Big glass, tall walls, and the west problem
The dominant house type we see in Castle Rock is a two-storey with an open great room, a two-storey entry, and a substantial run of rear-facing glass. In The Meadows, Terrain, Crystal Valley and the newer Castle Rock developments, that rear glass frequently faces west toward the hogback and the Front Range.
West-facing glass is the hardest orientation to treat well. The sun arrives low in the afternoon, which means it comes in under any overhang and directly into people's eyes, and it delivers heat at exactly the point in the day when the house is already at its warmest. A north window is easy; a west window is a real design problem.
What works: [solar screens](/window-treatments/window-shades-company/roller-screens/) in a 3% openness, which cut most of the glare and UV while leaving the view intact. Exterior screens where the heat is severe enough to justify them, because stopping the energy before it enters the glass is dramatically more effective. And [scheduled motorisation](/window-treatments/automation-colorado-springs/), so the shades close ahead of the heat rather than after someone notices the room is uncomfortable.
Two-storey entries and unreachable windows
Almost every Castle Rock home we visit has at least one window nobody has touched since the builder left. Entry transoms 18 feet up, clerestories above a great room, the window over a staircase landing.
These are worth solving properly rather than ignoring. An untreated high window is a significant source of both heat gain and heat loss, and in a two-storey entry it dumps that directly into the stairwell that feeds the whole upper floor.
The practical answer is motorisation, and the practical constraint is power. Battery motors handle it fine and need recharging every one to three years, which on an 18-foot window means a ladder. For that reason we often recommend either solar charging, which keeps the battery topped up indefinitely on a sunny window, or hardwiring if the house is being remodelled anyway.
HOA covenants are strict here
Castle Rock's larger developments tend to have detailed architectural covenants, and window coverings visible from the street are frequently specified, usually white, off-white or a defined neutral, and sometimes with a requirement that all windows on a facade match.
We deal with this routinely. Composite shutters and quality faux wood blinds ship in exactly the required colours and hold them without yellowing, which is the thing that eventually puts a cheap vinyl blind out of compliance. If your association requires submission before installation, we can supply finish samples and a written specification for the review committee.
One detail worth planning around: if your covenants require a consistent appearance from the street, decide the exterior-facing product before you start choosing interiors room by room. It is much easier to select a single compliant white and vary everything else than to work backwards from twelve different choices.
Where we work in Castle Rock
Neighborhoods
The Meadows · Terrain · Crystal Valley · Founders Village · Castle Oaks · Plum Creek · Metzler Ranch · Sapphire Pointe
ZIP codes served
80104 · 80108 · 80109
What we install in Castle Rock
Castle Rock questions
- Do you charge extra to come out to Castle Rock?
- No. Castle Rock is inside our regular service area, and the in-home consultation is free with no travel charge. We schedule Castle Rock appointments in blocks so we can offer you a tighter arrival window rather than a half-day range.
- How long does an installation in Castle Rock take?
- Most whole-home installations are done in a single day. A few large windows or specialty shutters can run into a second visit, and we tell you which applies before you order rather than on the day.
- What is the lead time from measurement to installation?
- Typically two to four weeks for blinds and shades, and four to six weeks for custom shutters. Specialty shapes and stained hardwood run longer. You get a real date at the point of order.
- Do you serve all of Douglas County?
- We regularly work in Castle Rock, Parker, Larkspur and the surrounding Douglas County communities. If you are further north or east and unsure whether you are in range, call us. We will tell you honestly rather than quoting and then adding travel.