Working With West-facing Windows

Whether you are in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, west-facing windows can often lead to overheating. As the sun sets in the west, its low angle sends sunlight deep into your house, heating the space. Earlier in the day, when the sun is higher in the sky, a roof overhang or canopy can block much of the sunlight entering through the window. That protection is far less effective against the low-angle evening sun.

One of the only effective ways to mitigate this sunlight is to install vertical slats outside the window. The deeper and more closely spaced the slats, the more sunlight they block. But careful not to place too many or you will start to lose your view and may feel as though you are living behind bars.

A more viable and simple option for many would be to place shrubs in front of your west-facing windows to block the sun. If they are deciduous plants, even better as they will shed their leaves in winter to allow for sunlight when you need it.

If shading your window from the outside is not an option, a tinted or solar-control film is the next best thing.

Internal shades such as curtains are less effective because much of the sun’s energy has already entered the room.