I am also trying to make this decision for shutters in a new house. I have Hunter Douglas in my current house and love them and have never had a problem with them. I think HD is made in USA while Norman is made in China - so I am leaning toward HD again.

Yes and no. Some of those manufacturers source the metal materials from the same facilities so there is often cross over in the colors but where they differ is in the components of the blinds themselves. The head rails, tilt mechanics, cording, metal bottom rails, etc. are not identical between those brands. Hunter Douglas is definitely the superior brand over Levolor, Bali, and Graber. They offer a 7 year warranty on their cord and tilt mechanisms where most of the others are 3 years. We repair all 4 brands regularly and I wold recommend Hunter Douglas all day for better quality interior components. They are worth the extra money.

Hi there! If you need more privacy than the solar shades offer the Silhouettes are a great choice. Since solar shade fabrics have different fenestration properties depending on things like how open the weave is, what color the fabric is, it's hard to tell if Silhouettes would block more or less u.v. when the vanes are open. However, with the Silhouettes, you also have the option of closing the vanes. When you close them they would definitely block more u.v. than solar shades. Keep in mind they are not as kid and pet friendly as solar shades. Another option could be zebra shades. https://www.hunterdouglas.com/window-treatments/roller-shades-solar-shades/designer-banded The roller shades you have could probably be retrofitted to be dual shades which would add another layer that could provide privacy. (I know we could do that.) Depending on the top treatment you have on your shades, it might be as simple as changing the bracket to a dual bracket and then getting another shade to put in front of or behind the one you have now. Or you could get new dual shades like this: https://www.hunterdouglas.com/operating-systems/manual/dual-roller There are window films that block about 99% of u.v. rays, too. Since solar heat gain is a problem for you, you might like window films that help with that. There are some that don't have much of a tint to them. (Check with your window manufacturer on whether or not film would void your window warranty.) http://www.johnsonwindowfilms.com/residential-commercial-products/sunlight/ We manufacture Open Light roller shades in Ann Arbor, Michigan. If we can help, please let us know. Good luck!

Hi Patricia - thank you for the comment. The sun sets in the afternoon and it is pretty bright and with the South Florida heat some extra shade there will help. Thoughts on a nice fabric soft silver or gray tone or a light gray/silver shear curtain attached to the motorized track?