Leaving shades set when a ski home sits empty

Why an empty house needs a shade plan

Most second homes in Park City, Deer Valley, the Kamas Valley and around the Jordanelle sit empty more days than they're used. While nobody is there, the windows keep working. Sun at this elevation is strong, and in winter the snow outside bounces more of it into the house. Over a few weeks that light lands on the same rug, the same leather chair and the same stretch of wood floor, and fading builds up quietly. Rooms on the south and west sides also warm up in the afternoon even in January. And a house with every shade down all season, or every shade up, can look exactly like what it is: nobody home. A little planning before you leave handles all three problems.

Decide by side of the house, not room by room

The quickest way to set an empty house is to think about compass directions. South- and west-facing glass gets the most sun and does the most fading. Those are the shades to lower, either all the way or to a set height that shades the furniture. A solar fabric is the natural choice here, because it cuts sun and glare but still lets some daylight in. North-facing windows get little direct sun, so they can often stay open, which keeps the house from looking shut tight. East-facing rooms get the morning sun, and that's usually gone by midday; a partial drop is often enough. Bedrooms facing a road or a neighbor are worth closing for privacy whichever way they face.

Away schedules instead of "all down"

If your shades are battery-powered motorized shades, an away schedule does a better job than any single setting. A simple pattern is to raise the north and east shades in the morning, lower the south and west shades before the afternoon sun arrives, and close the street-facing rooms at dusk. The house gets the protection it needs at the hours it needs it, and the windows move through the day the way they would if someone were living there. Schedules tied to sunrise and sunset follow the seasons on their own when the system supports it. We set these up at installation, and our smart shade control page explains what different setups can do. If your property manager or a neighbor checks the house, give them the remote or keypad labels so they can override the schedule for a delivery or a cleaning visit.

A note about cold glass and condensation

On the coldest nights, a shade pulled tight against a cold window can trap a layer of chilly air at the glass, and in a heated house that can make condensation on the inside of the window more likely. That's worth knowing if you see water or frost along the sill after a cold spell. Leaving a gap at the bottom on cold north-facing windows, or keeping the house heated at a steady setting, generally helps. If the glass itself is failing, shades won't fix that; it's a window question.

Battery care before you leave

Battery motors are the reason most second homes can have motorized shades without new wiring, and they need a little attention. Cold shortens how long a charge lasts, so a house kept cool between visits can use up a charge faster than you expect. Before a long absence:

• Top up rechargeable shades, or check the battery wands, so they start the season full
• Put fresh batteries in handheld remotes and keypads, and keep spares in a labeled drawer
• Keep the charger and cable for each shade in one known place, not in a guest's suitcase
• Run each shade once and listen: a motor that sounds slower than usual is often asking for a charge
• Tell your property manager which shades run on schedules, so a stopped shade gets noticed

The battery vs. hardwired guide explains how charging works in more detail.

Manual shades: set them once, set them right

Plenty of cabins and condos have no motors at all, and that's fine. Set each manual shade before you lock up: lower the sunny side to protect the furniture, raise the shaded side, and make sure cordless shades are fully seated at the height you chose so they don't creep. If you still have corded blinds, wrap the cords up high and out of reach, especially in a rental. For bunk rooms and sleeping lofts that guests will use before you come back, leave the blackout shades up during the day so the rooms don't feel like caves when people walk in.

When guests use the house between your visits

Rental guests change settings and seldom change them back. A short card by the door, or labels on each remote, saves calls and broken shades. A cleaning checklist line, "reset shades to away settings," means the house goes back to its protective setup after each stay. Our short-term rental guide goes further on controls that hold up to guests.

Coming back

When you arrive, check for any shade that didn't move on schedule, any remote that's dead, and any spot on the floor or furniture where the sun has been landing. Those three things tell you whether the plan needs adjusting. If a room is still getting more sun than you'd like, a different fabric or a motor on that one window may be the fix. For local detail, see our pages for Deer Valley, motorized shades in Park City and Samak cabins.