Exterior Patio Shades In Champaign
Exterior Patio Shades & Screens in Champaign, IL
Our Solar Shield Blinds Exterior Patio Shades are outdoor solar screens that lower over a covered patio, deck or pergola at the push of a button. Central Illinois is flat, open ground, and when the wind picks up across Champaign, IL, our shades hold steady in Self-Adjusting Tracks rated to 75 mph and block 95% of wind and moisture.
Where It Fits In Champaign
Where Exterior Patio Shades Fit In Champaign
The Illinois State Climatologist reports higher wind speeds on the flat, open terrain of central Illinois than in the western and southern parts of the state, with March and April the windiest months of the year.
- Covered Patios And DecksOur shades mount to a solid header overhead, like the beam of a covered patio, a screened porch, a pergola, or a deck with a roof.
- Patios Near The PondsThe ponds and open spaces in Robeson Meadows West make a great view, and bugs come with them. With the fabric sealed in the side tracks, bugs and critters stay on the outside of the screen.
- West Facing GlassMounted to the outside of a south or west facing wall, an exterior shade gives you light and heat control before the sun ever reaches the window, which makes a big difference in July.
- Garages And WorkshopsA retractable screen turns the garage into a space you can work or relax in, and it rolls away when you need the doorway back.
Built For The Wind
Self-Adjusting Tracks and why the wind rating matters
When it comes to outdoor patio shades, there are a lot of options on the market, and plenty of light duty systems look similar but aren't built for the wind we get across Central Illinois. Our Solar Shield Blinds Exterior Patio Shades get their strength from our Self-Adjusting Tracks, which give up to ¾ inch on each side when the wind pushes on the screen and draw it back tight once the gust passes. The tracks also move inward in the cold months, when the screen wants to shrink.
Screens come in several levels of openness, plus a fully blackout material, and the openness decides how much airflow and view get through. Darker colors give the clearest view out to the yard, and lighter colors keep it brighter underneath. One shade can span anywhere from 3 to 30 feet across and stand as tall as 20 feet, with heavy duty powder coated aluminum hardware in 5 stock colors or a custom color.
Exterior shades run 8 to 10 weeks from order to install, so if you want the patio ready for spring, book your consultation over the winter. Our own Install Techs complete most installations within one day, and one of our Crew Leads runs every exterior job, cleans up, and shows you how the remote, the app, and the sun and wind sensors work before the team leaves.
What Comes As Standard
- 75 mphWind rating, with wind rated side tracks
- Wind ratedSelf-adjusting side tracks
- Sun sensorsAnd wind sensors that retract for you
- 8 to 10 wksOrder to install on exterior work
- Carefree GuaranteeA lifetime product warranty that transfers if you sell, plus our five year service guarantee
- Free Temporary ShadesOn every window you order for, installed while your custom order is made
Our Process
Planned, measured, and installed by our team in Champaign
- Free ConsultationWe bring our shop to your Champaign home or office. We'll listen to what you're wanting to accomplish with your windows, take a good look at every opening, and explain the options that will actually work for them.
- On the spot quoteWe take the time to make sure you know exactly what you're getting, and you'll have a complete and exact quote before we leave, so there are no surprises on install day.
- Installed by our teamEverything we install is custom built to the exact measurements of your windows, and when ready, professionally installed by our full time installers. Most projects are installed in less than a day.
Screen Colors
Exterior screen colors we bring to Champaign
Your Design Specialist holds each one up against your siding, stone and trim so you see it in your own light before you decide.
Flat Black
The clearest view out of anything here. A dark screen absorbs light rather than scattering it, so the yard stays sharp.
Charcoal
A middle tone that reads as shadow from outside, with a clear view from inside.
Granite
A gray with visible texture in the weave. Holds up against stone and painted siding without going flat.
Tobacco
Warm mid brown. The usual pick where the house has cedar or a stained deck.
Espresso Texture
A woven texture rather than a flat color, which breaks up a very large span so it does not read as one sheet.
Shadow Texture
Blue gray with a textured weave. The one that suits a modern exterior with gray or black window frames.
Stone Texture
A pale textured neutral. Brighter underneath than the darks, and it hides dust between cleans.
Bone
Soft off white. Light stays bright under the shade, at the cost of some outward visibility.
More For Champaign Homes
Every product we offer, available in Champaign, IL
Reviews
What our clients are saying
Straight Answers
Exterior Patio Shades questions from Champaign homeowners
Yes. They carry a 75 mph wind rating, and the Self-Adjusting Tracks hold the screen down both edges so it flexes under pressure instead of tearing loose. We treat that rating as a guide rather than a limit, so please follow the recommendations our Install Techs give you for windy and stormy weather.
Yes. We recommend the sensors on any motorized exterior shade. When the afternoon sun gets strong, the sun sensor brings the shade down, and when the wind passes the level you set, the wind sensor pulls it back up.
They help hold warmth when you use them with a heat source. Our 95% solar screen fabric reduces air movement by 95%, so the heat from ceiling heaters or a fire pit stays in the space. Always leave some ventilation when a propane heater, grill, or fire pit is running.
No. For most jobs, a single outlet or junction box runs all of our motorized shades, and we have battery operated motors for spots with no power nearby. We'll lay out the power plan with you at your consultation.
No. We can make the shade with a bias cut, where the bottom of the screen is cut to match the slope of the concrete. It will look slightly angled when it's raised, but it seals to the floor when it's lowered.
Yes. A Roller Shade inside works on the light after it has come through the glass, and an Exterior Patio Shade mounted outside stops the sun's heat before it ever reaches the window. The outdoor screen also runs in wind rated side tracks with powder coated aluminum hardware, so it's built for the weather.
Nearby
Exterior Patio Shades around Champaign
We serve all of Champaign, IL, including Downtown Champaign, Clark Park, Robeson Meadows, Robeson Meadows West, Cherry Hills, Sawgrass and Ironwood. ZIP codes 61820, 61821, 61822.
Solar Shield Blinds, 717 Sabrina Dr, East Peoria, IL 61611 · (309) 645-0040