The percent of blockage in solar shades is where you went wrong and black ones and white ones are the worst for not allowing the view . I do bronze or charcoal 10% and works great for blocking heat all the time The shades need to stay down all the time or they can't do dthe job

@Patricia Colwell Consulting, yes, they are down all the time. Our soffits and overhangs give enough sun protection in the summer even if the shades are up.

These are over 10 years old, so the newer ones are probably better.

I'm looking more for where people have had good (or not) experiences with quality and fit with retailers.

I moved in to a home where the owner had installed the year before all new shades from The Shade Store. I'm sure they were quite expensive and I'm glad I didn't have to pay for them myself. They perform beautifully, look great, and are holding up well.

I had considered using The Shade Store previously on another home. I found their in-store staff to be extremely knowledgeable and professional. They seemed more invested in their job than others at both chain stores and independent stores. If you have one in your area, schedule an appointment and see if you like them. I appreciate they are made in USA.

Find a Hunter Douglas dealer in your area, get a consult at your site.

Would I bother with anyone else? No.....not really.

" It's more than 20 windows, some quite large"

We can't see the windows, the view, or anything. Are there other treatments? Yes. Could any of us recommend without seeing interior pictures? No.

You "don't like the solar shades"...they are not the only option. But who knows?

Add jpegs in a comment box below. Window treatments are not separate from the overall style you have within.

Hunter Douglas is probably NOT in the budget. And my husband will do the install (no matter where we buy them.) When it comes to any type of finishing work, I don't trust anyone else.

Another reason I'd like to hear about different sources.

I will check on the Shade Store.

I had all of my window coverings installed by a local independent company over 6 years ago. yes, not cheap, but they look & work great. Our home is the desert ( Palm Springs area ). We have blackout Roman shades in the bedrooms & white solar shades on large expanses of glass on the west facing windows facing a view ( pool, mountains) . All, on remotes. Contrary to statements made on here the white solar shades do NOT block our views. I wouldn’t have them if they did.

We went with a local provider. They are made in a factory about an hour away from us. We found them through a flooring and window covering store. Each blind is custom made for us. That said, we also put shades in our basement with budget blinds and they aren’t that much or a lesser product and we’re a fraction of the cost. Our Home Depot has a semi custom option too. Have you checked in yours what all the options are?

Doing the install himself.

Well? I'd not let any client do it, and simultaneously void a warranty. That is up to you. Hunter Douglas dealers have highly skilled installers, familiar with every product they sell.

I've been doing this well long enough to protect myself, (and the client from themselves). A little cut to fit cell shade @ Home Depot, cordless in a kiddy bedroom? Different story.

You still haven't posted pictures: )

To answer Kendrahs question? The only sources I consider are HD and Horizons, Not because every client is uber rich...most aren't! It's just that I don't buy trouble. For me, or the client.

@JAN MOYER, I understand why you would not want your clients doing their own install.

My husband is one of a dying breed. He literally can fix anything - and he's extremely meticulous.

We have close friends that built a $5M+ home outside of Austin, TX about 4 years ago.

The (lack) of attention to detail and (less) than quality finishes was truly shocking to me!

The reason I'm not posting pictures, is that I'm not (at least not yet) looking for design suggestions - just wanting to compare people's experiences with different companies or retailers.

@WestCoast Hopeful, I have read through dozens of reviews for the Home Depot semi-custom option. Also the Lowe's semi-custom (Levelor). LOTS of negatives.

Without the pictures? You can't get a good answer, because one source may have great options in one category of treatment, not another.

Example : I use Horizons for natural woven wood shades, and eschew Hunter Douglas.

I wouldn't buy a motorized ANYTHING from anyone but HD

So without a fuller context? ...................I rest my case.

@Kendrah, Thanks so much for the suggestion of The Shade Store! I found an interesting discussion on another forum - here's a quote:

While I work for ShadeIt.com I also have been in the industry for 20 years. I personally love ShadeIt because it’s faster (24 hrs to ship!), the same fabrics and motorization as the Shade Store (at a fraction of their price) and priced like Blinds.com and Select Blinds’ mid tier options. Blinds and Select both have huge customer support teams, low cost custom options for low cost fabrics and are where they are because of their longevity in the industry. All good options, but if you want better quality at a lower price than the top guys, take a look at Shade It!

I've never heard of ShadeIt.com before. But at first glance, their website is very straight forward. All products have a 5 year warranty included. Selection is somewhat limited,

(I will be using neutral colors regardless.)

I take @JAN MOYER 's comment about self install to be a concern not about the quality of work your husband does, but rather about whether self-install would void a warrantee. This is a good question to ask.

I think of The Shade Store more as a place where people go who want full service from measurement to install.

I have not heard of ShadeIt. One place I looked online said they just resell other brands, and another place said they are custom made in Australia.