Many people believe that an awning is just for the few weeks in the summer when the weather is at its driest and hottest. In other words, it’s commonly thought that the only reason to have an awning is for protection from the sun.
In fact, awnings are actually designed to be used 365 days of the year. There are numerous reasons why this is so. This article lists the main 21 reasons why people use their awnings throughout the year.
21 Reasons for an awning:
- Shade from the sun (when outside)
This is usually the main reason people invest in an awning. It protects you, your family, your visitors, and your pets from direct sunlight. Shading from the heat of the sun helps to prevent sunburn, heatstroke, and other clinical conditions. - Shade from the sun (when inside)
Awnings help to prevent the sun (and UV light) from entering your home in the first place. In that respect, they make adjoining rooms much cooler. As it’s unlikely that you then need internal air conditioning units, you can save money…and energy. - Shelter from the rain
Awning fabrics can withstand light rain, with electrical components being watertight. This means there’s no reason to dash inside as soon as it starts to drizzle. Also, you do experience a rather special feeling when sitting under a gentle shower of rain. (For heavier rainfall, pergolas give you additional protection.) - UV protection (people)
Awning fabrics can have special coatings for blocking UV light. These fabrics can protect you, your family, your visitors, and your pets from those rays that are harmful to eyes, skin, etc. And UV light is not restricted to the summer months. It’s present throughout the year. (This is why you can tan in the depths of winter if you’re outside your home!) - UV protection (internal possessions)
Awnings protect the furnishings inside your home from UV light (and heat). In fact, heat and UV light can eventually damage all possessions except those made from glass or tiles. They can attack curtains, blinds, carpets, pictures, furniture, musical instruments, and so on. Specialist awning fabrics can block that heat and UV light. - UV protection (external possessions and surfaces)
The effect of ‘weather’ is unavoidable when outside your home. Awnings help to protect your external possessions and surfaces (patio decking, patio furniture, etc.) from outside elements including the sun, the rain, and UV light. - A truly weatherproof product
Awning fabrics can be specially coated to make them weatherproof. This allows them to repel rain, mould, dirt, and other debris. Special coatings help prevent the fabric colour from fading. Also, the awning fabric can disappear completely inside a cassette attached to your wall. With the electronics hidden inside the cassette, along with concealed screws and fixings, an awning can be a truly weatherproof product. - Extends your living space
If you need another room but are unable to renovate your home, an awning is great for extending your living space onto your patio or into the garden. As awnings can have lighting and heating incorporated, you can feel as comfortable under an awning as within your home. - Offers al fresco dining
An outside barbeque or simply eating outdoors is very different to dining inside. Whether you’re on your own or hosting friends and family, food always seems to taste quite different when eaten out-of-doors. - Protects your refreshments
When you’re eating outdoors, food and drink can easily overheat or spoil in the sun. An awning is great for protecting your refreshments from those outside elements. - Provides an entertaining space
Having your party or get-together under an awning definitely gives a wow-factor to the proceedings. As awnings can be fitted with heating and lighting, once the sun has set, that entertaining area becomes quite magical. - Offers a healthy atmosphere to live or work in
It’s a real delight to sit or work under an awning. You’re bathed in fresh air and you can enjoy the smell of grass and flowers. Being outside can be a really healthy place in which to carry out your business or social activities. - Offers you a truly natural environment to sit in
There is something quite wonderful about being in the ‘natural world’ as compared to being within the ‘unnatural environs’ of a building. An awning can bring you peace and harmony in an otherwise chaotic world. - Keeps you at the right temperature throughout the year
These days awnings can be installed with ‘extras’ such as powerful heaters that keep you warm and cosy no matter how cold it is outside. The number of heaters you need is usually determined by the total width of the awning. - Provides an outdoor space after dark
Dimmable LED lighting and infrared heating that are integrated within the awning allow you to enjoy the outdoors long after the sun has set. Both of these are green options compared to conventional lighting and heating, and allow you to continue enjoying the space after dark. - Gives privacy
Awnings can be fitted with a retractable ‘front valance’ for extra privacy. This is a piece of fabric that, via remote-control, descends to the ground once your awning is extended. It gives even more heat and glare protection when the sun is low in the sky. In essence, it creates an enclosed space that gives great privacy (day or night) from neighbours or from people walking by. - Provides a ‘socially-distancing space’
Having an awning is a clever way to socialise yet keep your distance if you want to prevent catching ‘bugs’ from other people. A sheltered environment like that is very useful during the flu season, during pandemics, and when mingling with people with common coughs and colds. - Can be made to very specific (bespoke) measurements
Awnings can be tailor-made to give you the cover you need over your patio, decking, lawn, swimming pool, hot tub, etc. You can butt them together to create super-wide awnings. They can also be made very narrow for small spaces, e.g., between outbuildings. - Can change the aesthetics of your home
With numerous hardware colours and fabric designs to choose from, you can create a unique ‘look’ to your home. Gold, yellow, or orange fabrics will give you a sunny outlook. Greens and blues will tone in with your plants and the sky. Thin or wide stripes will give the appearance (psychologically) that your outside area is larger than it actually is. - A state-of-the-art awning gives you technology to play with
Years ago you could only operate your awning by hand – an unwieldy and cumbersome affair. These days you can extend and retract your awning not just by remote-control, but also via your smartphone, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, home security systems, etc. Gadgets like that allow you to control your awning from wherever you are. - Further clever technology
There are intelligent designs that keep the awning fabric taut – no sagging. You can have various sensors (sun, wind, rain) that extend the fabric if the temperature increases, or retract the fabric when the wind picks up or a downfall starts. Awnings can now respond automatically to what’s happening around them.
Summary – 21 reasons why awnings are not just for the summer
Awnings are great additions to homes as they have numerous advantages. In a nutshell, they definitely help you to make the most of the area outside your home throughout the year – spring, summer, autumn, and winter. A good tip is to invest in one that covers the biggest footprint (largest area) that your budget will allow, as that way, you’ll enjoy the most assets.
For customers’ stories from the world of Blinds, Shutters, Awnings, and Insects Screens, see:
63 Ways to Create a Happy Home
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