Windows are the feature that most homeowners skip when redecorating their house or apartment. The reason for this oversight is the fact that they are neither the exterior nor the interior of the house. If you wish to spruce up your windows, then repainting the sill or replacing a cracked window pane is not enough. What you really need are window awnings that will completely transform the outside look of the windows. Furthermore, you will enjoy better protection against the elements, especially the sun. Although awnings do come with a few drawbacks, they are an ideal addition to the house that not many of your friends and neighbours have. Once you find about all the pros and cons of awnings, you will be ready to reach the final decision whether to install them.
Pro: Better privacy
We all have that one neighbour that simply cannot stop gazing at your house and the yard. If you too have a nosy parker next door, window awning will effectively end his or her career. Joking set aside, awnings really do increase the level of privacy indoors, as it becomes impossible to look inside your house from above and several other sides. Most awnings come with a retractable hand that can extend several meters out if the canvas is large enough. This means that you can open wide the windows allowing the air to circulate freely, all the while being shielded from outside looks. This feature is more than handy during the summer heat when you leave the shower naked, as the awning will provide you with both with privacy and fresh air.
Con: Seemingly awkward appearance
Since awnings protrude from the facade, many homeowners decide against installing them for the simple reason that they are worried they will look bad. However, if they are installed with proper placement in mind, the protruding effect can be diminished to the point that the awning will appear as it was an integral part of the house’s initial design. Furthermore, if you place them in the backyard, few people will ever see the awning so it will not appear as an aesthetical sore on the wall of the house. Basically, the functionality aspect of the awning takes precedence over their design that doesn’t necessarily have to be ugly.
Pro: The aesthetics
Apart from being functional, awnings are an excellent detail on the façade so the appearance of your house will be significantly improved. The awnings market is quite large, so you have a wide range of models to choose from, including different patterns, materials, and colours. Aesthetically perceived, you have the choice of a match the colour of the awning with the colour of the outer walls or you can choose a completely different hue to enliven the look of the building. When it comes to the materials, they can vary from linen all the way to PVC in some cases but the most important trait of all materials is their waterproofness. Not only will they stop sun rays but they will protect your house against rain and strong wind gushes.
Pro: Barrier for the wind
It might seem like a trivial feature to point out but slowing down the wind is an important issue in places on the globe where winds reach hurricane speeds. Strong winds can pick up various sharp objects from the ground and pummel your house with them, breaking windows in the process. For example, the sturdy design of Aspect Shade window awnings allows for greater stability so the awning won’t get damaged during the strongest of storms. Apart from keeping the water out, thus preventing water damage to the inside of the house, a good awning will stop the strong sun from fading away from the texture and colours of your furniture.
Con: Opening and closing
For some homeowners, the retractability of the awnings is actually a drawback because they are too lazy to open and close them all the time. In places where the sun and rainy clouds dominate the sky on an hourly basis, it does get tiresome at times opening and closing the awnings several times a day. However, you do pretty much the same thing with your clothes as you must wear a jacket in our hands everywhere you go, so manipulating the awning should not come that hard. Once you take into consideration all the pros for installing the awnings, you will realize that this is a small price to pay for the benefits your home gets.
Pro: Bringing the electricity bill down
Installing the awnings costs money but this is an investment well made. Namely, the shade awnings create during summer months prevent the air inside the house from warming so the AC unit can power down. Air-conditioning will use significantly less power to cool the air that is not directly exposed to the sunlight thanks to the outside awnings. As the years go by, this save will only increase so the total amount of money you don’t spend on electricity will be measured in thousands of dollar over the period of a single decade. Installing awning on your house will, therefore, help protect the environment by saving power and lowering the eco-print your household makes.
Pro: Going high-tech
In order not to be biased, we have so far discussed only the manually operated awnings models. However, there are motorized awnings that can be extended by a simple press of a button. Even if you own an older manual model, you can install a small motor that will enable you even to remotely control the position of the awnings. In fact, there are numerous high-tech functions that can be incorporated into a typical window awning. Some of these include wind control, rain sensors, the aforementioned remote control and timers. Yes, you can even program the awning to extend automatically according to the weather outside.
Having examined the pros and cons of window awnings, we can conclude that in general, awnings are not bad at all. They have numerous advantages that can be hard to get used to but once you master all their features, you and your home will start benefitting from their installation. A cooler home, a reduced electricity bill, and the general look of an awning are all reasons enough to install at least one window awning and see if they are right for your home.
Author-Bio:
Audrey Taylor was born in San Francisco and moved to Adelaide at the age of five. Marketer researcher and social media manager on hold, full – time mommy of a cheerful two-year-old. Graduated from Queensford college, worked in a couple of marketing agencies across Australia, eager to learn more about business and share her experiences. Travelled across Europe. Her hobbies include home decor, fashion, travel, music, old movies.
