Creating an outdoor living or entertainment space is one of the best ways to add value to your home. You can design this space differently depending on your needs. Whether you add furniture or install a kitchen in this space, you might want to keep it covered, with a porch awning the best option for this. A porch awning is an overhang that stretches over your patio or deck, starting from the deck, door, or window and covering the whole area. Apart from value addition, there are several other advantages of adding an awning to your home.

It Helps Reduce Your Energy Bill

What you might not realize is that warm air does not just get into the house through the door. Heat can also be transferred into the home by windows and other structures. The glass panes on your door or windows get hot and then conduct this heat into the home.

When this happens, your air conditioning unit has to work harder to keep the home cool, and this leads to an increase in energy bills. This happens regardless of how efficient the unit you use is.

Depending on where you live and how hot it gets, the awning can reduce your heating bill by 25 to 50%. This happens because the awning protects the glass and other structures that conduct heat into the home from the hot sun. It provides shade to the front and back of the house depending on where it is installed thereby providing the cooling effect described.

It Provides Protection from Weather Elements

Another benefit of adding an awning to your home is that it protects against weather elements including hail and heavy rain. By doing so, it can give your porch utility by allowing your guests to relax outside when it is raining or when the sun is hot. 

This protection also extends to the inside of the house. Items like carpets can fade if they are subjected to direct and hot sun for long periods. An awning stops this by protecting against the sun and its rays.

It Can Protect Your Wooden Deck or Porch

An awning provides shade for your wooden porch or deck. Most decks and porches are made out of wood which provides them with a classic look but that requires a lot of maintenance. This wood expands if it is subjected to hot temperatures and direct sunlight. The wood then cools and contracts as the temperature falls at night. These cycles can result in the wood warping over time. 

Getting awnings for porch installed means the wood on your deck or porch is protected from the hot sun. This provides some level of protection by ensuring the wood does not expand as much as it would have otherwise. While it will not provide complete protection, the level of protection is usually adequate to slow down the warping process.

The Awning Will Protect Your Furniture

If you use your porch or deck to entertain guests, you likely have some furniture outdoors. This furniture can get damaged by the sun and the quality of the material you use degrades over time. By installing an awning, you help protect the furniture and extend its lifespan.

If you want protection but also control over the amount of sunlight or shade you get, you should consider retractable awnings. You could retract them to some percentage of their total length to control the sun and shade. If it rains, you can extend the awning to its full length to provide complete coverage over the porch.

Because retractable awnings for porch have moving parts, you need to ensure they are installed by professionals who will do it right. By getting a professional to install an awning for your porch, you can be sure they are installed right and will have a long life.

They Help You Increase the Amount of Usable Space in Your Home

If you entertain frequently, you need enough space for your guests. A porch is a great addition to the home to increase its space, but it might not be usable on hot summer days. An awning provides shade to this outdoor space making it more usable where the sun is shining brightly, or the rain is coming down.

You do not have to worry about having too little space for entertaining or about the weather making the experience terrible for your guests.

An awning can also be incredibly useful for the elderly or those susceptible to becoming overheated. The awning allows them to sit outside without worrying about the harmful effects of the sun or worrying about heat strokes.

They Help Increase Your Property’s Value

Porch awnings are a great way to increase the value of your home or property. As a homeowner with thoughts about selling the home sometime in the future, you should find improvements that help increase the value of the home.

The awning transforms your deck or patio into a usable entertainment space that some buyers will find beneficial. You can also use the energy savings associated with installing one as a bargaining point to get a better price as many homeowners are looking for sustainable homes that use as little energy as possible.

An Awning Makes Your Home More Visually Appealing

Awnings are highly customizable, and they can be customized so they catch the eye of those passing by. The awning can also complement the rest of the home’s exterior, be it the colors of the doors or the exterior. If you own a traditional home, you can opt for solid and muted colors that blend well without being too bright. You can choose brighter colors if you like the retro feel many millennials prefer. Different patterns are also available for those who want to add some character to their awning and home.

An awning is a great investment for all homeowners who decide to get one. It can increase the amount of usable space you have in your home, allowing you to entertain without worrying about the sun or rain. They can also decrease your energy bill while increasing your home’s value.