When summer arrives, the orientation of your house can allow you to benefit from a lot of sun. This is indeed a major advantage for a house that uses solar energy. However, with a little too much sun exposure through your bay window, you can suffer from heat instead of enjoying it. Thus, it is best to opt for a sunshade to alleviate solar radiation, especially if you do not have an air conditioning system. In this article, we present you the working principle of a sunshade with its advantages as well as its disadvantages.

What is a sunshade?

A brise-soleil is an architectural element, fixed, removable or orientable, affixed to the facades or over the glass surfaces of buildings. It can be made of concrete, wood or metal and is used to regulate the temperature inside a house by limiting solar radiation. The most common models are inspired by Venetian blinds, limiting the sunlight in your home at your convenience.

Principle of operation of this device

Working on the same principle as the Venetian blind, the brise-soleil is made of fixed or adjustable blades in aluminum, PVC or wood of great thickness. However, it is installed outside a building and not inside in order to better reflect the sun’s rays. This installation, in addition to generating optimal comfort for its users, also makes them benefit from an important energy saving.

Indeed, the slats of the sunshade tilt manually or automatically through its radio-controlled motor. This is to perfectly control the sunlight without plunging the room into darkness. Thus, it is manipulated at will to have maximum comfort. Being particularly aesthetic, this type of blind of modern times is perfectly suited to the dressing of the facades of the most contemporary houses.

Installation and maintenance techniques of the brise-soleil

The installation of such a device on a glass surface can be more complex than the installation of a sunshade over a terrace like a pergola. This is why we strongly recommend that you always call on a professional carpenter for the installation of your sunshade in order to ensure that it is sturdy enough to withstand the various weather conditions it will face.

For its maintenance, we advise you to make cleaning with clear water and degreaser every three months. However, make sure that your device is electrically isolated before you start. In addition, it is also important to make annual lubrication of all the parts and accessories of your sunshade with dry silicone grease.

The main advantages and disadvantages of a sunshade

A sunshade can provide you with several advantages:

• • Effective and adjustable protection against the sun’s undesirable effects

• • Practical and easy to use

• • Very aesthetic, modern and robust against bad weather

• • A reliable source of energy savings

• • Adapted to the smart home to offer anti-burglary protection

• • Protects your rooms from prying eyes

• • Low maintenance.

Despite this, the sunshade unfortunately also has some disadvantages:

• • The necessity of authorization from the town planning services as well as from the co-ownership

• • Expensive acquisition cost.

What is the budget for a sunshade?

For the acquisition of this device for your home, you must count between 210 and 420 euros per m². This price can vary depending on the quality and the operating mode of the blades (manual or motorized).

However, despite the high cost of acquisition, the brise-soleil is an effective and practical investment for the management of sunlight in your home. It is also a must-have for people with a south-facing house in order to regulate the interior temperature of sunny rooms in a natural way!

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