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How to shade and keep the sun off of the back patio.

Updated: Oct 31

Shading Your Back Patio With Outdoor Roller Shades.


If your back patio is sun-stricken, you can use our outdoor patio roller shades to keep the sun out.


Outdoor patio roller shades are the answer to shading your back patio.  They are not the answer to providing constant sunshade for your patio.  But they are the answer to providing temporary sunshade when you need it.


Our comprehensive Outdoor Patio Roller Shade FAQ provides valuable insights about the shades and is worth visiting to better understand them.


To shade the back patio, should I install one roller shade or cover all the openings on the patio?


You can install just one roller shade, or you can shade each opening of your patio.  I prefer to cover all openings. Doing so transforms the patio.


This is clearly a matter of personal preference and budget considerations.



It feels fantastic to be on the patio with all the roller shades down, covering every opening.


This will completely change the appearance and atmosphere of the back patio.


It will seem as if you have gained an extra living space connected to your patio.


6 patio shades providing a lot of shade for the patio.
Looks really nice to cover all the openings of your patio with the roller shades.

Would you like to completely cover all the openings of the patio?


On a scorching hot day, lowering the roller shades creates an incredible feeling on the patio.


You don't want to block the breeze flow, so I will install my patio roller shades to drop around 20" to 24" from the ground, as shown in these pictures.


This allows for a gentle breeze to flow through, keeping the patio feeling fresh.


During the summer, it can be extremely hot outside. Simply shading the patio does not lower the ambient outdoor temperature; if it’s 100 degrees outside, the shaded patio will also be 100 degrees. To make the patio more comfortable in such heat, it’s important to allow outdoor air to flow through. Relying on ceiling fans would just circulate the hot air, which doesn't help create a cooler environment.


Openings beneath the solar shades are needed for mild breezes to circulate air on your patio.


Three installed Black 97% patio shades example
Entire patio shaded with roller shades.

All openings for this patio got shaded with the patio roller shades, to include a small one specifically for the walkway opening.


To see more examples, visit the Patio Roller Shades Gallery page.


When handrails are present, they can determine how far the roll shades can drop. During installation, the roll shades may need to stop at the handrails, as shown in the picture, which prevents them from descending any further. However, this is not a problem at all. The patio will still receive ample shade from the sun, and the design allows air to flow freely underneath the shades, enhancing comfort on the patio.


Should I try to shade all uneven openings on my back patio?


Don't worry, cover what you can and enjoy the ample shade. It will be drastic.


For this gazebo, I did not shade the Triangles to the left there.  It’s just not a big deal.  The amount of shade you get for that big roller shade is SOOO much that those triangles seem trivial.


The large roll shade on the left measures 16 feet wide, while the opening itself is 18 feet wide, creating a 12-inch gap on either side. We currently offer roll shades with a maximum width of 16 feet. The homeowner was initially concerned that using a 16-foot shade would look odd since we didn't have an 18-foot option available for installation. However, once the shade was installed, they were extremely happy, and their worries quickly vanished.


Shading a gazebo with manual roller shades.
This gazebo is so much more comfortable with the roller shades providing sun shade.

Can we install multiple height stops for the outdoor patio shades?


In many and most cases the answer is yes.


For this installation, I installed these to drop down completely as shown in the picture, and I also had an option to extend them about three feet down.

Installing patio shades to have multiple drop options.
Made a great shaded outdoor living area for this home.

And I also put hooks about mid way down, about three feet down.


He mentioned that due to the sun's trajectory, he didn't need to lower the roller shades all the way. Instead, he preferred to lower them just enough to provide the desired shade while still allowing a breeze to flow underneath.


Showing how our roller shades are held down.
Hooks to hold roller shades when down.

I installed six roller shades on a large patio, ensuring that all openings were covered. When the shades were lowered, the back patio felt like a private room—a comfortable space that no one from outside could see into.

A patio that is now shaded from all sides with our patio shades.
This patio transformed magnificently from using patio roller shades on all of the openings. The entire patio is now shaded.

Can you see the shade on the ground in this picture? It represents 97% shade. The fabric is 97% dense, so you benefit from 97% sun protection.


That’s a lot of sun shade for this patio.


Can I use patio roller shades to provide shade for my windows under the patio as well?


If you need shade for your patio windows, use solar window screens.


You cannot keep the patio roller shade down all the time if you want to provide your windows with the necessary sun protection. Instead, solar screens for windows are the preferred shading solution, as they remain on the windows and offer consistent shade.


The solar window screens are made to be in the full sun all the time.


Check out our solar screen Q&A page and Austin Texas solar screen installed pricing page to learn more about that as a preferred window shading option.


Patio roller shades are not meant to provide sun shade for windows.
Patio roller shades are not meant to provide sun shade for windows. Solar window screens are what to use to shade windows. Check out my solar window screen gallery to get a feel for what they look like.

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