Should You Invest in Window Awnings?
Window awnings are an excellent addition to any home. Besides cool shades, they protect your property from the elements, minimize energy costs, facilitate ventilation, increase comfortable living areas, and offer more privacy.
As a long-term investment, window awnings are certainly worth considering!
Installing window awnings is one of the most cost-effective ways to manage temperature. Let’s walk you through the benefits of window awnings for your home, including their advantages in comfort and keeping your properties intact.
How Do Window Awnings Work?
Awnings shield your house exteriors, particularly your window areas, from the sun’s glare and heat. Besides the sun, window awnings also help keep the rain and snow at bay, minimizing the corroding effect of the weather on your windows.
Traditionally made from canvas and metal sheets, modern awnings come in various shapes, sizes, and materials, providing flexibility to cater to your home’s needs.
Benefits of Window Awnings For Your Home
If you’re wondering whether or not investing in window awnings is worth it, here are six practical benefits to having them that will change your mind.
1. Home Temperature Regulation
Window awnings don’t just provide shade to your home, they also help regulate temperature and permanently reduce your energy consumption.
By receiving the heat and glare that would otherwise affect your house’s indoor temperature, window awnings minimize the effort your HVACs need to keep your room cool.
The National Department of Energy estimates a considerable reduction of solar heat gain among homes with awnings. This heat elevates the temperature and forces your cooling system to work harder, resulting in higher bills.
According to their findings, awnings lower solar heat gain by 65% on south-facing windows. Windows on the western parts of your home will also experience an impressive 77% solar heat gain reduction. This data translates to a significant 26% drop in cooling energy needed to keep your head cool in blistering weather.
Window awnings work in the winter, too. The extra protection fends off drafts that could lower your indoor temperature and overwork your heating systems.
In a survey conducted by the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association, having awnings installed can decrease $81 to $200 off your bills, depending on where you live.
2. Improved Aesthetics and Value
Besides temperature regulation, window awnings can be a great way to boost your home’s aesthetics when you choose the right material and shape suitable to your house’s exterior design.
Awnings now come in many colors and styles and depending on your preference, you can choose between fabrics and light metals, with some incorporating automated technologies for convenience.
Awnings are typically made from canvas or metal sheets and usually require constant repainting, not to mention being re-covered every few years.
Today, modern awning manufacturers commonly use synthetic fabrics, including acrylic and polyvinyl laminates. Many prefer these materials for their water-resistant properties, added with an extra treatment to repel mold and mildew.
Design-wise, the two most common types of window awnings are retractable and fixed.
Retractables are awnings designed to roll or fold up when not in use. They provide shade options—extending them in the summer and folding them in the winter to let warmth in.
On the other hand, fixed or stationary awnings are more permanent than retractables. Often constructed with metal frames, fixed awnings can last several years protecting your window areas.
Another huge advantage of window awnings is how they increase your house’s market value to those who plan on selling. From allowing you to save more money on energy to creating a more livable space, awnings are a wonderful addition to appeal to buyers.
3. Ventilation
Without proper air circulation, an airtight house will experience higher humidity while sealing in harmful pollutants that can affect your health and home’s integrity.
As the moist air becomes trapped and condenses on surfaces, your home will become a stuffy breeding ground for mold and mildew.
Installing window awnings is a simple yet highly effective solution to these muggy problems.
Because the sloping structure directs water away from the windows, you won’t have to worry about runoff leaking into your home.
That means you can safely leave your windows ajar to facilitate air circulation and prevent moisture build-up, even through the strongest downpours.
Having extra installments besides your rain diverters to pivot water away from your home’s foundation is another plus.
4. Sheltered & Shaded Living Areas
Depending on the type of awnings you have installed, these canopies can provide shade for your patio, deck, or living areas. That means more protection from the sun and better enjoyment during outdoor meals or parties, even in hotter months of the year.
Having awnings over your windows is a superb way to protect delicate plants that don’t fare well in direct sunlight. Popular houseplants like monsteras, philodendrons, and snake plants will thank you for that extra shade.
The excessive ultraviolet radiation that passes through open windows is one of the culprits for fading furniture. If you’re observing discolorations, especially on wood, fabric, and leather furniture, chances are they’re receiving more sun than necessary.
Additionally, exposure to UV also weakens the furniture, often resulting in brittleness, cracking, and warping.
To avoid costly repairs or replacements, experts recommend limiting or blocking direct sunlight exposure to furniture. Using window awnings is one of the best ways to prevent harmful UV from entering your home space.
5. Weather Resistance and Privacy
Exposure to rain, snow, and heat will wear down your window fixtures over time. This is especially true for frames made of wood or aluminum, including other water-sensitive segments of your windows.
Protective layers like awnings extend your windows’ lifespan by shielding them from damaging elements. They cover your property from too much moisture that could otherwise damage the building’s integrity.
Modern awning materials, like the ones offered by Evergeen Door & Window, come with UV, fade, stain, water, mold, and mildew-resistant qualities. So, you can rest assured knowing your home has the best protection against extreme weather.
Besides climate protection, awnings also improve your home’s privacy. It’s especially helpful if you live in a particularly busy or crowded neighborhood.
By creating a physical barrier between the outside world and your windows, window awnings can help keep your family affairs safe from prying eyes.
6. Effortless Maintenance and Cleaning
Contrary to what others might think, maintaining window awnings doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.
Often, you only need inexpensive tools readily found in your home, such as sponges, brushes, and non-abrasive detergents.
Generally, you only need to remove dirt and grime buildup every few weeks. You also want to check for wear and tear regularly and contact installation professionals if you need help repairing or replacing your awning.
Periodic inspections and maintenance are particularly crucial if you have retractable window awnings, as their mechanisms are often under stress.
Of course, you can skip the hassle entirely, and employ professionals to do the repairs and maintenance. Contact Evergreen Door & Window for repair, cleaning, and maintenance services with seasoned craftspeople you can trust.
