The Palmer Divide climate is its own thing
Larkspur sits on the Palmer Divide, the ridge separating the Arkansas and South Platte drainages, at roughly 6,700 feet. The Divide makes its own weather. It picks up more snow than either Denver or Colorado Springs, holds cold longer, and gets wind that the cities do not.
For window treatments that translates into a straightforward priority: insulation first. Cellular honeycomb shades in double or triple cell are what we specify most often here, particularly on north-facing rooms and any walk-out lower level.
Wind exposure also matters. Properties on open ground take sustained wind, and that is a real consideration for anything mounted outside. Where a client wants exterior solar screens for west-facing heat, we specify heavier housings and side tracks than we would in a sheltered city lot, and we discuss retracting them seasonally.
Large custom homes, unreachable glass
Larkspur housing runs to larger custom homes on acreage: vaulted great rooms, two-storey window walls oriented at the view, and clerestory glass well beyond any ladder you would want to use regularly.
Motorisation is close to essential on these windows, and battery-powered motors handle it without wiring. The practical wrinkle is recharging: a battery that needs a cable every couple of years is a nuisance on a window 20 feet up. On sunny orientations we recommend solar charging, which keeps the battery topped up indefinitely and removes the problem entirely.
Where a home is being built or substantially remodelled, running low-voltage to the window headers before drywall is by far the better answer, and it costs very little at that stage.
Wildlife, dust and practical durability
Rural properties put different wear on window coverings than suburban ones. Dirt roads mean dust, considerably more of it than in town, and dust is the main enemy of fabric shades and cellular cells, both of which are harder to clean than a hard surface.
For utility areas, mudrooms and any room off a dirt-road-facing side of the house, we often steer clients toward faux wood or aluminum blinds rather than fabric, simply because they wipe clean rather than needing vacuuming.
Dogs are the other consideration, and a common one on acreage. A large dog pushing through a blind to look out of a window will bend aluminum slats permanently and can damage a cellular shade. For dog-height windows we recommend a heavier-gauge slat, a shutter, or a treatment mounted to sit above the dog's reach.
Where we work in Larkspur
Neighborhoods
Perry Park · Sage Port · Bear Dance · Woodmoor Mountain · Larkspur
ZIP codes served
80118
What we install in Larkspur
Larkspur questions
- Do you charge extra to come out to Larkspur?
- No. Larkspur is inside our regular service area, and the in-home consultation is free with no travel charge. We schedule Larkspur appointments in blocks so we can offer you a tighter arrival window rather than a half-day range.
- How long does an installation in Larkspur 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 service rural properties on acreage?
- Yes. Larkspur, Perry Park and the surrounding Palmer Divide properties are inside our regular service area with no travel charge. We do ask for a good address or directions when the property is off a county road, and we schedule these appointments with a little extra time so we are not rushing the consultation.