7 Reasons Retractable Awnings Are a Great Idea for Your Home

If your home doesn’t have a shaded patio or there’s a lot of glare and added heat from the sun in your home, finding a solution can be challenging. Should you invest in solar shades? What about tinted windows?

If you’re wondering if retractable awnings might be the right shade product for your home, you probably have a lot of questions including what benefits an awning can provide. That’s why we created this list of 7 reasons retractable awnings are a great idea for your home.

1. Energy Savings
   Here’s something you might not know about retractable awnings, they can save you a lot on your energy bills! You probably already know that any type of shade helps keep you cool when you’re outside, but installing an awning on your patio or windows or both actually keeps the inside of your home a lot cooler as well. In fact, you can reduce your use of air conditioning even on the hottest days this summer when you have a retractable awning shading your home and keeping the interior from heating up.According to Bob Vila of This Old House fame, awnings actually help reduce the amount of heat gain in your home between 55% and 65% and as much as 77% for western facing windows and glass doors! Recent studies by the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA) show that awnings reduce cooling energy by 25% when compared with windows that have no sun protection and that people who’ve installed awnings on their homes have been able to save as much as $200 a year on their energy costs.
2. Versatility and Control
   Both fixed and retractable awnings provide you with all the energy saving benefits we just mentioned, but retractable awnings give you more control and that makes them extremely versatile. Just as their name implies, a retractable awning can be retracted or rolled up out of sight when you don’t need it. You can even partially retract this type of awning to control the amount of shade depending on the time of day and angle of the sun.These days, retractable awnings can be controlled with just the touch of a button on a wall, a remote control, or even with an app on your smartphone. That means you don’t even have to be at home to activate your awning! If you have outside pets and it starts to rain, activate your awning and they’ll be able to stay dry until you get home to let them inside. If it’s cloudy outside and your house is too dark, simply hit a button to retract your awning so more light gets inside.
3. Sun Protection
   The reason we didn’t put this benefit first is that you probably already thought of it. It’s pretty obvious that all types of awnings provide shade where this isn’t any and added shade where there’s just a little bit. That means your awning provides UV protection for you and your family as well as for your outdoor furniture.However, you might not know that your awning also protects your indoor furniture from fading as well. Many awnings provide as much as 50SPF or more in UV protection and the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends the use of awnings as one of the types of products that can help prevent skin cancer.
4. Stay Cool All Summer
   One of our favorite things about awnings is that it helps you stay cool during the hot Texas summers. You might be thinking that this is also something extremely obvious about awnings. Of course, awnings provide shade! But do you know how much cooler the area can be under an awning? The answer is 20 degrees cooler. That’s a huge difference, right!Picture this, on an average summer day in July here in Austin, TX, it can be as hot as 95 degrees outside. During the hottest part of the day, with the sun beating down on you, at that temperature, you definitely won’t be relaxing on your porch. Now imagine sitting at your bistro table under your retractable awning, sipping some iced tea and it’s only a comfortable 75 degrees. 95 degrees outside doesn’t seem so bad anymore because you can still be outside when you have an awning.
5. Shelter From Rain and Wind
   We like to focus on the energy saving and increased cooling benefits of retractable awnings. As a result, you might forget about another benefit that your awning can provide – shelter from wind and rain for your outdoor furniture, for your family and your pets, and for you.On days when it’s pleasant and you want to be outside, but a scattered shower comes along, an awning allows you to remain outside and stay dry at the same time. When there are heavy rain and strong winds, your furniture, and other outdoor accessories are better protected from the elements than they would be without an awning. Plus, if the weather is very extreme, you can retract your awning so it’s not damaged by a hurricane or other type of storm.
6. Increase Living Space
   When you extend your retractable awning, you also extend your living space. Retractable awnings provide you with an easy way to capitalize on the outdoor living room trend and allow you to extend your living room to your porch or patio during the spring and summer months.Plus, with a cooler patio, you can entertain guests outside and host family barbeques and backyard grills even during the hotter part of the day. You might even decide you’re like to add an outside patio bar or kitchen so you can spend nearly all your waking hours outdoors this summer!
7. Add Style and Beauty
   Retractable awnings come in a variety of styles, fabrics, colors, and patterns. One of our favorite outdoor fabric companies, Sunbrella, makes gorgeous awning fabrics. You might even be able to find an awning that can match your Sunbrella patio furniture cushions!

By adding awnings to your windows and over your patio and front entry, you’re creating a stunning first impression of your home for neighbors and guests. Plus if you’re thinking of selling your home, that increased “curb appeal” just might attract a buyer faster than you think.

Final Thoughts

Purchasing a retractable awning for your home might seem like a large investment now. But the reduction in energy cost and air conditioning usage, the sun protection they provide and so many other factors, having an awning installed at your home is one of the most effective things you can do to increase your enjoyment of your patio and yard as well as for keeping your home cool. We know you have a lot to consider and love to help. If you have any questions about retractable awnings fill out the contact form or give us a call today.

Categorised in: Retractable Awnings