Patios are made to be places where you can sit outside to enjoy the warming effects of the sun or a nice cool summer evening – so why would you want to cover it with a patio awning?
There are a lot of answers to this question, so let us start with one of the most basic answers: sometimes it is not so nice to be in direct sunlight. Hot summer days are a prime example of when you still want to be outside but you don’t want the heat of the sun intensifying an already hot day. This is so obvious that it might not even be worth mentioning, but being in direct sunlight really does heat you up faster – especially if you are wearing a heat catch color like black or dark blue.
A similar reason to use a patio awning is to find protection from the suns harmful UV rays. Sunburns and over exposure to sunlight has been show to increase risk of developing melanomas (skin cancer) and increased wrinkling of the skin. You want to keep your skin safe from the elements while you enjoy a pleasant afternoon picnic sipping some cool lemonade and eating a massive hot dog lathered with ketchup and mustard.
Another sun related reason would be to get protection from the sun’s glare. The brightness of the sun can reflect off of things such as your concrete patio (white is a very strong sun reflector and can cause a lot of damage to unprotected eyes that are getting hit by the sun from below and from above) or shiny outdoor appliances like patio tables, chairs, or gas grills. While you are outside cooking the last thing you want to be doing is squinting the whole time. That can lead to headaches and is very unpleasant.
This brings up another strong reason to use an awning for an outdoor patio – protecting your furniture and equipment from the suns harmful rays. Fabric can fad quickly under direct sunlight, turning once vibrant colors into shadows of their former glory. Also, plastic seals or covers can become damaged a wear much faster if they are consistently exposes to the sun.
These four reasons to buy a patio awning can be summarized as providing protection from the sun.
There is still one argument for buying a patio awning that has to do with protection from the elements. It has to do with protection from rain. Have you ever stood out in the middle of a rain storm? It can be an amazing experience to be outside in the midst of the power of nature dumping millions of gallons of water from the sky. It can make one feel alive. But there are some unpleasant side effects associated with this – being soaked to the core!
Patio awnings provide protection from the soaking while still give you the unique experience of being outside while mother nature unleashes its awesome power all around you.
Still another reason would be to improve the decor of the patio. A plain concrete or wood patio is not that appealing to the human eye. An awning can add a splash of color that matches your house’s overall color scheme or it can add an interesting shape or texture to your house. Both of these can be very appealing from a design perspective and should be considered when considering whether or not to buy a patio awning.
Finally, patio awnings can really help reduce energy costs, especially cooling costs in the hot summer, if they are used properly. By blocking the sun from beaming directly into a west facing window you can significantly reduce the amount of heat naturally absorbed by your home. This reduction in the thermal mass heating effect can make your entire house cooler and prevent your walls from fighting against your air conditioning. This saves you money – and that is always nice.
It doesn’t matter if you are going with a retractable awning, an aluminum awning, or a fabric awning – each of these can provide the protection that you are looking for when you buy a patio awning for your home, RV, or mobile home. Certain types of awnings may meet your needs differently, especially if you have certain decor requirements for your awning so be sure that you do some research before you take the plunge and buy a patio awning.