I moved into my mountain place a few months ago, and I swear the sun up here is like... extra intense or something. Every afternoon, it's blasting through my windows, fading furniture, heating up the room way too much, and honestly just giving me headaches. Thought regular curtains would help but nope. Anyone else dealing with this? Wondering if special windows or treatments are worth it or if I'm just being overly sensitive here...
Had the exact same issue when I moved up to higher elevation—regular curtains did nothing. Ended up installing reflective window film myself (pretty easy DIY), and it made a huge difference. No more headaches, furniture fading slowed way down... definitely worth trying.
Did you notice any difference in your indoor temperature after installing the film? I've been considering this myself because curtains just aren't cutting it... and my living room gets super warm by midday. Wondering if it's worth tackling this weekend.
Installed film last summer to deal with afternoon sun blasting through my west-facing windows. Honestly, it made a noticeable difference—room stays cooler and glare's way less intense. Curtains alone weren't enough for me either. Installation was straightforward, but make sure you get the bubbles out properly or they'll annoy you every time you look at the window... Learned that the hard way.
I feel your pain on this. We moved into a hillside house two years back, and the glare was brutal from day one. Regular curtains were pretty useless for us too—sun still managed to heat things up and fade our couch fabric noticeably within months. After a lot of trial and error, we combined window film (like the other poster mentioned) with heavier blackout curtains, and it really did the trick. The film cut down significantly on glare and UV rays, and the blackout curtains helped even more with heat reduction.
One thing I'd add about window film: definitely don't cheap out if you go that route, because cheaper ones tend to peel or bubble easily. We went mid-range, took our time installing (seriously, patience is key), and it's held up well. Also found that adding some exterior shading—like retractable awnings or even just planting taller shrubs—made a noticeable difference in keeping the sun from even hitting the glass directly.
You're definitely not overly sensitive; mountain sun is no joke. A few strategic changes really do make living there a lot more comfortable.
We've been battling this too. Honestly, exterior shades were the real game changer here—stopped the sun before it even touched the windows. Bonus: no more squinting during breakfast...or fading furniture drama. Worth checking out if film feels like a hassle.
We've tried a bunch of things too, including film, and honestly, I get why some people find it annoying. It can be tricky to install without bubbles or creases, and even if you nail the installation, sometimes the film can give windows a weird reflective look from outside. Not exactly the mountain cabin aesthetic most of us are going for...
Exterior shades sound like a solid solution though. We haven't gone that route yet because our windows are pretty high up and awkwardly shaped (thanks, architect 🙄), but I've seen them work wonders at my brother's place. He installed these retractable ones last summer—pretty slick setup actually—and now his living room is way more comfortable in the afternoons. Plus, he swears he's saving on AC costs too.
For us, interior cellular shades have been decent enough for now. They're not perfect because they still let heat build up between the shade and window glass, but they're easy to install and operate. Definitely reduced glare significantly during breakfast time—no more sunglasses indoors at least! But yeah, furniture fading is still an issue we haven't fully solved yet.
One thing I'd caution about exterior shades though: make sure they're rated for wind if you're in an exposed mountain area. My neighbor had some cheaper ones that got shredded in a storm last year...not fun to clean up or replace.
Anyway, sounds like you've found something that works well for you—might have to reconsider exterior shades myself once I figure out how to reach those pesky upper windows safely...
Good point about wind ratings—I hadn't thought of that. We've been considering exterior shades too, but the wind up here gets pretty intense sometimes...definitely don't want to be chasing down shredded fabric after a storm. Cellular shades are working okay for us, but yeah, furniture fading is still frustrating. Might look into retractable awnings next—anyone have experience with those in windy mountain areas? Curious if they're sturdy enough.
We've had retractable awnings at our cabin for about five years now, and honestly, they're a mixed bag. Ours came with a pretty solid wind rating, but mountain gusts can be sneaky strong...had a few surprise storms where we scrambled to retract them before damage happened. If you're considering them, definitely look into ones with automatic wind sensors—ours kicks in to retract automatically when things get dicey. It's saved us more than once from ripped fabric or bent arms.
Have you considered exterior solar shades instead? They’re sturdier in high winds and you can lower them partway, which helps block glare without completely losing your view. Might save you some scrambling when storms pop up unexpectedly...