Outdoor living is one of the prime reasons to live in South Florida. But it’s wasted space if you can’t enjoy your outdoor space for part of the day or in the summer months. There are several solutions to keep the sun and heat out year round.

There are many different styles of outdoor patio blinds that add style to your yard or deck and keep the heat and sun out. Outdoor roller shades come in different opacities, beginning with a blackout outdoor waterproof shade that gives complete privacy and also blocks the light and heat. If you still want some light during the day, but you’re trying to keep out as much as heat as possible, a 1% outdoor screen shade will block out 99% of the UV rays. Or you could go to a 10% screen shade which still blocks 90% of the UV but maintains a view of your surroundings. Outdoor patio shades come manual or motorized and are available in an array of colors. You can get the standard style outdoor shade with a visible roll on the top, or you can put a decorative metal covering over the roll. Outdoor roller shades, which are waterproof, also keep some of the rain away.

If you want to keep the sun out but you aren’t interested in a permanent roof structure, a retractable awning is the perfect solution. These stylish European style awnings disappear when not in use, leaving only an attractive metal casing on your wall. When you’re ready to enjoy your outdoor space and want to block out the sun, you can retract the awning. The awning comes in either an acrylic material with UV-stabilized pigments that maintains the awning’s color over repeated use, or the awning can be made in the same screen shade material used for outdoor roller shades. This is an ideal option if you still want some filtered sun to come through your opening while blocking most of the UV rays.