9 Best Places Where You Can Install Awnings

Now that summer has arrived, many people prefer to spend time outside their house as much as possible. If this rings true for you, you may notice that your outside spaces get more sunny and hot during this period. However, this shouldn't stop you from enjoying sunny days outside with your loved ones. An awnings installation is a quick and easy way to get some shade and protection from the sunlight and heat. They can easily be extended out when needed to create an additional living space in your yard or protect your outdoor furniture from different weather elements. Placing a retractable awning over your doors or windows can provide protection not just from the sunlight but also from other types of weather conditions like rain, wind, and snow. Plus, awning installation improves the overall aesthetic and value of your home.  

In short, an awning installation to any part of your house lets you take a welcome breather any time of the year. 

Let’s look at some places you can add awnings. 

9 places where you can add an awning

Over the front door

Installing retractable awnings over the front door of your house will help keep your house cooler in the summer by blocking the harsh sun's UV rays and heat from entering it. Besides protection, sun setter awnings for doors are highly attractive and add to your home’s curb appeal. When you return home after running errands in the sun and wait outside to unlock your front door, a sunshade awning can shield you against the blazing sunlight and heat. These types of awning roofs can also be used to protect the entrance of your house from strong wind, heavy rain and snow. As awnings slant downward at the farthest front of your front door, it can help direct rain and snow flurries away from your front door, giving you a better footing to enter your home. Likewise, awning roofs for front doors also provide protection for your glass doors from hailstones, making them less likely to be broken in inclement weather. 

Moreover, awnings installation for front doors will also protect the rubber weatherstripping that surrounds the door from outside, allowing it to last longer before needing to be replaced. Awnings for doors are normally extended from the front roof of the house using durable mounting brackets. The La Casa Ventures are one of the leading awning suppliers of residential metal awnings and many different types of awnings. 

Over the windows

Windows aren’t good insulators. They absorb heat and emit it back into your home through the glass in summers, and leak heat during winters. Awnings installation over the windows not only provide a stylish touch to your house, but they also provide shade inside the house. Apart from harsh UV rays, awning roofs over the windows can keep your indoors protected from rainwater or snow entering the house. Plus, window awnings can be an excellent energy-saving alternative to air conditioning and central heating. 

Another major advantage of adding an awning to a window is that it can protect your rugs, furniture, or other expensive items placed near the window from fading due to sunlight or rain. The sun setter awnings or sunshade awnings are the two best window awnings for the ultimate protection.

Over the porch, deck, and patio

Porch, deck, or patio is an ideal location for a retractable awning to provide shade and protection from the sun on hot summer days. The fabric of the porch awning will cool the space beneath it by about 20° and keep the sun and heat out of any windows or doors beneath it. In the summer, this awning roof helps to make your home more energy efficient by keeping the house cool enough without switching on the air conditioning. In the winter, you may close your retractable awning and let the sunlight in through your windows and doors to keep the temperature warm on the inside, reducing the use of central heating. On rainy days, you may sit under your waterproof retractable awning. Installing a porch awning adds more livable space to your home as an extension, giving you an opportunity to spend more time outside in the fresh air.

On the gable end of the garage

Awning installation to the gable end of your garage is one of the best ideas if you want a little more shade or simply more usable outside space. Many homeowners have so many car products, accessories, and equipment that their garage sometimes overflows, and there isn't enough space around the cars. Especially when you're working on your car, completing a carpentry project, or polishing your vehicle and want to wax it, a retractable awning is a fantastic addition to your garage to keep you out of the sun, rain, or any other harsh weather conditions. In the blazing heat, automobile wax dries rapidly, making it more difficult to remove while buffing, resulting in a white film instead of a sparkling shine. Hence, awning installations that retract near your garage might be a good idea to protect the garage space from harsh weather elements.

Next to the swimming pool

A retractable awning can be elevated over the concrete surrounding a built-in pool if you have one in your backyard. It is an ideal location to create shade with a sun setter awning or waterproof retractable awning to enjoy a barbecue or just relax by the pool with family and friends. If you don't have a seating area next to the pool, you can still have a sunshade awning or any retractable awning placed close to your pool. Another wonderful option near a pool is to have the awning block the hottest part of the day at an angle that provides shade over a portion of the pool. Water magnifies the sun's UV radiation, causing sunburn quickly and perhaps causing skin disorders. This awning roof design will provide you with shade and protection while also allowing you to enjoy natural light.

Covering walkways

Some homes and even commercial properties have side walkways or small side yards built of concrete, rock, beautiful stones or tiles with plants. An awning installation over these walkways is an ideal choice to protect these plants from brutal weather conditions. An ALEKO awning or walkway canopy covers can add an aesthetic appeal to your walkway while keeping you out of the sun, rain, or snow. Plus, walkway canopy covers prevent slippery sidewalks around your property. It’ll help keep the mud, water, and melting snow out of your house. Awnings for walkways are typically attached to an exterior wall of the house or office. 

Recreational vehicles 

The side of a recreational vehicle (RV) is another popular place for an awning installation. Anyone who travels by RV on a regular basis would appreciate the convenience of a retractable awning attached to the vehicle's side. An RV slide out awning is a great addition to your camper since it protects you from the sun, rain, and snow. It may also be used to create a mobile porch wherever you go. The RV slide-out awnings or enclosed trailer awnings can prevent debris and dirt from being pulled into the interiors of your RV. Plus, it is the best accessory to enjoy a good barbecue or drinks with your loved ones.

Above stairs

Outside stairs leading to a doorway is another fantastic space to place an awning. The residential metal awnings above the stairway will help protect the space from sun, rain, and snow. If you live in a cold region, this can prevent snow buildup, which can be dangerous while climbing stairs. Besides, these types of awnings also make it easier for you and your visitors to enter and exit your property from blazing sunlight and heavy rains. You won't have to worry about fumbling for keys during a thunderstorm.

Play areas

During summers, both children and adults like being outside the house in an open space. If you have a garden or other outdoor playset for your children or grandchildren, you can cover it with an awning roof to keep that space cool in the summer and avoid sunburns. Due to direct sunlight, metal slides can heat up and become extremely hot. Fixing residential metal awnings or freestanding awnings over playsets or gardens allows children to freely enjoy their summer days outside in fresh air without worrying much about harsh sunlight. Likewise, you can also install retractable awnings over a volleyball court or a horseshoe pit.

5 best DIY awning ideas

Here are some of the best DIY doors, windows, porch, deck, and patio awning ideas.

1. Grow a canopy of verdant vines to get the shade you’re looking for with the added bonus of greenery around you. 
2. Place an extra-large umbrella on your patio. A big umbrella is an interesting patio awning idea. The umbrella will keep you covered from all the weather conditions.
3. Cover your patio with pergola, also known as thin wood slats. These slates let you enjoy fine rays of sunlight without burning you down.
4. Create a sail shade with a fabric to block the sunlight. Cut the fabric in a triangular shape and use strong rope to attach it to the poles. Fabric canopy is also one of the easiest and most cost-effective DIY awning ideas.
5. Add aluminium awnings to your front doors or windows. It is one of the most popular and inexpensive DIY awnings.

Conclusion