Retractable Patio Awnings

When you think of fabric patio awnings you are really talking about two different and distinct things: retractable awnings and standard fabric awnings. Each of these types represents a different need and desire of the home owner and each should be used in a particular role and function. Retractable patio awnings are generally much more expensive than standard awnings, but they provide a lot of flexibility with your outside space and allow you to be in control of your shade options. Standard fabric awnings, on the other hand, are relatively inexpensive and still give you the look and feel of a quality fabric awning.

In general, fabric patio awnings are a great way to provide shade to an outside space in a way that give a nice splash of color and interesting shape to your architecture.  They are great for saving energy and reducing the amount of direct sunlight that is able to pour into you windows.  And they are fairly durable, lasting several years before the elements begin to make a noticeable difference with how they look.  Let’s take a look at some of the different offers of retractable patio awnings.

Different Retractable Patio Awnings

Retractable patio awnings are a very popular type of fabric awning.  There ability to provide shade when needed and to retract back into its casing to let the sun shine down make it a perfect addition to a patio that gets some sun during the hot months of the year.  Retractable patio awnings are not necessarily the cheapest items on the market and can run from several hundred dollars to a thousand dollars or more.  There are some models that have arms that need to come down to support the awning’s weight while there are other models that do no require this feature.

Here are some examples of patio awnings currently featured on Amazon.com that do not have arms that need to support the awning’s weight:

Green Manual Patio Awning – This retractable patio awning is brought to you buy your friends at Target.  It is 12′ x 10′ in dimensions and will provide some quality shade for an outdoor sitting area or to shade a sliding class door or windows from the heat of direct sunlight.  It has an aluminum and stainless steel construction so the non-fabric parts will be resistant to rusting.  This is important since rust can get on fabric and turn it an unpleasant orange color.

The fabric is a polyester weave that has been treated with a Teflon coating to improve its durability when exposed to damaging UV radiation and the rain.  It will also help prevent the awning from developing an accumulation of dirt and mold.  When the awning is not in use, a protective covering will keep it safe from dirt birds (birds seem to poop on everything, including patio awnings), and the sun.

It is a manually controlled awning that is operated by a hand crank that can be found on the left-hand side of the awning when looking at it.

Retractable Patio Awning – Motorized Pro – 12ft. (Black) (12′ wide x 10′ extension) – This retractable patio awning is a motorized version, meaning that all awning motion is controlled by a mechanical device that moves the awning open and closed. You won’t have to crank this sucker by hand like you will have to do with the one previously mentioned. This awning is sold by Sunsetter, a major name in retractable patio awnings.

The dimensions in this awning are the same as the one mentioned above (12′ x 10′ – so 12′ wide with a 10′ extension).  It will also fit under eaves and overhangs as low as 7′6″ – which is fairly low.  This low clearance is pretty useful for adding the awning to a section of the house that is on the side or rear of the house with a sloping roof.

The canopy of this retractable patio awning consists of 5-layers of Acrylic, Dacron and color pigmentation – giving it a good chance of resisting fading, mildew, the sun’s UV rays, and harsh weather at the hand of the elements.  It can be installed on lots of different house sidings, including wood, masonry, brick, aluminum and vinyl.  The motor on this retractable fabric awning need to be plugged into a regular outlet, which is nice because you won’t have to hire an electrician to get this puppy installed.   It comes with a SOMFY motor that will power this patio cover, but a hand crank override is also installed if power were to go out at your home.  The SOMFY motor is controlled by a remote control, offering the ease and comfort of automated rolling.

This awning also comes with a built-in weather breaker (included) that will descend from the fringe of the facriv when the sun gets low on the horizon or an uncomfortably cool breeze marches in.

If you are interested in find more retractable patio awnings check out this page on Amazon.com: Retractable Patio Awnings

3 Reasons a Fabric Patio Awning Might Not Be For You

Here are three reasons why you may not want to purchase one of these types of awnings:

1. You want long lasting, durable support (if this is you, you might want to consider an aluminum patio awning)
2. You need protection from more elements than just the sun and light rain
3. Your outside space is abnormally large

Retractable patio awnings will make a great addition to any home that is looking to get some shade up in a well used area. They provide shade when needed, but are able to be stored economically – giving you the biggest bang for you buck. While they are not good for every person in every situation, you can really get a lot with a retractable patio awning.