The Best What Range of Patio Awnings Are There?

Your patio is a fantastic place to be on a warm, sunny day. But when it gets too hot, the sun can be overbearing and burn your skin. During the winter months, rain and wind can spoil that special event you were planning for your patio or simply means that you can't use it to relax and enjoy the outside.

A patio awning can help protect you from the hard summer sun or cold winter rain. The installation of a patio can mean an extra living space for your home. That is, the extra space a protected patio supplies can expand the feeling of how large your home is. You can even take out comfortable seating and television to enjoy that patio as an outside lounge.

A fixed patio awning is either made from metal like aluminum or canvas. These awnings don't move, but are instead attached to the side of your house and reach out to protect the space. Canvas awnings are the cheapest but can be damaged by high winds and aren't always that durable. Metal awnings on the other hand are durable and strong but don't suit everyone taste or home decor.

Retractable patio awnings can retract or extend whenever you want protection from the rain or sun. The most expensive retractable patio awnings are automatic and with a quick flick of a switch will extend or retract with no effort on your behalf.

With any awning you need to be careful about high winds as they can damage or even tear the awning off the house. Canvas and retractable awnings are more susceptible to this. If you live in an area which has high winds, then you will need to either retract the awning when the wind picks up or take down the canvas. While this is simple with a retractable awning, with a canvas awning this can take some time and effort.

The most important part of a canvas awning is the material that it is made from. You want something that is durable, strong and resistant to UV. Some material is scientifically design to actually reduce how hot the sun is underneath the awning. This type of material is great for people who have children and want them to be able to play on the patio.

You can buy patio awnings from most home improvement stores. Some can be setup by yourself, while others will require you to hire a professional to establish the awning for you.