As hot weather becomes more common in the UK, companies and homeowners are coming up with innovative ways to keep properties cool. From yoghurt on windows to luxury shade sails, the options range from affordable to high-end.
Brise-soleil: A French solution for UK homes
When graphic designer Marc Alabaster had new glass doors installed at his West Sussex home eight years ago, he soon realised how they magnified the afternoon sun. “The kitchen was 40-plus degrees,” he said. After seeing an apartment building in Spain wrapped in louvre-like fins that shaded external walls, he discovered the term brise-soleil, French for “sun-breaker.” Alabaster now owns Brise Soleil UK, which has found a market among homeowners seeking shade for large windows and glass doors.
Growing demand for permanent shading
The climate crisis is bringing more supercharged heatwaves to the UK. This week, some people have used cardboard, reflective materials, or even yoghurt on windows after the Met Office issued a rare red weather warning. However, more permanent solutions are available. Most UK homes lack external shading, according to the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), but schools, hospitals, and care homes also risk becoming unsafe during heatwaves due to inadequate shading.
“The UK needs sustained investment in infrastructure and public spaces so that our buildings, transport systems and cities are designed to cope with future heat,” said Ruth Shilston, global discipline lead at engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald.
New regulations and renter-friendly options
New regulations on overheating in new residential buildings came into force in England in 2022, but for most people in old housing stock, adapting their home falls to them. Aimée Daniels, founder of Shaded, was inspired by the record-breaking heatwave of 2022 to design a window-shielding solution. “It was just brutal,” she said of her west-facing London flat. Her mini awning clips to sash window frames, is installed from inside, and is detachable, making it renter-friendly. At £89, sales have shot up this week. “I am slightly worried that there will be some demand I won’t be able to keep up with,” she said.
Shade sails: From yachts to homes
Outside a property, trees can cast significant shade, though planting them is not a short-term solution. Another option is a shade sail, a sturdy fabric suspended between walls or posts. Dorset-based Kemp Sails traditionally makes yacht sails but realised similar materials were used in Australia for outdoor shade. “We thought, ‘we’ve got loads of expert sewing machinists and large sewing machines – let’s apply that’,” said general manager Owain Peters. Shade Solutions was born and has been a “runaway success.” The company uses a “triple-step zigzag stitch” to build sails exceptionally strong, but a large sail can cost several thousand pounds.
Traditional options see surge in demand
Consumers are also soaking up traditional options like solar blinds, awnings, and pergolas. During May’s heatwave, inquiries at Caribbean Blinds shot up by 600%, according to managing director Stuart Dantzic, who is also vice-president of the British Blind & Shutter Association (BBSA). Those inquiries translated into a 56% boost in orders.
Research confirms effectiveness of external shading
Ben Roberts at Loughborough University has confirmed the impact of shading. “What I’ve done today is I’ve put some bed sheets outside my window,” he said. His experiments, funded by the BBSA, compared temperatures inside two test houses and found that external shading can reduce internal temperatures by 6C, much more effective than internal shading alone. For commercial products, shades could be made much smaller, and dark fabrics work well when used externally, especially as a loose mesh to reduce glare.
Low-cost solutions and cultural shift
Chartered engineer Tom Greenhill runs the Heatwave Toolkit website, focusing on low-cost solutions. He has long advocated smearing yoghurt on windows for a frosted effect that reduces solar gain. Whatever method chosen, he said now is the time to adapt. “We still see ourselves as a mild and damp nation – that’s not the case any more. The culture has got to catch up.”
Mina Hasman, co-chair of RIBA’s Climate Expert Advisory Group, noted a significant shift: “Shading is no longer being discussed simply as a matter of glare or privacy, but as part of compliance, resilience and public health.”
