If you want to give your home's windows more shading then you can always fit blackout blinds or curtains on the inside. However, it is often preferable to generate more shade inside your home from products that are fitted on the exterior of it. This is because exterior shading products don't take up valuable room inside. In addition, you also see the added benefit of creating some shade outside, such as over a patio area. If you have large picture windows, or perhaps a set of glazed bi-folding doors, then these are the shading products that you ought to be considering as a means of keeping your home cooler during the summer months.

Exterior Blinds

Outdoor blinds are an incredibly effective way of shutting out unwanted and excessive light. They are designed to be outside all of the time, so you do not have to worry about them during periods of rainfall or when it gets cold in the winter. An exterior blind simply drops down when you want it to in order to cover the whole of your window. Of course, you can choose to control these products in various ways so that, for instance, only the top part of the window receives shading. This way, you can still see out but the blind in question prevents much of the light and heat that would otherwise come into your home from penetrating. Outdoor roller blinds look chic and, once they have been installed, will often add value to your property.

Outdoor Awnings

An exterior awning is a great way to provide shading over a set of patio doors or a large window. Not only can you raise and lower any awning, but it will also extend outwards from your home's wall. For this reason, they are very good for creating a cool patch of shade outside as well as stopping too much sunlight from coming inside. These days, exterior warnings are often controlled by electric motors so that you do not need to operate them with a crank handle, a big advantage over manually operated systems, especially if you have limited strength.

Shade Sails

Some people use shade sails to create shelter from the sun close to their home's windows these days. Although a shade sail will do a very good job of blocking sunlight, these are fixed installations so you cannot adjust them according to the height of the sun or the time of day. That said, a shade sail makes an excellent cover for a carport. As such, you might install one next to a window in your garage to create a cooling effect both inside and out.