Hear from Our Customers
You know the drill. It’s 2 PM on a Saturday, you step outside with your coffee, and the sun immediately drives you back inside. Your west-facing patio is basically unusable until sunset, and even then, the furniture’s too hot to sit on.
Exterior roller shades block the heat before it ever reaches your windows or outdoor furniture. We’re talking surface temperature drops of 15-20 degrees and energy savings around 20-30% because your AC isn’t fighting solar heat gain all afternoon. The shade stops UV rays—up to 99% with the right fabric—so your outdoor cushions and indoor furniture near windows don’t fade into oblivion.
You get your outdoor space back. Morning coffee, afternoon reading, evening dinners—without squinting, sweating, or cranking the thermostat down another notch. And when Texas weather turns, motorized options let you retract or extend coverage without leaving your chair.
A Plus Shutters & Shades grew out of A Plus Home Remodel, a company with over a decade in construction across the Austin area. We opened our dedicated shutter and shade showroom because we kept seeing the same problem: homeowners buying cheap outdoor blinds that couldn’t handle Central Texas weather.
St. John sits right in the Austin heat zone where summer temps regularly push past 100°F. You need outdoor shade blinds engineered for that—fabrics that won’t deteriorate, hardware that won’t warp, and motors that won’t quit after one season. We source Texas-made products when possible and back everything with real warranties: lifetime on hardware, 5-15 years on fabric, 5 years on motors.
We’re not the cheapest option, and that’s intentional. You’re paying for shades that actually work when a storm rolls through at 60 mph and still look good three years later.
First, we come out to measure your space. Patios, pergolas, balconies—whatever you’re trying to shade. We look at sun angles, wind exposure, mounting surfaces, and whether you want manual or motorized operation.
Then we walk you through fabric options. You’ll pick opacity level (how much light you want blocked), color, and whether you need blackout roller shades for full coverage or something lighter that still lets a breeze through. We can go up to 30 feet wide with no seams, which matters if you’ve got a large covered patio.
Once you approve everything, we fabricate your outdoor roller shades and schedule installation. Our team mounts the hardware, tests the operation, and makes sure the shades retract and extend smoothly. If you went motorized, we sync it with your phone or smart home system—Google Assistant, Alexa, whatever you use. The whole process usually takes a few weeks from measurement to installation, depending on customization.
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Every installation includes custom-measured roller shades built specifically for your openings. You’re not getting stock sizes that leave gaps where heat and light pour through. Fabrics are weather-resistant and rated for wind speeds up to 105 mph, which covers most Texas storms short of a hurricane.
Motorized options come with remote controls and app integration. You can set schedules so shades lower automatically when the sun hits your patio, or adjust them from inside when weather changes. Voice control works if you’ve already got a smart home setup.
St. John’s older homes often have unique porch configurations or non-standard openings. We handle that. Our construction background means we can mount to brick, stucco, wood, or metal—and reinforce if needed. You also get wind sensors as an option, so shades retract automatically when gusts hit a certain speed.
Warranty coverage is straightforward: lifetime on hardware components, 5-15 years on fabric depending on the line you choose, and 5 years on motors. We also offer a wind blowout guarantee, meaning if your shades fail in high winds within spec, we fix it.
Cost depends on size, fabric, and whether you go motorized. A standard 10×10 foot patio with manual outdoor roller shades usually runs between $800 and $1,500 installed. Larger spaces or motorized systems with smart home integration can push $2,500 to $4,000 or more.
Motorization adds roughly $300-600 per shade depending on the system. If you want multiple shades synced together or integrated with Alexa or Google Assistant, that’s another consideration. Blackout roller shades with higher UV protection cost more than semi-transparent fabrics, but they also deliver better heat reduction and privacy.
We give you a fixed quote after measuring, so there are no surprise charges. And because we’re local to the Austin area, you’re not paying inflated rates from a national chain that subcontracts installation.
Yes, but the savings depend on how much glass you’re covering and which direction it faces. West and south-facing windows take the worst beating from afternoon sun. Exterior roller shades block solar heat before it penetrates the glass, which is far more effective than interior blinds.
Most customers see energy savings around 20-30% on cooling costs during summer months. That’s because your AC isn’t fighting a constant influx of radiant heat. If you’ve got a large patio door or floor-to-ceiling windows, the difference is even more noticeable—interior temps near those windows can drop 10-15 degrees.
In St. John, where summer temps regularly exceed 100°F, that translates to real money. A typical household might save $30-70 per month during peak season, meaning the shades often pay for themselves within a few years. And your AC unit isn’t working as hard, which extends its lifespan.
Ours can. We install exterior shades rated for wind resistance up to 105 mph, which covers the vast majority of Central Texas storms. The key is proper mounting and quality hardware—cheap systems rip out or jam when wind hits.
You do need to retract shades if a severe storm is coming. Motorized systems can include wind sensors that automatically retract when gusts reach a set speed, so you don’t have to babysit them. Manual shades require you to crank them up, which takes about 30 seconds per shade.
Fabric durability matters too. We use weather-resistant materials designed for outdoor exposure—UV-resistant, mold-resistant, and able to handle temperature swings from freezing to over 100°F. Cheaper outdoor shade blinds fade, crack, or develop mildew within a year or two. Ours are backed by warranties up to 15 years on fabric because they’re built to last in Texas conditions.
Installation itself usually takes half a day to a full day depending on how many shades you’re adding and whether we’re mounting to tricky surfaces. A single patio with two or three shades? We’re typically done in 3-4 hours. Larger projects with multiple outdoor areas or complex mounting can take longer.
The bigger timeline is fabrication. Once you approve your design and fabric selection, custom outdoor roller shades take about 2-3 weeks to build. We’re not pulling stock sizes off a shelf—everything is measured and fabricated specifically for your openings.
If you’re adding motorization or smart home integration, we handle the wiring and programming during installation. That adds maybe an hour to the job, but you leave with shades that respond to your phone or voice commands. We test everything before we leave, so you’re not troubleshooting on your own.
Exterior roller shades stop heat before it enters your windows. Interior shades block light, but the heat has already passed through the glass and is radiating into your home. That’s the fundamental difference, and it’s why outdoor roller shades are far more effective for temperature control.
Think of it like this: interior blackout blinds for windows might reduce glare and give you privacy, but your AC is still fighting the solar heat gain. Exterior shades intercept that heat outside, so your windows stay cooler and your cooling system doesn’t work as hard.
For St. John homes with large patios or sunrooms, exterior shades can drop indoor temps near windows by 10-15 degrees compared to interior treatments alone. You also protect your furniture and flooring from UV damage more effectively. The downside is exterior shades cost more upfront and require more robust mounting, but the energy savings and comfort level make up for it if you’re serious about controlling heat.
Maintenance is minimal, but you’re not ignoring them completely. Most outdoor shade blinds need a rinse with a garden hose every few months to remove dust, pollen, and debris. If you’ve got trees nearby, you’ll want to brush off leaves before they stain the fabric.
For tougher dirt or mildew, use mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid pressure washers—they can damage the fabric or force water into the roller mechanism. Let the shades dry fully before retracting them, or you risk trapping moisture inside the housing.
Motorized systems need occasional checks on the battery backup (if installed) and sensor calibration. We recommend an annual inspection if you’ve got multiple shades or a complex setup, just to make sure everything’s operating smoothly. Manual shades are even simpler—just keep the crank mechanism clean and lubricated. Overall, exterior roller shades are low-maintenance compared to other outdoor structures, especially if you’re using quality materials designed for Texas weather.
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