Alternate Sources For Fabrics

When we lived in Tampa, FL and had a screened back porch I used the roll-up bamboo shades over the screens. Then, I read in a book about how in India many years ago they used to wet down the shades on the verandas to keep the room cool, so I started turning the garden hose on them in a fine mist as soon as the sun came around. As this porch faced west, but nine months a year we ate three meals a day on it, this worked a treat, kept the porch cool enough to eat on.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

That is excellent! We are going to be using bamboo blinds to block the sun on our deck which faces west and sometimes the wood is so hot you burn your feet. I have gotten a burned nose just being on the deck for 10 minutes. I will remember about wetting the blinds, thanks!

Michelle Giordano

Cea: try a "space blanket":

camping supply stores, sports departments in with the hunting goods,survivalists shops, etc....Aluminized mylar, sorta like those shiny balloons. Kay

I once found a pair of roll up window shades -- the old kind on the spring tube -- that had a silver reflective surface on the "outside" and I put them in the west windows upstairs - wow! They really cut down on the heat. I've never seen any, ever again. Isn't that just like our industry? Make something that works really well, but only make it once.

A few years ago I came into some $ and decided to bite the bullet and replace the 1920s window sash. I got wood-framed sashes with double glazing, and while I miss the ease of opening and closing my originals, these really do cut down on heat in the summer, cold in the winter, and noise all year long.

You will get better results hanging the reflective stuff on the outside so the sun hits it before the goes through the shades.

I am the space blanket queen! They are also called survival blankets, you can get them at most anywhere they sell hiking/camping equipment or first aid supplies. I paid $1.98 each for mine.

All my apartment windows face south and west. It gets like a convection oven when the hot summer sun hits even though I have double glazed windows. I got those metal curtain tension rods to fit the south facing windows and two larger ones to fit the two sliding glass doors that face west. For the sliding glass doors I just carefully connected the long sides of the blankets with double sided Scotch tape, then folded the top over to make a tunnel to slide the tension rod through. I did the same for the smaller windows but a single blanket was wide enough so I only had to fold over the top for the tension rod and trim the bottom with scissors for length. When the sun starts to hit the windows in the morning I just slide them closed. In the evening I slide them back to the side to open them up. Works great and I did my whole place for less than $25. They still let enough light come through so you don't feel like you are living in a cave but really do keep the heat out.

The gal in the apartment below me came up one day to visit and as soon a she came in she says, "Wow! do you have AC in here?" Her apartment was a sweltering 101 degrees, mine was a tolerable 75! We don't have A/C in this building. Worth every penny and the few hours it took to assemble these heat shields. In the winter I just slip them off the rods, fold them all up nicely and slide them into one 2 gallon zip lock bag, put it on my closet shelf, gather all the tension rods with a zip tie and lean them into the back corner of my closet all ready for the next summer. This is my third summer using the same blankets. I may have to break down and replace them for next year, they are getting a little ratty now but all that camping stuff goes on sale in August and September so it won't take much to replace them.

You can also put them on the roller blinds. I helped my son cover the roller blinds he had in his home in the bedrooms that faced west. We used spray adhesive and then smoothed the blanket down onto the blind, then trimmed the edges with scissors. Make sure you put the shiny side to the out side when the blind is pulled down. (Don't ask how I know to double check this.) Do it outside if you possibly can, the fumes from that adhesive is wicked stuff and you need to work with somebody who is patient and you get along with VERY well. This particular technique is really a two or three person job. He's marrying the sweet little gal who worked with us. I figure if we all could still get along, laugh, joke and be nice to each other after that project they are good for at least 65 years of marriage!

Val

E glass works fairly well too.

I have made them for the entire house, over the years. I found really old wood rollers in the basement and put fabric on them. Now, I've moved on to plantation blinds, with several different window treatments in the history of the windows. It's nearly 30 years in this house for me, and the house was already 50 years old then.

Well, you sure have me beat. We will have lived in this house for 21 years as of Sept. 1, and it was almost 50 years old when we bought it!

Know what you mean about the metamorphosis of the w> I have made them for the entire house, over the years. I found really

They have them in the drug store here in the sports/camping/hunting/fishing section.

Open and eat... consistency is sort of like malted milk ball middles. Hold it in your mouth to reconstitute. Honest.

Astronaut living conditions make a month-long backpacking trip look like luxury accomodations.