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[Nightowlz]

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@ChynnaBlue wrote:

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@Mary in MO wrote:

pommom, you can have your windows professionally tinted (like they do for car windows).  Have a pro come to your home to suggest solutions and prices.  It is well worth the investment, and it will save on your utility bills and your furniture.  They sell "window film" in big box stores, but it is actually only a temporary solution, and not the best.

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Yes, I recommend the same thing. Every window in my office is tinted. My old car did not have tinted windows and my new car does - it makes a BIG difference. The money you spend will be made up in utility bills in no time.

You could also put up blinds AND curtains. Neither option may be aesthetically pleasing, but I think the tint would be the better option.

And if your window is getting so much sun that your AC can't keep up, you may want to look into solar panels. It's an investment, for sure, but they pay for themselves over time. I have several friends who've had solar panels installed and they've mostly been very happy with the results. (The one who isn't had a terrible experience and it took nearly a year to get the panels installed and running and a lot of back and forth hassle. She bought hers through a program run by Home Depot, so I wouldn't recommend them.)

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I never thought about the professional window tinting like your car. The other solar stick on temporary stuff is ******. I would still rather have something I could pull up & down so I could still see out the windows. Tinted them like car window tint will block your view somewhat. The months of the year when you don't have that hot beaming sun I would want to be able to see out my windows clearly.

[Kachina624]

The sun is much more intense here in Albuquerque than in anywhere in Texas due to our altitude.  I couldn't even go in my bedroom, which faces SW, on the coldest winter day.  I put tinted film on the windows myself and the difference was like night and day.  It doesn't impede your viewing of the outside at all and has the advantage of people not being able to see in.  I forget it's there.  It was very easy to apply.  I don't think any of this product blocks views.  You can also get clear, tinted film in roll-out blinds.

[pommom]

Wow!  So many great suggestions!  Thank you all so much.  This is the first home I've had a home with windows facing west.  I have always made it a point to check the placement of windows in my home because of this Texas heat and have had east-facing windows.  I love this new home, though, so will do my homework and start to work in making this situation better.

Again, thanks, all!

[Another new name Sue]

You probably need a multi-pronged approach: everything you can do on the inside as well as drop-down shades on the outside.  Have you considered planting bushes in front of the window?  Maybe a landscaper could suggest something which looks ok.  As you go around your area, look at what others have done.

[flickerbulb]

I had all of my home windows tinted professionally when I built  my house. It was 3 M tint and is still going strong.

I also had my screens re-screened with dark sun blocking screen. It is especially good for my screened in front foyer which faces west. The sun was so strong, it was miserable before I re-screened.

My front windows and blinds are thermal lined. After all of that, I recently replaced my a/c unit. Now I am as cool as a cucumber!

Your air should not be struggling to cool off to 80. I would have it checked out.

[Desertdi]

I am west-facing in Phoenix.    Finally had to go to plantation shutters.   I have tall trees shading the roof which helps, too.    Lucky for me, I can take the heat much better than cold.   

[151949]

When we built our huse, since this is a  villa (new term for duplex) we were very careful to be certain we were in the villa on the east side and would get the morning sun and not the hot, intense afternoon Florida sun on our windows. For the bedroom windows which face south we have shutters so when we get up in the mornings and I make the bed I flip the slats to up and no sun can get through them. 

[Lucky Charm]

We own several homes and there are many ways to beat the hot sun.

Think seriously about planting a tree, consider it a 'gift' to your new home.

Our cottage is single story, so a lilac bushes give us complete shade on both the east and west side of our front porch. 

One house, the afternoon shade from a neighbors wall of bamboo gives us an unbelievable amount of afternoon shade.

We also have awnings that help with afternoon sun, they can be expensive, but they are so pretty and a necessity.

Inside, the plantation shutters really do help more than those cheapie plastic ones.  Most importantly is to turn them up and not down to keep the room darker from sunlight.  Most people think blinds should only be turned down,  actually it's better to turn them up.  You can tell how much it makes the room darker by doing so.

Never leave windows open in the direct sunlight.  That hot air will come right in.  We have breezes off the bay and the ocean, but timing and lighting is everything to catch those breezes.

We also have

[ID2]

Get a nice awning installed over that front window! They help immensely!

[Tigriss]

You can get solar curtians like these to reflect the heat and sun, or put tin foil to cover your windows (not a likely solution for your situation), or get them tinted which is the best option but can be expensive.

The curtains below are $5.98 each for a variety of sizes.

http://www.harrietcarter.com/household-problem-solvers/solar-curtain/

I have the same issue with my bedroom and livingroom.  I have blackout curtains up, but the south Georgia heat is horrible.  I put up some RV bubble insulation. 

I already had it and don't care what the few neighbors think.  I live out in the county so there isn't anyone to pass judgement on it.  It really, really works!