Tips For Homeowners To Get The Most From Their Awnings

Home & Garden Blog

Spending an afternoon on your patio can quickly become uncomfortable if you lack a suitable source of shade. While nearby trees can be an excellent way of shading your patio, this may not always be a viable or practical option. Luckily, you can install an awning to help keep you out of the brutal summer sun, but there are a couple of tips you should follow to help get the most out of this upgrade to your patio. 

Choose An Awning With A Reflective Coating And Color

There are many homeowners that may make the mistake of underestimating the amount of heat that the awning fabric can absorb over the course of a day. The heat will be radiated by the fabric, and this can lower your comfort. Luckily, this is a simple problem to avoid because you can opt for heat resistant fabric that has been coated to reflect the sun's rays. In addition to helping to keep you cool, these coatings will also help extend the lifespan of your awning by reducing the damage done by the sun's rays. 

The color of the fabric will also play a role in determining how much heat it absorbs. Generally, you should opt for lighter colors because they will naturally reflect more of the sun's light and heat. 

Retract The Awning During Bad Weather

Strong storms are an unavoidable part of life, and these storms can pose a major threat to your awning. When strong winds are blowing, the fabric of the awning will act as a sail. This will place tremendous strain on the fabric, and eventually, these stresses will cause the awning to tear. 

To minimize the risk of encountering this type of damage, you will need to retract the awning whenever the weather forecast calls for storms. While this may seem like an excessive step, it is the best option for keeping your awning safe from this threat. If you have difficulty retracting your awning due to physical limitation, you may be best served by upgrading to an automatic awning. This will allow you to retract your awning whenever necessary without subjecting yourself to undue physical stress. 

An awning can be an excellent option for those wanting to increase the amount of shade on the patios. However, these devices are often misunderstood by homeowners that are considering installing them. Fortunately, choosing a heat resistant fabric and retracting the awning during storms are two tips to help you get the most from this patio accessory. To find out more, contact a company like Lehman Awning Co.

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27 May 2015

Double Up: Bunks Beds as a Small Room Solution

Having to place children's furniture in a small bedroom presented a problem for me. With two growing kids, I needed a dresser to accommodate both boys, as well as two beds. With two beds, desk and chair, toy chest and floor lamp, the room seemed overly crowded. My solution came with a highly functional bunk bed. Bunk beds take up minimal space. Better yet, my choice was a bunk that included a storage drawer. This compartment is used for storing the boys' small toys and other necessities. I didn't have to have a separate toy chest, so I reduced clutter which was great! When you have multiple children all in one room, you need all the help you can get!