Retractable Awning

It was almost two years ago that I first wrote about a possibility that my wife (still a girlfriend back then) and I will build a house and which retractable awning is best for a new house. We have not yet started building but finally we almost have everything ready now. If everything goes according to the plan, by end of summer the walls of the house will be built and the roof will be on top of everything.

Also the patio will be done at the same time and we have put a lot of thought into how to protect the terrace. There were three options on the table:

• build a permanent roof over the terrace
• build a fixed pergola
• install a retractable awning on the house wall

The first option, a permanent roof over the terrace, was soon discarded. We don’t want a permanent protection against the sun on our patio. In the spring and autumn we don’t want to block the warm sun rays.

So now we are left with either pergola or awning. Both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. The pergola has a fixed frame that cannot be moved and an awning (sail or something different) on top of it that can be retracted. This way you get a strong frame that can resist wind of almost any force and speed, and a retractable shade protection that can be taken off if you want the sun to come through. But the pergola is fixed so it takes away free space on the patio and it is more expensive than the awning alone.

On the other hand the retractable awning that is fixed on the house wall is cheaper (there is no frame to be built), it can also be retracted so you choose whether the sun will come through or not, but it is not as strong. You need to retract it before the wind becomes stronger, otherwise it may get damaged or even broken off the wall. It’s another thing you have to think about every time you pull it out.

So at the moment we are not yet sure, which one to choose. I’ll keep you posted about the outcome and hopefully, as I go through the information about all these different types of awnings and pergolas, will also share some of the newly gained knowledge with you.

First, apologies for posting to this blog so seldom (and a happy new year!) – I am very busy at the moment and probably won’t get much better in the near future.

But I wanted to share with you a dilemma we have come across when talking to the architect – should we stick with the retractable awing for the patio or should we rather invest in a permanent pergola? Each of them has its own benefits and disadvantages.

Obviously awning can be retracted when it’s not in use but it is not as stable and you must not leave it open if there are extreme thunderstorms.

Pergola, on the other side, is much more stable but it is permanent. This means the posts and the entire structure is there all the time and if you would prefer to move it away temporarily to gain some space, you can’t. The good thing is that you can at least remove the cloth on the top of pergola (depending on how it’s made of course) but you can actually get a retractable cloth at the top of pergola (even a motorized one) which allows the sunlight to come through when you want to.

So, we are pondering at the moment what to do about it. In reality it will probably still take some time to come to that stage, but we are still planning, planning

When there is some more action in regard to the awnings, I’ll keep you posted.

Last week there was a fair in a nearby town and a part of it was dedicated to home and garden stuff. Obviously me and my girlfriend went there to see what is available in this department. I’ll not bore you with other things we analysed, I’ll just focus on the retractable awnings that were available there.

To my delight there was a nice number of retractable awnings on display. Four companies were selling their products and there was a good selection of retractable awnings available. From fully motorized retractable awnings to hand operated ones, retractable awnings made from plastic, steel or aluminium and with different types of canvases. All in all, if you are in the market for retractable awnings, you could have made your decision there … and the sellers were also willing to help you to provide samples and prices for other awnings and canvases that are available by order.

And here is the main point I want to share with you today – the sellers were willing to work with you to actually help you to buy your retractable awning. The recession is still here so people are desperate to sell stuff and are going out of their ways to make it affordable for you. Whether by giving large discounts or arranging easy credits for you. The bottom line is, if you are looking to buy a retractable awning, now might be the right time to do so.

I’m in a position right now that I am on the verge of starting to build my own house, together with my girlfriend. We are together for almost 10 years and at the moment we live in an owned flat in a small town. We have a balcony which is rather small but still pleasant to sit on. The only problem is that there is afternoon sun and during summer it is almost impossible to sit on it, because it is simply to hot. We have been discussing the option to but some sort of awning on it (retractable or fixed) but as it comes we still haven’t done it. And I have a feeling, we will sooner have a new house than an awning on our current balcony … which is fine by me.

But it got me thinking, when we start building our new house, I will probably go with a bigger backyard, rather than a balcony. The balcony is ok, but you have much more freedom when you are on the ground. First of all, there is more space, you can make it bigger if you want and you have more options to provide shade or shelter against rain.

