We’re not pulling these off a shelf—they’re made to your exact specs with the fabric and system you chose.
If you need it done faster, let us know during the consultation. We can sometimes expedite orders, but it depends on the manufacturer and time of year. Spring and early summer are busy, so planning ahead helps. Once we’re on site, though, the actual install is quick and clean. We’re not tearing anything apart or making a mess. Mount the brackets, hang the shades, test everything, and you’re done.
Absolutely. Blackout roller shades are a great option if you’ve got a covered patio, screened porch, or outdoor room where you want full light control and total privacy. They block nearly 100% of light, so you can use the space any time of day without glare or heat.
The fabric is still weather-resistant and built for outdoor use. It won’t mold or fade like indoor blackout material would. The difference is in the weave—it’s a solid, tight fabric instead of the semi-transparent mesh you see on solar shades.
Most Pilot Knob homeowners use blackout shades when they’re turning an outdoor area into more of an extension of their living space. Think outdoor kitchens, covered patios with TVs, or sleeping porches. If you just want heat and UV control, a 5% solar shade will do the job and cost less. But if you want darkness and full privacy, blackout is the way to go. We’ll walk through both options during your consultation so you can see what fits your setup.
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