Awnings And More About Them

If you are living in the Western or mid-Western countries, you will not be surprised to find coverings over the windows and doors outdoors. These are known as awnings.

 'What is an awning?' To answer the question in a better way, awnings are additional features that cover the immediate surroundings of a window or door. They work as a covering by preventing intense sunlight and heat to enter the rooms.  Awnings can be made from a variety of materials ranging from the commonly used cotton, silk, rayon, to metal and even wood. Awnings provide some amount of relief and shade in hot and sunny regions.

Awnings were primarily used a few decades ago, but all thanks to the vintage fashion coming back to style in fields of both fashion and home décor, awnings are back in style. However, in the 1900s, awnings were popularized as roofs with horizontal slats matching the exterior of a house. Stripes on awnings were a hot favorite, which is why you will still find striped cloth-based awnings in a number of countries, especially in the hot places where it is still fashionable to sport them over your doors.

However, awnings have come a long way ever since that time. The awnings in today's time can be retracted. The amount of retracting ability has advanced over the ages. Let us understand awnings a bit better.

Awnings Types For Your Home

This goes without saying that every item comes with variants of its own. Quite naturally, awnings are of a few varieties as well. Some of the main types of awnings are:

1. Retractable awning

2. Fixed awning

3. Portable awning

Portable Awnings Have Sub-Parts Of Their Own. They Have Been Mentioned Below.

1. Umbrella

2. Free-Standing

3. Canopy

Choose your awnings based on what you need for your space. Now, one should keep in mind that what one needs for their area depends on a few deciding factors. These are:

1. Amount of space available

2. Amount of sunlight filtering in

3. Whether the awning is for a door or window or a freestanding awning in a garden

4. The material of the awning

5. The size and dimensions of the awning.

6. Waterproof or water-resistant awning

Materials Used For Awnings

Awnings can be made of several materials depending on the necessity. Some of them are:

1. Polyester or vinyl-coated

2. Canvas or acrylic

3. Acrylic-coated polyester

4. Metal especially aluminum

If you are purchasing an awning from a company or a brand name, then it might not be very easy for you to determine the material that they use. This is because they often choose to use special materials to give you the right product and keep themselves in the market.

Awnings can either be sewn by hand or machine. Alternatively, the slats may be glued together. They might be resistant to water or maybe waterproof completely. Some materials of awnings do not resist water at all.

Modern Technology In Awnings

Awnings have been upgraded with the days to keep up with the fast-moving world. Better technology has been incorporated so that people can use and, moreover, maintain awnings better. Some examples have been given below:

1. Awnings incorporated with light fittings

2. Awnings incorporated with heating systems

3. Awnings with skylights

4. Awnings controlled by mobile-based apps and remotes.

Conclusion

Make good use of awnings, and they will last you a period of 10 to 15 years easily. With careful usage, you can extend the lifetime of your awning by a few more years as well. Choose the right awning by analyzing your needs and make your space look prettier.