The ideal solution of course is an awning, a retractable one, to be specific, a motorized retractable awning. I haven’t decided on the color yet (to be honest, most likely she will do that), but I want it to be rather big. I can already picture us sitting on the patio in the summer afternoon under that gorgeous shade provided by my all new retractable awning. It’s dream at the moment, I know, but hopefully not very far from realization.

This is one of the most frequent questions new or potential owners of retractable awnings are asking themselves. Will I be able to enjoy the outdoors under my awning even if it rains?

The simple answer is “yes”. Quality retractable awnings are really water repellent, not water proof, but to you it doesn’t really matter, the point is, you shouldn’t be wet under your awning.

Based on my experience, the awning fabric is generally good enough to stop (repel) the water for a few hours of rain at a time. In most cases you will have to retract the awning sooner because of the weather conditions (strong wind, heavy rain) than the awning will let the water through.

To tell the truth, after a day or night of rain, the fabric might start to let some water through, but rarely on the entire awning. Usually it happens at the most exposed part of the awning, near the end of it, where there is usually a slight drop in fabric. It if comes to this, there will probably be some water dripping through.

To sum up, retractable awnings protect from rain well enough to keep you safe until you are tired of the weather and want to retreat inside anyway.

When you are deciding for a retractable awning for your home one of the things you will have to choose is the color of the awning. As with any other piece of furniture or house equipment you will most likely be choosing on the grounds which color you like best and which color of the awning will best suit the exterior of the house. There is a wide variety of colors and patterns available, so no worries here.

But you might ask yourself, which color will give me best protection against the sun? Does the color of the awning fabric matter?

The fabric used for retractable awnings is usually high quality and rather thick, so no matter which color you choose, you should be safe from the sun. Generally, the darker colors offer a bit more shade, but to tell the truth, there is not that much difference. If a lighter color of the awning suits your house better, I would recommend to go with it, providing of course that you choose a quality retractable awning. The shade will be sufficient in any case and the amount of heat is more a case of the air flow underneath the awning than the fabric as such.

This post is aimed at all of you do-it-yourself handymen out there, who want to save some money and install your new awning by yourself. If you have some equipment, someone to help you and an hour of two of spare time, you can easily do it yourself.

Of course, you need to follow safety measures and installation instructions that came with your retractable awning, but as it is nicely laid out in this video, the fitting of the awning is not so hard.

Enjoy!

Retractable awning is a wonderful piece of garden or yard accessory that can make your days and nights a lot more pleasant. No wonder people all over the country are installing them and enjoying the benefits of spending quality time outside regardless of weather conditions.

Here are the main five reasons why you should get your own a retractable awning.

1. Sun protection – We all know we should avoid direct sunlight when the heat is on. Quality retractable awnings can block up to 95% of the direct solar heat, protecting you from the heat and from the sun.

2. Rain Protection – Along the lines of the first point, this one can be even more important. Retractable awning can save your outdoor party when it starts raining. With a retractable awning you can still enjoy the outdoor fresh air and steady rain or drizzle while protected from the drenching downpours.

3. Enjoying the outdoors - It is far more fun to gather up a group of friends and family to cook up an outdoor barbeques and serve your group a feast under the protective shade of your new motorized awning as opposed to fighting the blazing sun beating down on all your guests trying to enjoy a meal and fellowship.

4. Decoration and elegance – Modern retractable awnings are created from the most beautiful exterior fabrics with hundreds if not thousands of color choices. You have the possibility to make your awnings fit perfectly the setting of your backyard – choose the colors, the fabric, the design and enjoy it with your friends.

5. Ease of use – Motorized retractable awning is a joy to use. Push a button and the awning rolls in or out. Besides the practical effect it also looks very smooth!

Retractable awning is very dependable and experience shows that once you install it in your own backyard, you are bound to love it. It offers so many benefits with so little hassle that the decision is straightforward.

On this blog we will bring you all the important information about the retractable awning, reviews of different types and brands and much more. Stay tuned!