Subscribe Feed (RSS)Windows are essential parts of the home. They allow sunlight in and air to circulate in rooms when they’re opened. But it’s hard to maintain shade when the sun is too bright. Sometimes blinds and curtains make the room too dark that we can’t tell if it’s already morning, thus we sleep in too long. That’s why there are window awnings. They are overhangs attached to the windows reclined downwards and are either fixed or retractable. It’s made of steel bars and synthetic fabrics such as acrylic or polyvynil laminates.
Window awnings are used to provide shade over the windows and control the amount of sunlight that enters the room. Overhangs reduce temperature of the shaded area by 20 degrees thus making the room much cooler. Some people want to put plant boxes right below the window, thus the awnings also provide shade for these plants and prevent them from dehydrating or wilting because of too much heat. The fabrics of the awnings have eyelets that let out hot air and prevent it from being trapped around the window area. It’s good to keep awnings ventilated to also reduce heat further by 60%.
During winter though, retractable window awnings are very practical because they can be pulled back in order to let some sunlight and heat in to warm the rooms more. Thus the thermo level of the heater can be lowered and a certain amount of energy will be saved.
Overhangs also add drama to windows and the whole infrastructure as well, be it a house or a commercial building, which is why these window extensions come in different colors and designs these days. Some buildings like restaurants or fast food chains have custom graphics placed on the awning fabrics like the name of their establishment and the year it was put up.
Overhangs come in different styles. Chicago style awnings are long and curved like a half oval, while Bostonian style window awnings are short and curved like a semi-circle. Retro style window awnings are short and straight with waves at the edge of the fabric. There are also the New Yorker style overhangs that are big and straight, they only bend at the sides and the front part. Choosing a style will of course have to depend on the color and structure of the building where the awnings will be attached.
Installation and purchase of awnings may be an added cost but they are surely a pragmatic way of beautifying windows and homes or buildings. The cost of course depends again on the style and the size of the awnings that you purchase. There are several online shops that sell and install window awnings. You can just place orders through the net and have the stuff delivered right at your door step.
