Solar Screens
Which Shading System Is Right For You?
Outdoor living spaces are an essential addition to homes. These spaces create unique environments where families and friends gather and build memories that last a lifetime. While considering an expansion to your outdoor deck or patio space, you may be questioning the difference between awnings and power screens. Our team frequently answers the question, “what’s the difference between awnings and screens?” We gathered information from our team of experts to address the best option for your outdoor space, whether it be large or small. Retractable awnings and power screens provide shade from the sun, but the two offer different types of sun protection. It’s important to consider the depth of sun protection you need to enjoy the comfort of your deck or patio, year-round. Let’s start with the basics: Retractable Awnings Shade Your Outdoor Space We manufacture multiple configurations of awnings, but by far the most popular one is our retractable awning. Retractable awnings provide an extended outdoor space, beyond the walls of your home. In many cases, customers who choose retractable awnings have a deck or patio where they’d like to sit and enjoy a refreshing drink during the hot summer months, but the afternoon sun makes it too uncomfortable! Retractable awnings provide sun when you want it, and shade when you don’t. They retract and are self-storing when you’re not using them. Screens Block the Sun without Sacrificing Your View Enjoy the outdoors on your terms with a power screen! We have a full line of screen products to choose from, but our most common is the exterior side-retention system. Power screens are manufactured with mesh fabric extend straight up and down, making them the perfect choice for those west facing windows where the afternoon sun turns your living room into a sauna and creates a glare on your TV! Using a retractable awning or exterior screen to cool a home is more energy efficient than traditional air conditioning. We participated in funding and research for an independent study which found that shading with a screen or awning can reduce cooling costs here in the Seattle area by over 60%! Our exterior screens keep as much as 85% of the heat from the sun from cranking up the temperature in your living room. Making the Right Choice for Your Home Choosing the sun protection solution that’s right for you depends on which problem you have to begin with! We offer free in-home consultations, so we’re happy to take a look at your situation and discuss which solution fits your needs and your budget. Click here to request a consultation, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Read MoreGoing Green with a Rainier Screen
Well, it’s another hot summer here in Seattle! The Rainier team is committed to sustainability, and we know that being environmentally friendly is important to our customers, too. Here are a few of the ways that an awning or screen can help you go green this summer: Using an awning or exterior screen to cool a home is more energy efficient than traditional air conditioning. We participated in funding and research for an independent study which found that shading with a screen or awning can reduce cooling costs here in the Seattle area by over 60%! Our exterior screens keep as much as 85% of the heat from the sun from cranking up the temperature in your living room. Nearly all of the components of our screens and awnings are manufactured in-house, so they’re not being imported from overseas. It’s estimated that about 25% of the total carbon footprint generated today comes from the movement of goods between international companies. This is called “embedded emissions,” and it’s pretty interesting – Carbon Trust is the company leading the way in research on the topic, and you can read their article on embedded emissions here. And if you’re still not convinced, here are a couple of Rainier’s bragging points: We are ISO 14001:2015 certified – we have a sustainability plan in place and keep track of seven key measurements for our overall carbon footprint. Those are things like the quality of the air in our production facility and how our employees are getting to work (many of them regularly commute by bike!) We were the City of Tukwila’s #1 recycler in 2012! We recycled or composted 99 tons of waste (that’s 82% of the total waste generated!) in the first quarter of 2013. We were also one of King County’s best workplaces for recycling and waste reduction five years in a row, from 2012-2016!
Read MoreKeep Bugs Outside
The SRS Screen System stops the bugs from bugging you! Flies, mosquitoes, roaches, spiders, scorpions, gnats, “no see-ums” – no problem! Rainier screens keep bugs outside. No matter what bugs you, we stop ‘em. The SRS side rails have no opening for insects or bugs to enter. We also add a brush on the hem bar for a seal on the bottom of the system to ensure that your enclosed living area is free from critters. And our exclusive Screen Clean feature is built into the housing of your screen to brush bugs and debris off the screen mesh – preventing pests from entering your home or nesting in the housing. Better than a Roach Motel!
Read MoreReduce Glare
Better than a trip to the eye doctor, these screens block the majority of the sun’s harmful rays – which improves your view, and your vision! Screens are a simple solution to reduce glare on sunny days. Now you can see your TV or computer screen, prevent your flooring and furnishings from fading – AND help you look and see better! A variety of fabric color choices with varying degrees of openness control the amount of sun/view you want. Ironically, the darkest fabrics give you the clearest view – because they absorb the light rays to eliminate them. Give us a call when you’re ready to improve your view – no prescription necessary!
