Solar shades in Deer Valley

Light from above and below

A Deer Valley great room gets sun twice. It comes in directly through tall glass, and in winter it comes back up off the snow on the runs, the deck and the roofs below. On a clear February afternoon that reflected light can make it hard to read a screen or see faces across the room. Solar screen shades are woven so they cut much of that glare while you keep looking out. This page is about choosing them for Deer Valley windows in particular. For how solar fabric works in general, see our solar screen shades page.

Snow Park, Silver Lake and Empire Pass are not the same window

Snow Park, at the base, has homes and condos looking up at the lower runs and across toward town. The view is mostly uphill, so glare comes from a bright slope that fills the window rather than from the sky. Silver Lake, mid-mountain at roughly 8,000 feet, puts homes right on the runs with skiers passing below the deck. Sun is stronger and the snow is closer, and privacy during the day is part of the reason for a shade. Empire Pass, higher again, tends to have long-range views over the Jordanelle side and big south- and west-facing walls that take the afternoon sun hard. We choose openness and color window by window, because a fabric that suits a Snow Park condo can feel too dark at Empire Pass, or not dark enough.

Keeping the runs in view

Most people buy a house here to watch the mountain, so the fabric has to stay see-through. Two settings matter most. Openness is how much of the weave is open: tighter weaves cut more glare, more open weaves keep a clearer view. Color matters just as much: darker room-side colors such as charcoal or bronze are easier to see through than white, because they cut the contrast against bright snow. For a slope-facing wall we usually bring a few dark fabrics in different weaves and hold them up at the time of day the glare is worst, so you can see which one still shows the lift line and the tree edges.

Seen from the lifts

Many Deer Valley homes face chairlifts and runs, so the outside of the shade is on view all season. Associations often care about a calm, consistent look, and that usually means a neutral exterior face and shades that close to an even line. Read your documents first; our HOA guide explains what to look for. Solar fabric gives privacy in daylight, but not at night with the lights on, so bedrooms and evening rooms facing a lit run often get a second, darker layer, or a dual shade with solar in front and room-darkening behind.

Motorized on tall glass

Two-story windows and clerestories over the great room can't be reached by hand, and they're exactly where the glare is worst. Battery-powered motorized shades let a whole wall lower together to the same height, and a schedule can drop the west-facing shades every afternoon in ski season even when the house is empty. That matters in a second home: winter sun on wood floors, leather and art for weeks at a time is how fading happens. Our post on leaving shades set while the house sits empty covers away schedules and battery care.

Access in ski season

Gates, shared drives and parking near the lodges make winter visits slower. We plan measuring and installation around your property manager, gate codes and guest stays, and we're happy to start with photos of the windows and a call. More about the neighborhood is on our Deer Valley page.