How One Maine Park Model Home Blocked 80-90% of Solar Heat With Custom Window Treatments

Most people think of Maine as a place that’s cold. But anyone who has spent a July afternoon in a sun-baked house with no shade trees knows that heat can be a serious problem here too.

One of our customers lives in a park model home in Maine during the summer. The lot has no trees and no natural shade, and the windows face south and west with full exposure. Here’s what that looked like, what we did, and what you can learn from it if your home has a similar problem.

The Problem: A House That Heats Up Like a Greenhouse

According to the customer, the solar heat was so intense that the inside of the home could get as much as 30 degrees hotter than the temperature outside. On bad days, the indoor temperature could climb to around 100 degrees.

If that sounds extreme, consider the ingredients:

No shade from trees or buildings. Direct sun hits the glass all day.
South and west exposure. These are the two directions that bring the most intense and longest-lasting sun, especially in the afternoon.
A smaller home with lots of glass relative to its size. Heat builds up quickly and has nowhere to go.

Sun coming through glass turns into heat inside the room, and that heat doesn’t escape easily. Air conditioning can fight it, but you’re paying to cool air that the sun is constantly reheating.

Before recommending anything, our team visited the home to look at the actual situation: which windows got the most sun, how big they were, how the family used each room, and what the customer wanted from the space.

That assessment matters. There isn’t one “best” product for hot, sunny windows. The right answer depends on the window, the exposure, and the person living there. We presented a couple of options, took the time to talk them through, and didn’t pressure the customer to decide on the spot.

The Solution: Custom-Made Window Treatments

The customer chose custom window treatments, made to fit their windows and installed by our team. Afterward, the customer reported that the treatments were blocking roughly 80 to 90 percent of the solar heat. In their words, they were perfect and made a dramatic difference in comfort.

A note on those numbers: this is one customer’s experience in one home, not a guarantee. Results depend on the product, the windows, the exposure, and how the treatments are used.

What Options Work for Homes Like This

If your home looks anything like this one, these are the kinds of solutions worth discussing:

Solar shades: Woven screen fabrics that block a large share of heat, glare, and UV while keeping part of your view. Lower openness factors block more.
Cellular shades: Their air pockets slow heat transfer in both directions, which helps in summer as well as winter.
Shutters: A solid, durable barrier that can be adjusted through the day.
Light-colored or reflective backings: Many fabrics are available with backings that reflect heat back toward the window.
Motorized control: Shades that lower on a schedule or by remote, so the sun is blocked before the house heats up, even when you’re not home.
Awnings: Exterior shade stops the sun before it reaches the glass at all, which is the most effective place to block it.

Often the best result comes from combining two of these, such as an exterior awning on the worst window and interior shades everywhere else.

Tips for Hot, Sunny Homes

Block the sun before it enters. Exterior shading beats interior shading, but interior treatments still make a big difference.
Close treatments early. Lower them in the morning on the sunny side of the house, before the heat builds up. It’s easier to keep a house cool than to cool one down.
Prioritize west-facing windows. Afternoon sun is the hottest, and these windows usually give the biggest payoff.
Pay attention to fit. Gaps let sunlight and heat leak around the edges. Professional measuring keeps them tight.
Use fabrics designed for heat control. Not all shades perform the same. Ask about solar and thermal performance, not just color.

Why a Local, In-Home Consultation Helps

A catalog can’t see your windows, your yard, or your afternoon sun. That’s why we bring the showroom to you. During a free in-home consultation, we’ll look at your exposure, bring samples to hold up against the glass, and talk through options and budgets without pressure. As the customer in this story put it, we listened and took the time to discuss. We aim to do that for every home.

We work with trusted brands including Hunter Douglas, Graber, Norman, Levolor, and Bali, so you can find the right fit for your windows and your budget.

Request a free consultation today, or call (207) 501-2800. We proudly serve Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Brunswick, Augusta, and surrounding communities. Browse our project gallery to see more of our work, and read what neighbors are saying in our customer reviews.

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