Awnings have been in use for thousands of years, and for good reasons. They exist to provide shade, which can be a valuable thing for a home that gets a lot of sun at any point during the year. In addition to making the property more comfortable, they can make it easier to grow plants or to control the temperature around the house. They can even provide an aesthetic boost to a home that can benefit from a splash of color. A good awning will fill every role at once, so it is vital to understand all of the ways that they can help your home before you decide if you need one or not.
Temperature Control
Most people who choose to install and awning do it for their ability to control the temperature. They can provide a lot of shade, which will create a cool area where people can get out of the sun. If they block light from coming in through a window, they will also stop some heat from entering the home. That makes it easier to keep the building cool, which can lower the cost of heating when combined with other passive climate control techniques.
Retractable awnings are best if this is your primary concern. They can do an excellent job while they are deployed, but fold up to let the sun shine down on the property when the weather isn’t excessively warm. That strikes a balance that makes it possible to keep the home at just the right temperature throughout the year.
Healthier Gardens
Plants need to get plenty of sun to thrive, but getting too much light can actually harm them. Each species has its own level of tolerance for light, and anything that exceeds that limit can cause problems. That means that an awning can be a valuable tool for gardeners that want to grow shade-loving plants in an environment that gets a lot of light.
You can simply put a retractable awning over your garden, but even an immobile one can work well with a container garden. Simply keep the pots in the light when it is at an appropriate level, and then move them into the shade when the sun is starting to get too bright. This gives you a huge amount of control, since you can move some plants under cover while leaving the rest in the light if they have different tolerances.
Shelter
Sunlight is not the only environmental condition that can cause problem around a house. Awnings can also offer protection from heavy rain or snow, which makes them valuable during most seasons. An awning can even reduce the amount of work that it takes to clean up after a period of high wind by stopping leaves and other debris from blowing into the area from above. They are most useful in areas that are fenced off or otherwise protected from snow or rain that can blow in horizontally, but they can even make a difference in the open.
That can make them a strong choice for people who have outdoor furniture that is vulnerable to extreme weather. While it is usually best to move it indoors under bad conditions, that is not always a practical option. An awning provides an alternative. It will offer a decent layer of protection that will keep the worst of the weather from causing damage. Combining that with a little bit of care and maintenance after the storm passes will usually prevent problems from developing.
Decoration
A pretty building will be much more pleasant for its inhabitants or workers than an ugly one. An awning will not be enough to totally revamp a building’s appearance on its own, but it can add a little bit of color or an interesting pattern. That can break up a monotonous patch of wall or catch the eye and make the building seem friendlier to people who are just passing by. Think of an awning like an accessory for the building, and use it to add a hint of variety to the total appearance of the structure. It has a lot of possibilities for a designer that is willing to think creatively and take some care with it.
