If you live in a warmer than average climate or if your home has a lot of windows or gets a lot of direct sunlight, there are affordable options that can reduce the solar heat gain, lower your energy bills and protect your furnishings from damaging ultraviolet rays.

Solar window film and solar window screens can improve a home's efficiency by keeping heat from the sun out during the summer and the cold air out during the winter. Both also help reduce glare and offer an additional layer of protection against glass breakage.

"Solar film reduces heat buildup and eliminates hot spots and cold spots around windows and doors," said Louis Brignet of Solar Busters in Birmingham, Ala. "It blocks out the damaging ultraviolet rays that fade your hardwood floors, your furniture, artwork and woodwork."

The film Brignet uses blocks up to 97 percent of the sun's infrared heat, he says. It's a high-quality film and shouldn't be confused with the low-quality film that's gotten a bad rap over the years for easily cracking, peeling, bubbling or turning from black to purple. Most quality film has a lifetime warranty.

It's important to have the product professionally installed and that the company thoroughly clean and dry the windows before applying the film. A poorly done job will be easily recognized. Many installers are certified by the International Window Film Association as solar control specialists.

"If you don't use a very high quality material from a manufacturer with a long track record of being in business, it doesn't matter who installs it or how they install it; it won't last," Brignet said. "But, I also know of several examples where folks have tried to put it up (on their own). If you don't know what you're doing, you can crease it, rip it or tear it. It is a very specific trade. You have to have a lot of experience doing it."

Though most people think of window film as being darker in color, clear film and decorative film — like frosted or stained glass colors — are available that allow in natural light while still offering the same protection. Brignet says window film ranges in price depending on the window and film types, but typically ranges from $100 to $180 per window. Maintenance is minimal. Homeowners simply clean their windows as they normally would with a nonabrasive cleaner and a soft cloth.

Though adding solar film to a window will likely void the window manufacturer's warranty, most film companies offer their own lifetime warranty and offer to pick up the window manufacturer's warranty, as well.

While solar film is applied inside the home, solar screens are applied to the exterior.

"It's designed to work three different ways: it reflects the heat away; it shades the glass; and it absorbs heat on its surface, so it keeps the heat from going into the house," said Jim Berner of Lone Star Solar Screens in Irving and Houston, Texas. "It stops up to 80 to 90 percent of the heat that normally comes through the glass into the home and reduces your energy bills anywhere from 25 to 40 percent."

The screens are removable. Like film, it's important to have them professionally installed, as each window type can require a specific type of mounting. If installed improperly or by someone unfamiliar with the process, a window could be damaged permanently.

"You want to make sure any solar screen product is PVC-coated polyester," Berner said. "The reason for that is it's the one screen that will not fade and deteriorate over time in direct sunlight, where the fiberglass-based products will."

Window screens come in a variety of colors and designs, as well, Berner says.

"You can have a company like ours make you a custom grid-work design, where we can design any kind of a grid-work pattern, which is like lattice work. We can design them to have a custom finish built into the solar screen. You can have arches within arches, diamonds. You can do any design you want."

Solar screens range in price from $30 to $60 per window on average, according to Berner.

"It still has 100-percent visibility, but there's no direct sunlight and heat coming in," Berner said. "We'll hold (a sample) in front of the window, and the customer can literally walk sideways from one window to the other and tell an immediate difference. It's diffusing the direct sunlight before it strikes the glass; therefore, the window will not magnify the heat coming in. It's one of the most economical things you can do for your home."

Angie Hicks is the founder of Angie's List, the nation's most trusted resource for local consumer reviews on everything from home repair to health care. To find out more about Angie Hicks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.