Your Residential Outdoor Awning Guide

An awning is like a fake roof that covers an outdoor area. They are commonly used in commercial settings like outdoor dining areas, but there are many uses for awnings at your home. These awnings can be used for a variety of reasons and offer many benefits. If you would like to know more, keep reading.

What Types of Awnings Exist?
You have a plethora of awnings from which to choose, but first you must decide if you want fixed or retractable awnings. As the name suggests, you can retract retractable awnings when you don't need them. This is a huge advantage during bad weather like severe wind, which can severely damage an awning.

Next, you must decide the type of material for your awning. Some materials are soft like canvas, synthetic, and acrylic. These materials may be coated with vinyl to better protect them from moisture. Harder materials include metal and fiberglass. Each material has its benefits and advantages. Canvas, for example, is inexpensive but prone to mold; metal is durable but may rust.

Finally, you'll need to choose the awning design you like. Some awnings attach to part of your house, but others are freestanding. Freestanding awnings are great because they can be installed anywhere, so you can turn any part of your yard into a nice, covered patio or seating area. They may be more prone to wind damage because they aren't secured to your home.

What Are the Benefits of Awnings?
The leading benefit of awnings is shade. Shade drastically reduces the temperature and prevents the sun from hitting you directly, creating a comfortable sitting area. For this reason, awnings are great over patios, decks, pool decks, and anywhere else people gather to relax. Alternatively, awnings protect you if you're outside on a rainy day.

Because they protect from rain and UV, awnings also protect other materials and items, such as your patio and patio furniture. UV light can fade these items, and rain promotes damage, erosion, and mold.

Many homeowners install awnings over their windows. This helps prevent heat gain inside the house during the hot summer months. However, thanks to their design, awnings allow the winter sun (which sits lower in the sky) to pierce your windows, naturally heating it. Like outside, the awnings also prevent some UV rays form getting inside your house and damaging materials.

Are There Alternative to Awnings?
There are alternatives to awnings. Pergolas, for example, are commonly used in place of awnings. However, they don't fully block out the sun, and they typically need more maintenance, especially if you have flowers/plants growing on it. Gazebos are a similar alternative, and while they provide more shade than a pergola, they are expensive to install.

Trees also make a great alternative, but the process can take a long time as the tree grows. Plus, you'll need to maintain the tree, including monitoring the roots and trimming branches.

There are also many alternatives to window awnings. Window coverings like curtains, blinds, and drapes are great at blocking out sun, but they also fully block the view and prevent most light. You can choose window coverings that tint or obscure the window. Again, these heavily impact the view through the window. A low-E window cling, however, could be used to block out UV light without impacting the view or the amount of visible light.

Awnings are a great addition to your yard or home. They help reduce heat associated with the sun, and they come in many styles and options. Window awnings can even keep the inside of your house cooler in the summer. If you would like to know more, contact us at Sunstate