Read MoreBlock The Wind
They don’t qualify as hurricane shutters, but our screens can be used in high winds. While the other guys will sell you a wind sensor to retract the screens in moderate wind (the wind sensor’s max setting is 28mph) – we decided to just build the product right in the first place. The SRS outperforms the other types of screen systems on the market that are usually required to be retracted in light winds (12-18mph). Use this screen system to create calm in your outdoor areas where wind is a problem. Think of them as your remote control for the wind. Screen down, wind gone – problem solved! Our screens are effective to block the wind … but they aren’t bullet proof. Dorothy and Toto would have ended up in Oz, even if Auntie Em’s house had screens!
Read MoreProtection From UV Rays
Want to preserve the healthy glow of your interior furnishings and your skin? You could always try living in a cave, but a more practical solution is to lower your screens! It’s a common misconception that window glass will block out damaging UV rays from the sun. This is only half true. Standard window glass blocks the majority of UVB rays, the shorter wavelength rays that are mostly responsible for sunburns. However, windows alone cannot protect you from UVA rays. These are the longer wavelength rays that are primarily responsible for premature skin aging and can cause cancer. Also, more obvious than skin damage, is the affect UV rays can have on your interior furnishings. The sun can quickly fade pigment in your furniture, flooring, drapery, etc. And the best thing about UV protection from screens? You won’t lose your view, or the natural light from the sun. (Also, no greasy sunscreen hands!)
Read MoreNew Square Housing
We’re happy to announce our power screens are now available with a square housing option! New modern and contemporary houses have large or oversized windows, and therefore allow lots of sun and heat into the house. Power screens that use our new square housing block the sun, which can reduce cooling costs by up to 60%. Thanks to the sleek square design, the screens blend into the design of the home, preserving the view and natural light without the damaging effects of the sun’s harmful rays. Our new square housing compliments modern and contemporary cube-shaped houses with large or oversized windows. Rainier’s unique square housing is a low-profile option which does not disrupt the design of the house and maintain its clean elegant lines.
Read MoreScreens for a Great Cause
We’re so excited that Rainier Screens will be featured at the first ever Dallas Showhouse, organized by Traditional Home magazine! This was created by Texas real estate developer Paul Moss’ Marina Bay Development Corp., and his wife, a well known designer and TV host, Donna Moss. The home will open in 2017, featuring high end home products — including Rainier Screens. Even better, the event benefits a great cause: the home will be sold with a portion of the proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Association. The association is committed to eliminating the disease, including care and support for those with Alzheimer’s and reducing the risk of dementia by promoting brain health. We are proud and humbled to be part of this event that benefits such a great cause, and one that affects so many people. Creators Paul and Donna Moss both had parents affected by the disease. Rainier President Scott Campbell’s father and Rainier’s former owner, Robert Campbell, also had Alzheimer’s. Rainier donated the screens that will be featured, and our dealer Southwest Shade Solutions in Dallas donated the installation by their expert crew. Visit http://www.dallasshowhouse.com/ to learn more.
Read MoreCase Study: An Over-sized Screen
Some people will tell you they work best under pressure – at Rainier, we do some of our best work when our clients’ requests challenge our capabilities. Our most recent challenge was this over-sized screen for a residence in Tacoma. The customer wanted sun and wind protecting for her large patio opening. However, at 28 feet wide and with a 10 foot drop, it exceeded the standard width for our SRS retention screens by three feet! We’ve worked around this for previous projects by adding a support beam to the middle, or installing two screens side-by-side. Our customer didn’t want to break up the large opening of her patio – and who could blame her?! She has a beautiful view facing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. To satisfy our client’s needs on this project, we used our largest Series 5 screen housing and built a custom roller-support cradle to support the length. The customer was thrilled with the overall results. The screen fit her house perfectly – especially with the dark gray fabric and custom dark gray powder coat color, which blends seamlessly in to the look of the home. Speaking of seamless, we made the fabric panel with no seams, so she has no obstructions of the view. Here are pictures of the finished product, which includes a smaller screen for the kitchen window.
Read MoreRainier Screens to the Rescue in Hawaii
When air conditioning isn’t enough, lower your screens! In the Pacific Northwest, it’s hard for us to grasp the concept of “too hot for air conditioning”, but this was a major issue for a customer in Hawaii. In their office space, heat coming in from the windows made adjacent work spaces uncomfortably warm for employees. The only relief came from closed blinds and having the air-conditioning on full blast. This solution, however, was far from ideal. With their blinds closed they lost natural light, and with the air conditioning set on high, not only did they suffer from high energy costs, but now the work spaces near the center of the office (farther from the windows) had become uncomfortably cool. After the installation of Rainier exterior screens, the customer reported a significant decrease in heat from the windows. They were able to run their air conditioning unit at a reasonable level, and maintain an evenly comfortable temperature throughout the space. What’s more, their office regained natural light and their views from the windows (these had previously been obstructed by the closed blinds), which reportedly led to an observable improvement in overall employee morale. Saving space, energy, and of course sweat, Rainier screens were able to bring a bit more tropical paradise back into this work environment.
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