Choosing the Best Awnings for Your Home
Awnings are a great choice for any home, as they provide shade and protection from rain and wind, both for the interior of the home and for a patio or deck area under the awning. Awnings can also provide some style to the home's exterior, with a bright pop of colour or some fun stripes, or any other type of design you choose.
Since there is such a wide variety of awnings available, and since you might get a bit overwhelmed in choosing a style for your home, note a few tips on how to find the best awnings for your home's exterior. This will ensure you end up with awnings that function as expected and that enhance the overall style of your home.
Metal versus fabric
Metal awnings may be stronger than fabric in storms and offer more protection from rain, as they won't let water seep through their surface. They're not noisy in a rainstorm, as some people imagine, since they're often coated or insulated.
However, consider how often you'll sit under the awnings. Metal awnings are affixed and permanent, whereas retractable fabric awnings can give you more control over how much shade they offer, when and where you need it. For awnings over decks and patios, consider fabric retractable awnings for maximum comfort.
Colour and pattern
Be mindful of the size of the awning when choosing a colour or pattern; a bright colour or large stripe can look very nice on smaller awnings, and offset a solid colour of exterior siding of the home, but these bold choices can also overwhelm a large awning. Also, note any exterior features of the home when choosing a colour or pattern; a rusty red awning can look very nice near a Japanese maple tree with deep red leaves, but it might clash with blue hydrangea flowers or the blue flooring of your home's pool. Think of your awnings as like accessories to an outfit, and be sure the colour and pattern you choose will coordinate with all features of the home's exterior.
Size
Awnings should be proportionate to the windows or door wall under them, or to the patio or deck they will be covering. Choosing wide awnings that extend past a small window will seem very disproportionate, unless the awning is stretched over a patio area under the window. Note, too, how deep awnings are, and ensure you choose a depth that will provide shade for a long window or that will actually extend far enough over a deck or patio.
