Awnings Help Keep Your Home Cool in the Summer

The sudden realisation that the warmer months are incoming is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

The mornings get lighter, the early frost begins to disappear, and the temperature noticeably increases. Finally, it’s time to dig out your shorts, uncover the patio furniture, and clean the BBQ.

There’s just one problem with the summer, though; the inside of your home can get uncomfortably hot.

In some homes, adequate ventilation is hard to achieve, but there’s a nifty addition you can invest in which will help keep your home cool in the summer.

That’s right – an awning could be the best thing you buy this year.

How do awnings keep your home cool?

Adding an awning to your garden is obviously a brilliant way to keep the immediate area outside your home cool and shaded from the elements. But you’d be surprised by how it affects the inside of your home, too.

It’s common for kitchens or any room that backs onto the garden to suffer from high temperatures during the summer. If you’ve experienced this, you’ll know that it seems nigh-on impossible to cool the room down, no matter how many fans you place everywhere.

However, the reason those rooms get so hot is because there’s probably limited shade outside. If, for example, you have French doors or a large window that separates the room from the garden, the sun will pass through it and heat up the room – considerably.

By adding an awning, you can create an area of shade right in front of those doors or windows. You’ll be amazed by the difference this makes; that relatively small area of shade will stop the sun creeping though into the room and, consequently, ensure it stays nice and cool.

The perfect accompaniment for bi-fold doors

Bi-fold doors have become an increasingly popular feature on many homes. It’s no surprise – they’re great additions.

But they do exhibit one problem: they can get awfully hot.

Just like those big kitchen windows or French doors, bi-fold doors will warm up quickly if the sun is allowed to touch them throughout the day.

This is why so many bi-fold door installations are accompanied by an awning. They work brilliantly together by providing that much-needed area of shade for chilling outside, and for keeping your room nice and cool when the bi-fold doors are closed.

Awnings will also provide plenty of glare protection through your doors and windows – even if there’s a low-lying sun to contend with.

The types of awnings you can buy

Modern awnings are strong, built to last, and smart (they can even connect to your smartphone!).

They also come in three main configurations:

• Cassette awnings ensure the fabric and awning mechanism are safely tucked away when retracted.
• Semi-cassette awnings consist of a top that’s protected by a casing and feature additional guards which are great for weather protection.
• Open awnings are great for balconies or overhangs, and a perfect, cost-effective introduction to the world of awnings.

Excited about the prospect of keeping your home cooler this summer with an awning? Get in touch with the Horizons team today to find out what options are available.