There is nothing like driving down a street and seeing the whimsy and personality of homes and buildings with awnings. Whether it’s an awning for a business announcing its name or the awning on a porch or patio, they add an element of design that takes center stage. 

Businesses will use an awning to welcome their customers, announce their business name, and even offer some shade in front of their brick-and-mortar location.

An awning on your home can work to add personality to your outdoor living space and make it more functional too. Are you considering adding an awning to your home or business?

Read on to learn all you need to know to select an awning that will work for you.

STYLE OF AWNING

Choosing an awning style is like choosing a piece of furniture for your home. It adds comfort, style, and extends your living area. There are various styles of awnings to choose from. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the options for awning styles. 

CANOPY

A canopy awning is probably the most traditional awning style. Its iconic look contributes to the popularity of awnings for homes and businesses. 

A canopy awning does what it suggests; it provides cover for the space. They can be either stationary or retractable (more on this later). 

The canopy awning can be created custom to fit the space you need it for. It attaches to the structure and extends out from it to create a canopy-like cover from the awning.

DOME

Dome awnings are also part of the iconic look of awnings. A dome awning does what it sounds like it does, it is an awning shaped like a dome. The dome awning is commonly found over doors and windows. 

The dome awning offers several great benefits. First, it creates shade over a door or window. This helps to block sunlight and makes the interior space less warm offering an energy-efficient feature to the awning.

The dome awning can also offer some cover from the elements like sun and rain at doorways. 

They also add an aesthetic element to the spaces they cover. 

ROUND

A round awning is like it suggests, found in shape. These are almost the same as a dome awning. Although a round awning can work almost like an umbrella. It can be a free-standing awning and be round in shape. 

This is particularly nice for covering a patio or seating area where you want to protect the dining table from the elements.

FREE STANDING

A free-standing awning has all the features and looks of an attached awning. Instead, though, it is not attached to a building or home. 

The free-standing awning works nicely for areas you want to cover that is away from or separate from the actual building structure. 

You might have a seating or eating area that extends far enough away from your home but still want some cover. Like a pergola, a free-standing awning will have posts or columns that support the awning. These can be retractable or stationary too.

TRADITIONAL

When you get the image of an awning in your head, one covering a back porch or hanging over business windows on an awning-lined street, this is a traditional awning. They can extend out from the structure, home, or business. They may have sides on the awning and be stationary or retractable. 

The traditional awning becomes an extended roof-like covering the space it covers. 

ELONGATED DOME

The elongated dome awning, as the name suggests, is both a dome awning and elongated in shape. So, the dome awning might be used to cover one window, and you might find multiple awnings. 

The elongated dome awning has the same iconic come shape yet is elongated to provide cover for a longer area. 

The elongated dome awning is also used like a portico and may extend out from a business. You often see this at restaurant doors, offering both a welcome and cover for customers. 

QUARTER ROUND OR CONVEX

This type of awning’s attached to either a home or a business. It often gives awnings a more modern-edged look. As the name suggests, it is a quarter of a round circle shape. It starts at the building and extends to one-quarter of the circle in awning coverage. 

Many quarter-round awnings are taut on their frame and don’t have the patterned edge. The awning goes to the quarter-round spot and wraps around the frame, giving it a very structured appearance.

DROP SHADE

The drop shade awning is very much like the name suggests more of shade than a traditional awning. It may not extend away from the structure it attaches to. Instead, it goes up and down to provide protection from outdoor light and sun.

These drop shade systems, sometimes called roller shades, can be fitted in a custom size to fit a window. They can go up and down the window as needed for protection from the outside. 

OPERATION OF AWNING

An important consideration of purchasing an awning will be its operation. There are really two types of awnings to consider, a retractable awning or a stationary awning. 

A retractable awning moves either by hand or machine and can retract back, so it’s rolled up and against the building. This is a nice type of awning if you want the option of coverage or no coverage, depending on the conditions. A free-standing awning can be retractable and go back and forth across its frame. 

A traditional patio awning can be retractable and be rolled up against the home or extended to cover the terrace, patio, or deck space. 

A stationary awning, as the name suggests, is stationary. Once it is installed, it doesn’t move. Any of the awning styles already highlighted can work as a stationary awning. 

LOCATION

Most people think of awnings over patios and their outdoor living areas. These can be in either attached or free-standing form. Yet, awnings are often used over doors and windows too. 

Because you have the option of using a free-standing awning, there is no limit to where you can use an awning cover. But consider spaces in your home that get hot sun for awnings. Also, consider how you might use an awning for an aesthetic purpose to give your home a unique look.

DESIGN FEATURES OF AWNING

Once you know about the different styles of awnings, there are some additional design features to consider when adding an awning to your home or business. 

Since awnings can be completely customizable to the location they are going; you have many options in the design process. Here are some things to consider when deciding on your awning.

SIZE

The size will be a factor when you consider where you are placing your awning. The awning can act as a more decorative feature and cover a door or window. 

The awning could also be larger to offer additional coverage for the area in it’s being placed. The size will also be impacted by the style of awning you choose 

COLOR

Color choice is one of the aesthetic features of an awning. Make sure you consider your overall color scheme. How does the color you select not only coordinate with the features of your home or building but also what’s around it? You could have landscaping features you want to consider. 

If you are placing an awning on a business, you might want to consider how your awning blends or pops from those around it. You might also want it to coordinate with the color scheme of your logo and business plan.

MATERIAL

Most awnings are made from durable outdoor fabric material.  The fabric allows you to have more flexibility with color and other design features, yet it requires more maintenance over time. 

The fabric could be made from sturdy cotton that’s painted and coated with a vinyl-like coating. Vinyl fabric is also used for awnings. It is likely more durable than a traditional fabric option. 

Your awning could also be made from solid aluminum panels.

BINDING

As you design your awning and consider color, material, and shape, you also want to consider how to bind your awning. Many awnings come with a decorative edge where the binding’s done in another color. 

Consider this the same way you might select paint colors for your house. You have the main color of your siding. You have a secondary color that works on trim. You might even add a third complementary color on the door or shutters. 

Your awning colors can work the same way. Consider what color choices you not only want for the main part of your awning but also how it will be trimmed too.

COMMERCIAL AWNINGS

Whether your awning is for a home or business, they offer the same aesthetics and benefits. Yet, an awning for a business is unique in that it can become a real identifier for your business. 

People looking to come to your business will start to associate you with the awning color and style. Think carefully about how you design your commercial awning. Make it coordinate with your logo design and business color scheme. This way, the awning works for you as part of your branding plan.

SELECTING THE BEST AWNING FOR YOU

You can never go wrong by adding an awning to your home or business. You have an endless array of style and design options when creating your awning. 

Whether you want it for protection from the elements or as a design feature, an awning can add to the look and feel of your home or business. 

Need help deciding what awning will work best for you? Contact us today to get more information on our awning services.