What direction does your house face? If it faces the south or west, you will get lots of sunlight. While this is certainly a good thing, all that sunlight can make your home unbearably hot during summer.

Window Protection from the Sun

Awnings are a must if you have a south, west or east facing home. Homes that face the north do not receive much sunlight, but they too need protection from rain.

Awnings not only provide shade and comfort. They also reduce your summer cooling bills. Properly installed awnings over your south or west facing windows will reduce the heat levels inside your house. In fact, studies have shown that awnings can reduce the temperature inside the house by about 20 degrees on a very hot summer day.

Most of the heat inside your house gets in through your windows. If there is no shade in the south or west of your home, your cooling bills will go through the roof. While planting trees and bushes in these areas are certainly effective, this may not be possible in all cases. In this case, the best possible solution is to install awnings over your windows.

Awnings keep your home cooler by preventing sunlight from entering it. You can install them over a window or over an entire side of the house. If awnings are properly installed, they can reduce heat gain by around 65% on a south facing window and by around 77% on west and east facing windows.

Choose light-coloured awnings because they serve two purposes. They will block sunlight. They will also reflect it. This makes them excellent cooling devices. Awnings need ventilation. Otherwise, hot air can get trapped under them. While installing, make sure that there are openings along the sides or tops of the awning. This will provide ventilation.

Retractable Awnings

If cold winters are a big problem in your area, you should choose retractable awnings. You can roll them out when the weather is hot. And during those cold winter months, when you want the available sunlight to enter your home, you can roll them back.

Proper installation of the awnings will enhance the visual appeal of your home. They should be mounted at an angle of around 45 degrees. The awnings should not project into a path that receives foot traffic. If it does, then it has to be at least seven feet above the ground.

The drop of the awning is determined by the location of the window. If it is installed on a west or east facing window, it should cover about 65-75% of the window to block sunlight effectively. On a south-facing window, the awning should cover about 45-55% of the window to create the same cooling effect.

The biggest disadvantage of awnings is that they will block view from the windows. Retractable awnings can solve this problem to a great extent.

Awnings made from a variety of materials are available now. Metal awnings are more durable than fabric awnings. Awnings made from acrylic or polyvinyl laminates can resist mildew and fading. They are also water repellent.

Benefits of Aluminum Awnings

Aluminum awnings are more durable than fabric awnings. They also provide protection from sun, rain and moderate amounts of precipitation. By contrast, fabric awnings will have to be rolled back when there is precipitation.

Aluminum awnings protect your home and commercial space from weather elements. You can install them over almost every exterior structure including porches, decks and carports.

Aluminum awnings will keep the space underneath them cool and dry. Install them over your decks or outdoor patio and you will be able to use this space even when it is raining outside. Also by installing them over your windows, you can prevent rain water from entering your indoor space.

Aluminum awnings are more expensive than fabric awnings, but they last decades. They also offer greater protection. Better still, they do not require much maintenance. They only need some occasional rinsing.

It is easy to install aluminum awnings. The whole process does not take longer than a few hours. If you are really handy, you will probably be able to install them on your own; however, this is not exactly recommended.

Aluminum Awning Basics

There are basically two kinds of aluminum awnings – fixed and retractable. Fixed aluminum awnings are undoubtedly the more popular of these two. They are also less expensive than retractable awnings. Fixed awnings are sturdier than their retractable counterparts. They can withstand even hurricane grade storms. They also last longer. You only need to install them once and they will offer protection for your space for several decades.

Limited range of colours and styles can be a problem in the case of metal awnings. While fixed aluminum awnings are available in more styles and colours, you will have fewer choices if you opt for retractable aluminum awnings. They are also more expensive than fixed awnings. Their biggest user benefit is their versatility.

Awnings are installed for protection from the sun and the rain. They block sunlight from entering your space and keep it cooler. However, during the winter months when not much sunlight is available, you will want to retract the awnings so that more sunlight can enter your home. This is not exactly possible if you have installed fixed awnings over your windows. If, on the other hand, you had installed retractable awnings, you could easily roll them back. During the summer months, they will protect your space from heat and light. And during the winter months when you don’t require any protection from sun, they can be retracted.

Retractable awnings are not a great choice if you live in an area where strong winds can be a problem. You will need to roll them back whenever there is a storm forecast. Otherwise, they can suffer serious damage. Retractable awnings may also take more time to close or open.

Aluminum awnings are not suitable for use in a coastal area. Installation can be more expensive especially in the case of retractable aluminum awnings. Electric retracting awnings, in particular, can be quite expensive. If these are not an issue, you have every reason to choose aluminum awnings.

