Solar shade openness: 1%, 3%, 5% or 10%?

What the percentage means

A solar screen fabric is a tight weave with tiny holes. The openness factor is how much of the fabric is hole. A 3% fabric is 97% yarn and 3% open, so it stops about 97% of UV and the bulk of the heat and glare while you can still see out in daylight. Lower numbers block more; higher numbers show more.

Which openness for which room

• 1%: west-facing glass that bakes after 2 p.m., home offices with screens, anywhere glare is the main complaint. The view is soft but present.
• 3%: the default for living rooms, kitchens and lanai sliders on the Treasure Coast. Good balance of heat, glare and view.
• 5%: oceanfront, river and golf-course windows where the view is the point. Noticeably more glare than 3% on a bright afternoon.
• 10%: light shade with very little glare control; we rarely recommend it here.

Color matters as much as openness

Dark fabrics (charcoal, bronze, black) give the clearest view out because they reduce the sheen on the inside of the weave. Light fabrics (white, linen, grey) reflect more heat and look brighter from inside and outside, but the view through them is hazier. Many customers choose a dark 3% or 5% for the view and a light 3% in rooms where brightness matters more.

Privacy at night

No solar screen gives privacy after dark when the lights are on inside; the weave works in reverse. For bedrooms and bathrooms we pair a solar shade with a blackout or light filtering shade in a dual bracket, or choose a light filtering fabric instead.

How we help you choose

We bring fabric samples to your house and hold them against your own glass at the time of day the sun is a problem. Ten minutes with samples in the room answers the question better than any chart.