Exterior Solar Shades on Guides (Cables or Rails)
Shade outside, heat stopped before the glass — the simple version, with or without a motor.
Texts every day, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. · Free consultation and quote · Text us
What it changes
The benefits
This exterior solar shade comes down between two guides, either stainless steel cables or rigid rails. It cuts the sun before it reaches the glass, keeps the view and costs less than a zip system. It doesn't close the sides against insects, and it has to be raised in high wind.
Heat stopped before the glass
Same principle as the zip: the shade intercepts the sun outside, before it heats the glass and the room. On a full south- or west-facing window, you feel the difference right away.
You keep the view
A 5% openness fabric hides the interior during the day, and from inside you see out.
Less expensive than the zip
No machined tracks, no welded zip: it's the most affordable exterior system. The right choice when you want shade, not an insect screen.
No electricity if you prefer
The crank version doesn't need an outlet. For a cottage, a shed, an upper-floor balcony where running a wire would be complicated.
Almost invisible
With stainless cables, all you see is the fabric. The cassette and the cables blend into the surroundings.
A step before the zip
Many clients start here, on one or two windows, then move to the Zip Track for the deck once they've seen the difference it makes.
Made in Canada
This product is made in Canada — a local choice, with lead times and follow-up that a product imported from far away doesn't always allow.
How it works
How the guides work
- An aluminum cassetteThe fabric and the mechanism roll up into a cassette mounted above the opening, on the wall or the ceiling. Colours matched to the frames or the siding.
- A guide on each sideTwo options. Stainless steel cables, tensioned from the cassette to the ground or the railing: discreet, almost invisible. Or rigid steel rails: sturdier, for wider or more exposed shades. The fabric slides along the guides and stays nice and straight.
- A weighted bottom barThe bottom bar keeps the fabric taut and stops it from floating. Unlike the zip, the fabric isn't held at the sides: a little air and light get through at the edges.
- Somfy motor or crankMotorized: a Somfy motor for exterior shades, remote, app or voice. Manual: a crank, no power supply needed — handy for a cottage or a window far from an outlet.
Specifications
The numbers
- Guides
- Stainless steel cables or rigid steel railschosen based on width and exposure
- Operation
- Somfy motor or crank
- Maximum width
- Up to 20 ft (6.1 m)depending on the guide, fabric and height
- Maximum height
- Up to 17 ft (5.2 m)
All specifications
- Maximum area
- Up to 192 sq. ft (18 m²)
- Cassette
- 5 in (125 mm) — our standard3¾ in (95 mm) cassette for smaller openings or windows
- Solar fabrics
- 1% to 25% opennessseveral colours per fabric; blackout fabric possible
- Hardware colours
- White, beige, anodized silver, black, black-brown
- Insects
- No — the edges aren't closedfor an insect barrier, see the Zip Track
- Power (motorized version)
- 120 V outlet near the cassette, or hardwirednone for the crank version
What about wind?
Not as well as a zip: the fabric is held at the top and bottom, not at the sides. The trade-off: less expensive and simpler, but it has to be raised in high wind; on the motorized version, a Somfy wind sensor can do it on its own. A very exposed or very wide opening? We'll recommend the zip.
Where it goes
Applications
South- or west-facing windows
One or two windows that overheat a bedroom, an office or a kitchen.
Balconies and small decks
One side to shade, with no need to close off the space.
Cottages and buildings without electricity
The crank version, where running a wire makes no sense.
Patio doors
Shade in front of the patio door, with the view preserved.
Commercial
Exposed storefronts and offices: several motorized shades on the same circuit.
Certified Somfy Expert
Somfy motorization, or crank
The motorized version uses a Somfy motor for exterior shades, 120 V, with an RTS remote or a TaHoma hub for the app, schedules, Alexa, Google and Apple. The manual version uses a removable crank: no wire, no outlet.
Warranty. The system is covered by a 5-year warranty from Le Gars des Stores: cassette, guides, fabric and installation. The Somfy motor is also covered for 5 years. Accidental damage and a shade left down in excessive wind aren't covered.
Our warranties are in addition to the warranties provided by law.
- Somfy motor, certified Somfy Expert, 5-year warranty
- 1- or 5-channel remote, or TaHoma for the app and home automation
- Optional Somfy wind sensor: automatic raising
- Crank version: zero electricity, zero programming
- 120 V installation by our installers (motorized version)
Frequently asked questions
We answer
Cables or rails, which should I choose?
Stainless cables are the most discreet and suit shades of typical width. Rigid rails are sturdier: we recommend them for wider shades or windier locations. We decide during the measuring.
How is it different from the Zip Track?
The zip holds the fabric along its full height in tracks: it closes the gap to insects and stands up much better to wind. Guides leave the edges free: simpler, less expensive, but no insect screen, and it has to be raised when it's blowing. Shade only: guides. A deck to enclose: zip.
Does it keep out mosquitoes?
No. The fabric isn't closed at the sides or at the bottom. If that's what you're looking for, the Zip Track is what you need — same motor, same fabric, but tracks instead of guides.
Crank or motor?
The crank if the opening is small, easy to reach, and there's no outlet nearby. The motor as soon as the shade is wide, tall, or there are several — nobody turns three cranks every evening. And the motor allows the wind sensor.
What about winter?
You raise the shade into its cassette for the winter. It doesn't mind the cold, but a shade on guides isn't made to hold back snow or to be operated in ice.
How do I close the strip of light at the sides?
We add side tracks: rails on each side of the shade, like on a roller shutter, that trap the edges. It's an extra option, mostly requested for a home theatre or a night-shift worker's bedroom.
Is it the same thing as an exterior screen or an exterior sunshade?
Yes, same product family: exterior screen, exterior sunshade and exterior solar shade are different names for the same type of system. Ours stands out with its guides (cables or rails) rather than closed tracks.
How much does it cost?
Less than a zip, for the same fabric. The price depends on the width, the height, the guide and the operation. Text us a photo of the opening with approximate measurements (width × height, in inches) at (514) 967-3629 and we'll quickly give you a first idea; the firm price comes after the measurements are verified.
Where do you install?
The West Island and Montreal, Vaudreuil-Dorion, the South Shore, the North Shore, western Laval, and the Eastern Townships with our local team. Elsewhere, depending on the project.
Free consultation and quote
A south-facing window, a deck that needs shade?
Free in-home consultation and quote, installation included.
Text us a photo of your windows · Texts every day, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. · Free consultation and quote
Somfy®, TaHoma® and RTS® are registered trademarks of Somfy SAS. Reg. TM of Somfy SAS. Le Gars des Stores is an authorized dealer and a certified Somfy Expert.
