Avoid These Common Errors When Selecting Commercial Shade Systems

Don’t derail your commercial shade system selection by falling into common pitfalls. Choosing the right commercial shade systems is crucial for balancing functionality, energy efficiency and aesthetics. As an architect, general contractor or building owner representative, solutions also must align with your high-performance vision without risking the integrity of design specifications, budgets or costly change orders.

To ensure you check all the boxes, you shouldn’t overlook the importance of early-stage decision-making in commercial shading solutions or the benefits of consulting with Contexture’s Design-Assist team. Let’s take a detailed look at fabric colors and openness, uniformity, manual versus motorized options and other common mistakes made when choosing commercial shades to help you avoid them. Together, we’ll help you make informed decisions to meet all your shade system selection goals.

Choosing Shades Solely Based on Fabric Color

When selecting commercial shading solutions, it's easy to get caught up in the aesthetic appeal, particularly the fabric's color. However, focusing solely on color from a decorative standpoint can be a significant mistake when selecting fabrics.

Besides adding to your commercial space’s overall look, color is the major driver of the thermal and optical properties of the fabric. Subtle changes can substantially impact thermal protection, glare control, view-through, privacy and exterior aesthetics. When you select a color simply because it matches the interior wall color, you’re not taking into consideration all these other impacts and potentially negating the intended performance of the shade.

You should always evaluate fabric based on the specific type of glass being used in the project. Only the light and energy that comes through this glass actually hits the fabric. Thus, various types and configurations of high-performing glazing can tremendously affect how much the shades you choose impact the system.

Selecting the Wrong Fabric Openness for Shades

People wanting to maximize views often select the wrong fabric openness without understanding the trade-offs this has on other performance criteria, such as light and heat control. Fabric openness is the woven density of the material. The tighter the woven fabric, the lower the openness. Many people are reluctant to choose fabrics with lower openness because they’re concerned they won’t get enough view.

However, one of the best things about commercial shade systems is that they can be rolled up to maximize the view or let in more light. Conversely, when the sun is beating down on you, making it difficult to see your computer monitor and increasing the temperature, shades with the correct openness protect you from the heat and glare when needed.

Plus, tighter weaves can still provide a view, and you can use different levels of openness based on location. For instance, shade fabric with a 1% openness might be a good choice for east and west elevations because of the low sun angles during sunrise and sunset. Alternatively, a 3% openness might be a good solution for a southern elevation if other passive shading devices or larger overhangs are already in place. Choosing a fabric with 5% openness might be more appropriate for northern elevations where you don't get direct sun angles and want more views.

The bottom line is that you shouldn’t choose the same openness for every situation, but you don’t have to give up your view. Instead, look at each room's unique needs, even if they’re on the same elevation or orientation, to find the ideal solution for each.

Choosing Uniform Shade Selection Across the Entire Building

Choosing uniform commercial shading solutions throughout the entire building may seem like a straightforward and cohesive approach to covering the windows. However, it fails to account for the varying levels and angles of sunlight that different sides of the building experience throughout the day.

For example, the south-facing side typically receives more direct sunlight, leading to higher heat gain. In contrast, the north-facing side might only get indirect light, resulting in less heat but potentially more glare at certain times. East- and west-facing sides can experience significant glare and heat gain during the morning and afternoon, respectively.

To optimize comfort and energy efficiency, it's essential to tailor office shade solutions for different sections of the building. You must tailor your shades to the daylighting and anti-glare needs of the occupancy of each space. Daylighting is the strategic use of natural light in buildings to enhance occupants' alertness and mood while reducing the energy costs of artificial lighting. Conversely, ensuring that you’re not allowing uncontrolled sunlight into a space reduces glare that can lead to discomfort and reduced productivity.

By customizing shade solutions to match the specific needs of each building section, you can enhance the overall performance of your building shade systems. This tailored approach improves thermal comfort and reduces energy costs but ensures a more pleasant working environment for occupants.

Neglecting the Specific Use of Each Space

Different spaces within a building also have unique shading needs based on the purpose of these spaces. For example, transitional spaces like lobbies or cafeterias can have more light, even with glare issues, because you’re not spending much time in these areas. Alternatively, light levels in task-oriented spaces, such as conference rooms and desk areas, are of much more concern because, again, it can impact productivity and occupant comfort.

Various areas may require specialized shading solutions. For example, conference rooms may require blackout shades to eliminate outside light for video conferences and presentations. Fabrics can come in different woven densities and be mixed on the job with the same color for aesthetic consistency. Some blackout fabrics are offered with matching front and back colors to more closely match the solar fabric. Another example is acoustic shades, which control light and dampen sound in areas needing an acoustic solution to make a room quieter and more conducive to meetings.

Ignoring Motorized Shade Options

The future is smart buildings. Automation is key, so motorization is a bare minimum. Overlooking motorized shade options is a mistake that can limit the convenience and energy efficiency of your commercial shading solutions. Motorized shades offer ease of use and precise control over lighting conditions. With the touch of a button or automated scheduling, occupants can adjust the shades to optimize natural light, reduce glare and enhance comfort.

Motorized shades also contribute to energy efficiency. You can program automated systems to respond to sunlight levels and temperature changes, reducing the need for artificial lighting and minimizing heat gain. This leads to lower energy costs and a more sustainable building operation.

Examples of advanced motorized shade systems include:

• Smart shades. Integrated with building management systems, smart shades can adjust automatically based on real-time data from light and temperature sensors, providing optimal comfort and energy savings.

• Remote-controlled shades. These allow for easy adjustments from anywhere in the building, ensuring that shades are always set to the desired position without manual effort.

• Programmable shades. Set on schedules, these shades raise and lower at specific times of the day, maintaining consistent light levels and enhancing productivity in workspaces.

By incorporating motorized shade options, you can achieve a more efficient, comfortable and convenient environment in your commercial space, making it a worthwhile investment. However, if your project can't afford motorization today, plan for the wiring and infrastructure so that upgrading is easy with minimal disruption to those in the building.

Relying on the Wrong Specifications

Most specifications are driven by a single manufacturer, which could lead you to rely on the wrong products for your project. Typically, these specifications feature the manufacturer’s more expensive or top-selling products. These products aren’t necessarily the best for your space and could lead to suboptimal results.

Another issue is that many specifications are copied and pasted from previous projects. Again, past specifications aren’t always the right ones for the current space because they don’t account for the unique needs and characteristics of the new space.

Instead of trying to save time by utilizing incorrect or outdated specs that could result in poor performance, higher energy costs and dissatisfaction among occupants, consult with shading experts. At Contexture, our Design-Assist^SM team can help you avoid this potentially costly mistake through early-stage planning to provide guidance based on your project's specific conditions and goals.

Reach Out for Expert Guidance

Once the interior architecture of the ceiling has been established, you can begin making decisions on shade system design, including fabric, sizes and mounting conditions. Covering these and other details early in the process can help avoid costly delays, but every decision has trade-offs, and it’s easy to make shade selection mistakes.

The Design-Assist experts at Contexture can guide you through trade-offs to properly evaluate your design priorities and find the best solution for your project. Contact us to learn how consultation with Contexture’s Design-Assist team can help you avoid common pitfalls in commercial shade selection and make informed decisions early in the design phase.