Commercial Awnings not only provide protection from sun and inclement weather; they also increase the usability of your commercial space. If your restaurant or home has a patio, you can make it usable during the rainy season by simply installing awnings over it. Awnings also provide an opportunity to make an impression and promote your business.

Top reasons to install awnings

Besides enhancing the functionality of your space, awnings make it look more attractive. These are versatile decorative elements that serve many different purposes.

There is absolutely nothing that you can do to prevent inclement weather. But you don’t have to let bad weather affect your business. By installing awnings, you can make your commercial or personal space usable during rain and shine.

Things to consider before buying awnings

Commercial awnings are a long-term investment. After installing them, you will want them to protect your space from weather elements for several years. That is why you need to choose high quality awnings. The durability of awnings depends upon their structure and the techniques used to install them.

Need help with choosing the right awnings? Here are some tips:

Know what you want. You won’t be able to choose the right awnings, if you don’t have a thorough understanding of your requirements. How do you intend to use the space? Your choice should depend upon the kind of protection you require.

Make sure that the company you choose has several years of experience in selling and installing commercial awnings. They should be ready to visit your space to determine what sort of awnings will serve you best.

Choose an awnings company that can handle the whole project. This will ensure that your project gets completed within the specified time frame. Also this is more cost effective than buying awnings from one company and then getting them installed by another company. The company should be ready to provide great service irrespective of the size of your order.

Don’t fall for looks. Awnings that look great from outside may not be all that great underneath. The durability of the awning depends upon its structural design and framing materials. Using the right installation techniques is equally important.

Consider your budget. Choose a company that can offer awnings within your budget. Don’t feel compelled to buy something that you can’t, but don’t compromise on quality. Good quality awnings require less maintenance and have lower cost of ownership.

Choose a local company. Buy awnings from a local company that has a good reputation. This will ensure that you have easy access to support should things go wrong after the installation.

Jans Awning Products has been selling high quality commercial awnings for well over a decade. Thanks to our experience and expertise, we can help you choose awnings that suit your budget and requirements. Also when you buy awnings from our store, you will get to see samples. We recommend awnings after visiting your property. This helps us to find out what environmental factors need to be considered.

If you are looking for a reliable awnings company near Burlington, Ontario, give us a call today itself. At Jans Awning Products, you will find high quality awnings in all price ranges.

You can’t control the weather, and in the summertime the sun will blaze all it wants. It’s welcoming to have some warm weather after the cold winter months, but in a way, this too restricts you from enjoying the outdoor spaces in your home. Jans Awning Products has a range of products. Using them is the best way to have the sun when you actually want it and the shade when you really need it.

The Benefits

The best way to enjoy your outdoor living areas is to shade them from the sun with the convenience of the best awnings, screens and shades. If you think awnings and canopies are only for shade think again. They offer a number of other benefits and satisfy many different functional objectives such as:

• Energy Savings – Apart from the shade and attraction quotient they provide, awnings help in saving energy in your home or commercial establishment. Any typical home will have windows and maybe a few glass doors too. Though these provide you with a view to the outdoors and let in light and fresh air, they also let in the heat (even when they are shut).
  Solar radiation that streams in through glass accounts for almost 20% of the load on your air-conditioning systems. Having an awning or a shutter above large windows and French doors that lead out into a patio, deck or balcony can provide you with significant energy savings.
• Protects the Interiors – You decorate your home with a lot of love and pour finances and effort into getting the right furnishing fabrics, carpets, rugs and curtains. But all of this is futile if you do not have the right kind of shade protection for your glass windows.
  The sun’s rays are very powerful and they tend to fade the carpets and furnishings in the interiors as well as the polish on your wooden furniture. The best way to prevent this from happening is to have deep awnings outside large windows.

Our Products

We offer you a number of products, all of which are made of long-lasting, flame-retardant and strong outdoor materials which are easy to clean. We have products like:

• Retractable Awnings – These provide protection from the sun and rain and are available in manual as well as automatic variants and we are able to customize the widths for you
• Rollshutters – These are ideal for residential, cottage/ business security and can be used on windows, storefronts, screen storage areas and pool houses. They provide your home, shop or office with the security and help in savings on energy bills too (even when you roll them down at night).
• Screens & Shutters – These are the perfect way of enhancing your porch, gazebos and patios. They are available in motorized retractable styles and are the perfect way to keep these areas well-shaded

If you have a need for awnings, rollshutters, screens or shutters in Burlington, Ontario, Jans Awning Products has the right product for you. Contact us via the online form on our website or at 905.335.3733.