TL;DR: Solar Shades in South Jordan
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What they do. Block UV rays, reduce heat, and cut glare while keeping your view visible through the fabric. The only shade designed to do all three at once.
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Openness factor. Ranges from 1% (most coverage) to 14% (most view). Lower numbers block more sun. Higher numbers preserve more visibility.
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Best for. West-facing windows, south-facing glass, great rooms with mountain views, and home offices with screen glare.
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Get started. Call 801-455-8013 for a free in-home consultation with real solar fabric samples.
The West-Facing Window Problem in South Jordan
If your home faces west in South Jordan, Daybreak, Herriman, or anywhere in the south valley, you already know the problem. By 2pm from May through September, that side of your house becomes an oven. The sun comes in low and direct through the glass. Your AC runs nonstop. Your hardwood floors and furniture fade from UV exposure. And if you're trying to work from home or watch TV, the glare makes the screen unreadable.
You could close the blinds or pull down a roller shade. But then you lose the view. And in the Salt Lake Valley, the view is half the reason you bought the house. The Oquirrhs to the west, the Wasatch to the east. Nobody wants to stare at the back of a shade all afternoon.
Solar shades solve both problems at the same time. They're engineered to block UV rays and reduce heat gain while keeping the view visible through the fabric. You can still see the mountains. You just can't feel the sun burning your furniture.
West Shade Co installs custom solar shades in South Jordan and across the Salt Lake Valley. Every shade is measured to your exact window dimensions and professionally installed by our team. We bring solar fabric samples to your home during a free consultation so you can see the view through different openness levels in your actual windows.
How Solar Shades Work
Solar shades are woven from a mesh-like fabric. The tightness of the weave determines how much light and heat gets through. This is called the openness factor, and it's the most important decision you'll make when choosing solar shades.
1% openness blocks the most sun. The weave is tight, visibility through the shade is limited, and you get maximum heat and glare reduction. Best for windows that get brutal direct sun and where preserving the view is less important than stopping the heat.
3% openness is the most popular choice in South Jordan. It blocks most of the heat and UV while still letting you see the outline of the mountains and landscape outside. Good balance for living rooms and kitchens where you want protection without feeling like you're in a cave.
5% openness lets more of the view through. You can clearly see shapes, colors, and the landscape. Less heat blocking than 3%, but still a massive reduction compared to bare glass. Good for rooms where the view matters most and the sun exposure is moderate.
10% to 14% openness is the most transparent. Almost like looking through a fine screen. Minimal heat blocking, but still cuts UV and takes the edge off glare. Works for north-facing or east-facing windows where heat isn't the main problem but you still want UV protection for your floors and furniture.
During the consultation, we hold different openness samples up to your actual windows so you can see exactly how much view you keep and how much sun you block at each level. The difference between 3% and 5% is something you need to see in person. Photos don't capture it.
UV Protection and Furniture Damage
Utah gets 220+ sunny days per year. That's more direct UV exposure than most states. And UV damage is cumulative. Your hardwood floors don't fade overnight. They fade over two or three years of daily exposure until one day you move a rug and see the original color underneath.
Solar shades block 90% to 99% of UV rays depending on the fabric and openness factor. That's the difference between replacing your hardwood in 8 years and having it look the same in 15. Leather couches, fabric chairs, artwork, area rugs. Everything in a sun-exposed room benefits from UV filtration.
This is especially relevant in South Jordan homes with large windows, vaulted ceilings, and open floor plans. The more glass you have, the more UV is getting through. And the newer developments in Daybreak and Herriman are full of homes with floor-to-ceiling windows designed to show off the mountain views. Solar shades let you keep those views without sacrificing your interior finishes.
Solar Shades vs Other Window Coverings for Sun Control
If sun and heat are your main problem, here's how solar shades compare to the alternatives:
Solar shades vs roller shades. Roller shades come in light filtering and blackout fabrics, but when they're down, you can't see through them. Solar shades are specifically designed to maintain visibility while blocking heat. If preserving the view matters, solar shades win.
Solar shades vs cellular shades. Cellular shades are the best insulator, trapping air in honeycomb pockets to reduce heat transfer. But they're opaque when closed. Solar shades don't insulate as well but keep the view. Some homeowners use cellular shades in bedrooms and solar shades in living areas.
Solar shades vs window tinting. Tinting is permanent. Once it's on the glass, you can't adjust it. Solar shades roll up completely when you don't need them and roll down when the afternoon sun hits. You get full flexibility instead of a permanent filter.
We help you figure out which product makes sense for each room during the consultation. Most homes end up with a mix. Solar shades on the west and south windows, roller shades in the kitchen, blackout shades in the bedrooms.
Why South Jordan Homeowners Choose West Shade Co for Solar Shades
Openness factor is everything with solar shades, and the only way to choose the right one is to see it in your home, on your windows, with your view. A 3% openness fabric that looks perfect in a showroom under fluorescent lights performs completely differently on a west-facing window at 3pm in July.
We bring samples of every openness level to your home and hold them up to the windows that need coverage. You see exactly how much view you keep, how much glare is reduced, and how the fabric color looks against your walls and trim. That's why we do in-home consultations instead of running a showroom.
Every solar shade we install is custom measured to your window dimensions and manufactured to fit. No standard sizes, no light gaps on the sides, no guessing. And installation is included on every order. We mount, level, and test every shade ourselves.
Solar shades are also one of our most popular products to motorize. If you have a wall of west-facing windows, motorized solar shades let you drop them all with one button when the afternoon sun hits and raise them all in the evening when the sun passes. Learn about motorized options →
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Service Areas
South Salt Lake Valley: South Jordan, Riverton, Herriman, Draper, Sandy, West Jordan, Bluffdale, Daybreak
Mid-Valley: Midvale, Murray, Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, Taylorsville, West Valley City
Salt Lake Metro: Salt Lake City, Millcreek, South Salt Lake, Magna, Kearns
Utah County: Lehi, Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain
Summit County: Park City
Not in this area? Call us at 801-455-8013 or click the button below to see how we can help!
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No charge. No obligation. No pressure.
Here's how it works:
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Call or book online. Tell us which windows are giving you trouble and we'll schedule a time.
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We come to you. We bring solar shade samples in every openness level and hold them up to your actual windows so you can see the view and feel the difference.
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We recommend openness levels. Different windows in your home may need different levels based on sun direction, time of day, and how you use the room.
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We measure every window. Exact dimensions for a custom fit with no light or heat gaps.
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Your shades are built. Custom manufactured. Most orders ready in 2 to 3 weeks.
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We install everything. Mounted, tested, and adjusted. Professional installation included.
Get a Free, In-Home Solar Shade Consultation
⭐ 5.0 Stars on Google • Free In-Home Consultation • Professional Installation Included • Financing Available