You might think that Australia is one of the sunniest places on earth, and you'd be right. Although perhaps surprisingly, Australia barely makes the top ten, with Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory averaging 3569 hours of sun per year. In case you were wondering, the USA takes the crown, with Yuma, Arizona getting a whopping 4015 hours of sunshine annually. It's not as though you want to keep the sun entirely out of your home, but sometimes you might wish you could lessen its impact.
The room might become too hot, too bright and even your carpets and furniture might begin to fade in colour. Closing the curtains could feel like the logical choice when the sun is at its brightest, and yet this also means that you're cutting out all light, not to mention your view. There are ways to keep the sun out of a room without giving up natural light or your view.
Sunlight-Sensing Blinds
Window blinds allow for a lot of control with just how much light they let in. But this requires you to manually adjust them. It's hardly a mammoth task, but continual adjustments are needed as the sun moves across the sky, and there's also the fact that you might not be home every day when the sun is at its peak. Automatic blinds are nothing new, but rather than automatic blinds that are operated by remote control, what about blinds that operate themselves? Sunlight-sensing blinds spring into operation based upon how sunny it is outside. Sunlight hits the sensor (an unobtrusive device mounted on the glass), and the blinds adjust themselves accordingly.
Window Awnings
Your solution could also be located on the exterior of your home. Window awnings (in a colour and style that complements the look of your home) can be mounted above each window, keeping out the worst of the sun. They can be left in the permanent desired position or retracted during the winter months. Even if you don't plan to change their position, it can be wise to periodically retract them before putting them back into position. This keeps the retraction mechanism in good working order, so it doesn't fuse into any one position.
Window Tinting
This might be the most straightforward and inexpensive option. Home window tinting on some or all of your windows keeps the sunlight out but still allows the room to be naturally lit. Much like window tinting for a car, you can choose the level of tint, and so different rooms might need a darker tint than their neighbours to be truly effective.
Properly moderating how much sunshine is allowed into a room can make the space so much more liveable. Even if you don't happen to live in Yuma, Arizona.
