What the porch offers is a place to recount the days events, share time with friends or family and just enjoy a little down time away from the hussle and bussle of daily life.  Where you might consider a covered patio a more effective use of your home’s space or layout, the porch offers a more open feeling.  It can provide a more inviting place to share a cool drink and a nice conversation or good book.

So, with this in mind, how do you go about shading it to keep it everything you’d like it to be?  Well, the first thing to consider is the size of your porch area.  Modern front porch designs include many features and furniture items that just didn’t exist many years ago. This will affect the size and style of the awning you select.

If you’re talking about using this type of awning for a smaller space, then a manually operated awning will work just fine.  These roll up awnings are made to easily retract, but the process can get cumbersome for some individuals and for certain applications.  For larger or multiple areas, you might look into getting a motorized retractable awning.  These work in the same fashion as the manual ones, they are just much more simple to operate.

Patio Awning Materials and Designs

Your awnings will consist of several parts; the framework and the fabric material itself.  Most cases and moving parts are made of more durable and lightweight metals.  An aluminum porch awning is probably the most common type of metal used.  The fabric has come a long was as well.  While you can still find canvas, it is more common to find vinyl awnings in various printed materials now.  There have been advances made in the way that these fibers are spun and colored so that fading due to ultraviolet (UV) exposure has been minimized. In addition to their durability, they also keep their color, as fading is also lessened by this process.  Because of the various patterns and colors available in today’s marketplace, this is welcomed news to homeowners looking to maintain that new look.

This leads to another topic, maintenance of your garden awnings.  Basically, you can follow the guidelines as set forth from the manufacturer of your particular awning set.  You may need to lube or oil certain moving parts.  The weather and conditions in your particular zone may necessitate unique cleaning instructions.  Cleaning the awning material itself is fairly straightforward.

Cleaning your patio awning is as simple as spraying with your hose and using a mild detergent solution.  You can also hand wash with a non-abrasive cloth and mild detergent, then wiped clean with a dry cloth.  The soap residue may interfere with the moving parts of your awning, so you’ll want to ensure that you clean them thoroughly.  This alone should keep your awnings functioning well for years to come.

As you shop for these awnings for home, consider the costs for the various types we’ve discussed weighed against the maintenance and other aspects of using your patio space.  If you spend much time outdoors, then it is certainly a wise idea to invest in some quality porch awnings.

While vinyl is descriptive of the material, it is more than this. There are a wide variety of awning styles, most of which are made of vinyl.  However, you can find exterior shutters that are made of bamboo, canvas, or other wood products. Let’s not forget about the fact that with a fabric awning like vinyl, you can also have them roll up and stow away when not in use.  The benefit of this type of feature is that in weather that might otherwise threaten a free-standing patio cover, your roll up awnings can be safe and secure in their own protected storage case.  As you might have guessed, these awnings are retractable.  This retractable patio awning feature is activated either manually with a crank handle or motorized.

Motorized awnings are activated by either a switch or via a light sensor.  The switch can be turned on by hand or with a remote, depending upon your particular unit.  Also, you can use a timer to have your patio awnings open and retract when ever you like.  The light activated model will be triggered to open or retract depending upon the movement of the sun in the sky.

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Why vinyl makes such a great choice for garden awnings is that it is both flexible and durable.  It can be washed with a simple mild detergent and hosed off.  This makes them quite durable to resist the effects of the weather and also from dirt and grime.  Many newer awnings are also able to better resist the effects of the UV light on the fabric as well.  The newer vinyl awnings can give you longer lasting life to help you enjoy more time on your patio which is what they are all about.

Awntech 16′ Beauty Mark Maui Retractable Awning with 12′ Projection Your patio or other outdoor area develops an attractively shady character with the addition of this 16′ retractable awning. The 12′ projection from the wall provides ample shade for outdoor gatherings or simple relaxation away from the harmful rays of the sun. The awning installs easily…

16FT Evergreen 1000XT Retractable Awning This Refurbished 16 ft. SunSetter 1000XT Awning is backed by SunSetter’s 5 Year Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty. The SunSetter Evergreen fabric extends out 10 ft. 2 in. from your house and is made of an exclusive multilayer Vinyl material that is 100% waterproof and blocks 99.9% of UV rays making…

12FT Taupe 1000XT Retractable Awning This Refurbished 12 ft. SunSetter 1000XT Awning is backed by SunSetter’s 5 Year Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty. The SunSetter Taupe fabric extends out 10 ft. 2 in. from your house and is made of an exclusive multilayer Vinyl material that is 100% waterproof and blocks 99.9% of UV rays making it…

Coolaroo Select Series Top Roll up Sun Shade 6 Feet by 6 Feet, Mocha Select series sun shades are made with the unique knitted Coolaroo fabric. They provide a stylish look with superior durability. The smooth action roller clutch mechanism is designed to provide a smooth even roll even when exposed to extreme weather conditions. Stainless steel tie downs included…

Sunsetter Retractable Awning – Motorized Pro 15ft. (Coffee Stripe) (15′ wide x 10′ extension) The Sunsetter Motorized Pro retractable patio awning instantly creates shade, protection and comfort anytime you want! With a touch of a button, the deck awing can make your deck as much as 20 degrees cooler, while guarding you, your family, and guests from harmful UV rays. This porch awning can…

12′ Easy – Up Roll – Out Awning Easy – Up Roll – Out Awning. Retractable shade to cool off your favorite summertime “hot”spot! Here’s the classic summer dilemma: you love hanging out in the fresh air, but sometimes that harsh midday sun can melt your enjoyment of the moment. Well, under this Roll-Out Awning, temps can be as much…

With the various styles mentioned, there are sub-categories or classes within those.  As far as the different names, don’t let those confuse you.  Depending upon manufacturers and the online sites you are searching, the names of the awnings or canopies or patio covers will all be used interchangeably.  For the most part, how we like to categorize them here at Patio Covers Place is to say that a canopy is going to be something that is a more temporary type of structure.  You’ve seen these called garden canopies or sometimes pop-up canopies.  They go by various terms, but the end product is the same.  These are often a vinyl awning type of material, which has its benefits and drawbacks.  There are more durable and more esthetically pleasing models, but they all function essentially the same.  These are quite easy to assemble and set-up, hence their other name ‘pop-up’ or ‘easy-up’ canopies.

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Now, when we begin talking about the more ‘built-in’ or designated patio awnings, then we are talking about items that are made to withstand the elements and last outdoors for many seasons.  Most of these will be described by the name that is commonly used for them.  For example, the term roll up awnings is perfect to describe that particular style.  These are the ones that can retract or ‘roll up’ back into their protective case when not in use.  This term is also sometimes used for the ones that roll up from the patio floor to your ceiling.  These awnings can be manually retracted and opened or can be electrically powered.  Motorized awnings have the benefit of being able to be operated by a switch, remote or light (sun) activated.  Like this one, the retractable patio awning got its name from its function.  These can often be describing the same awning, so make sure to look at pictures and check the specifications.

Because there are so many styles from which to choose, you may find that there simply are not any easy answers in terms of ‘best awning’ or ‘cheap awnings’.  You will really get what you pay for in most cases.  The quality of the materials – the awning and the mechanisms – will largely determine the price you will pay.  Of course, the size of your awning matters as well.  You can also expect to pay more for the motorized awnings.  Consider the investment you make in quality awnings for home an investment in your outdoor patio entertainment.  Enjoy.