Are you considering adding an awning to your home? Awnings provide shade, comfort, and sun protection to your deck, patio, or other outdoor living space. The right awning will provide enjoyment for many years, so let’s take the time to review your options so you can choose the right shade solution for your outdoor area.
Choosing Retractable Awnings
Type
For most applications, retractable awnings are preferable to fixed awnings. A retractable awning is more flexible, allowing you to provide shade when needed. When not needed, you can retract the awning for open space and a clear view of the sky on cooler days, during overcast conditions, or at night.
Fixed awnings are also more likely to be damaged during bad weather. When in the retracted position, retractable awnings are safeguarded from high winds, snow loads, hail, and other hazards that can damage fixed awnings.
Manual Awning
These retractable awnings uses a hand crank to extend and retract the shade. The obvious advantage here is price: no motor, switches, or wiring means a lower cost. The disadvantage is the labor required to extend and retract. Most stock awnings sold as DIY projects in big box stores are of this type.
Motorized Awning
For greater convenience, many homeowners opt for a motorized awning. This makes extending and retracting your awning as easy as pushing a button. You may feel that the higher upfront cost will be balanced out by long term ease of use.
Remote Control
Most motorized awnings can also be equipped with a remote control. This adds even greater convenience for you, as you can extend or retract the shade from inside your house or standing on your lawn, instead of needing to be directly on your deck or patio next to a control switch.
Advantages of Custom Retractable Awnings
Stock awnings that you can find at a big box store or online retailer will come in limited styles and set sizes like 8′ x 10′. In comparison, a custom awning allows you to design an awning to the exact size you need for a perfect fit over your deck or patio.
You can create the perfect look by choosing from multiple frame colors, fabric types and colors, and add options like a drop valance, bug screens, or wind sensor to match your sense of style and increase the functionality of your awning.
Designing a Custom Retractable Awning
When designing your awning, consider the following:
Location
Where around your home will you put the awning? Most awnings will be attached to an exterior wall or part of the roof of your house. You can use Marygrove’s awning visualizer tool to picture how your new awning will look in your space.
Size
For custom sized awnings, you will need to know what size to order. Check out Marygrove’s awning measuring guide, available here to help guide you in sizing your new awning to suit your space.
Fabric Choices
Which type of fabric is best for your needs? Marygrove offers premium UV-resistant outdoor fabric options from brands including Sunbrella and O’Bravia. Don’t think you are limited to our stock colors and patterns, as we can special order many other fabrics to create awnings that are the perfect fit for any style.
And when choosing the color, consider this: many buyers prefer lighter fabric colors as they help reflect the sun’s heat, while a darker color for your awning can provide a nice contrast to lighter colored siding or decking materials. If you have a more modern house a solid color may be preferred to the traditional striped pattern.
Asthetic/Curb Appeal
Many homeowners opt for a custom retractable awning due to particular fabric color choices or unique designs that they are looking to incorporate an awning into. The right awning choice is dramatically increase your home’s value along with enhancing curb appeal. With a custom awning you have full control over the fabric, frame, and sometimes accessory color choices to meet your tastes.
Installation
Custom retractable awnings should always be installed by professionals who understand the product. A good installation team won’t just attach the awning to your house, but will also do a series of tests after installation to ensure your awning is functioning correctly. They will also demonstrate how to use any special features on your awning.
Maintenance
Once installed, you will want to protect your investment with preventative maintenance. We recommend cleaning your awning twice a year with mild dishwashing soap and a gentle spray from a garden hose to remove built up dirt. Never use a power/pressure washer on the fabric at anytime.
For more tips on maintenance, check out our extensive library of guides and how-to videos here.
Conclusion
We hope this has been helpful for you as you think about adding an awning to your home. Call us today to set up an in-home consultation to design your new custom retractable awning.
