The Best Window Coverings for Utah’s Sun and Dry Climate

What makes Utah hard on window coverings

• Strong UV at elevation. Thinner air filters out less ultraviolet light. That fades fabrics, floors, rugs and furniture faster, and it breaks down cheap plastics and low-quality finishes.
• Dry air. Low humidity pulls moisture out of natural materials. Poorly sealed wood can shrink, crack or warp, especially in wide slats and large panels.
• Big temperature swings. The glass on a south or west window can get very hot in the afternoon and cold at night. Materials expand and contract with every cycle.
• Big windows in new builds. Lehi, Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain and Vineyard are full of homes with oversized and two-story windows that take direct afternoon sun.

Best choices for strong sun and heat

• Solar (screen) roller shades. Made from a woven fabric that blocks much of the glare, heat and UV while keeping your view. They come in different openness levels: a tighter weave blocks more sun, a looser weave shows more of the view. They’re a favorite for west-facing living rooms and home offices where screen glare is a problem.
• Honeycomb (cellular) shades. The honeycomb pockets trap air and act as insulation, which helps keep heat out in July and in during January. Of all the soft shades, they do the most for comfort and energy use, and they come in light-filtering and blackout fabrics.
• Composite or high-quality painted shutters. Plantation shutters give you the most precise control over light: tilt the louvers to bounce sun toward the ceiling, or close them completely. In very sunny rooms, composite shutters resist warping and fading and hold up well in dry air.

Best choices for dry air

Real wood looks beautiful and works well in Utah as long as it’s a quality product with a good sealed finish. Where you need to be more careful is with bargain wood blinds and wide wood slats in rooms that get hammered by sun.

• Faux wood blinds give you the wood look without the risk of shrinking or cracking. They’re also the right call for bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens.
• Composite shutters hold their shape in dry air and heat, which makes them a safe choice for large panels and sunny rooms.
• Real wood blinds and shutters are lighter and have a warmer look. They’re great in bedrooms, offices and rooms that don’t take hard afternoon sun.

Protect your floors and furniture

Hardwood floors, rugs and upholstery near sunny windows fade faster here than in lower, cloudier climates. You don’t have to live in the dark to prevent it. Solar shades and light-filtering cellular shades cut a large share of UV while still letting daylight in, and motorized shades can lower themselves automatically during the hottest hours, even when you’re at work.

Winter matters too

Inversion season means cold, gray weeks when windows are one of the biggest sources of heat loss in the house. Cellular shades are the strongest insulator of the common options, and closed shutters help too. In Park City and Heber, where snow glare is intense on bright winter days, a light-filtering or solar fabric keeps rooms usable without shutting out the view.

What to be careful with

• Cheap vinyl blinds can sag, yellow or warp on hot south and west windows.
• Unlined light fabrics fade quickly in direct sun. Ask about UV-resistant or lined options.
• One product for every window. A west-facing great room and a north-facing bedroom have very different needs. Most homes look best, and work best, with a mix that stays consistent in color and style.

Common questions