Awnings 101: Types, Usage, and Benefits

Whether you are looking for a stylish branded advertisement or a means of adding more comfort and privacy for your clients, Fortuna Visual Group has a solution. An awning!

It adds chic and style, protects clients from the sun and rain, and creates a space for extra tables outdoors. Outside awnings make your facility stand out from the row of rank-and-file restaurants and stores. Furthermore, awning windows provide more comfort for indoor environments by blocking the sun’s rays.

An awning doesn’t have to be used just for commercial purposes. A sun awning for house will make your leisure time in the garden on a warm sunny summer’s day even more enjoyable. Whatever awning you may need, Fortuna Visual Group guarantees high quality and fast delivery. Order a free consultation now!
By Phone: +1 646-383-8682
By Email: sales@fortunavisual.com

How to Choose the Awning for You

Are you looking for a retractable house awning? Or you want an outdoor sun awning for a store or an outdoor patio awning? You can find all these in our online catalog on the website. There are many sun awnings for homes and for businesses.

But how will you understand the difference between them and determine which type best fits your purposes? You should get acquainted with awning types, shapes, and materials in order to choose the right house awning or any other kind.

Types

Awnings can be categorized in various different ways. First of all, mobility:

1. Stationary – A stable, non-portable construction
2. Portable – It can be re-used in different locations
3. Retractable – A retractable awning can be folded up/down
4. Motorized – A model with an automatic mechanism (sometimes, remote) that rolls a canopy up.

They are also classified in terms of usage:

• Outdoor window awnings. Awning windows are protected from wind yet still provide enough ventilation and natural light. This allows you to put windows higher up, which creates more space for you to use.
• Door awnings. A front door awning doesn’t just create a beautiful, sheltered entrance, but also protects your steps and the nearby area from wear and rotting. Along with this, it provides an indoor environment with effective protection from wind, sun, and rain.
• Deck awnings (or a patio awning). An awning for deck will provide you with some shade, meaning that you can cut energy costs. It results in a cooler temperature inside; therefore, air conditioning need not be on full blast.
• Retractable veranda awnings. This is a wall-mounted construction, where a frame is fixed, and an awning can be retracted.
• Canopies. If you attach a canopy (a free-standing construction) to a building, it provides shade, effectively cutting your energy costs.
• Vertical awning. This is basically a 21st-century window blind, which is retractable and waterproof. It can be used both outside and inside.

Shapes and Sizes

You’ll be surprised by the number of different shapes for outdoor awnings. There are flat-edged designs most commonly used for awning for deck, whilst curved shapes create a vibrant look for a front door awning. Here is a full list of the shapes offered by Fortuna Visual Group:

• Standard Window Valance
• Standard Window Arch
• Bullnose
• Dome
• Extended Dome
• Circular
• Gable
• Quarter round
• Half rounded
• Waterfall
• Box
• Spearhead
• Stationary Canopy
• Lateral Arm Retractable
• Concave
• Aluminum
• Winter front

The offer in terms of sizes is even more lucrative. Whether you need a small awning for patio or large sun porch awnings, there are no limits. We can produce custom sizes for any awning.

Materials

Choosing the right materials for outdoor awnings is crucial. After all, the materials determine an awning’s durability. You have to consider the exact area in terms of sun and wind to determine which material to choose for, let’s say, front door awnings. Here are some popular material choices:

• Canvas – Not the best outdoor awning fabric, canvas is usually made of linen or cotton. The reason for its poor reputation outdoors is its inability to deal with changeable weather (for example, snow, rain). However, it’s very durable and can be produced according to various designs.
• PVC – Although this material is customizable, one reason you should think twice before choosing it as a material for window awnings for homes is its low durability.
• Polyester – Polyester fabric window awnings outdoor are outstanding due to their UV and mildew-resistance. This material is also highly customizable and retains less water than canvas.
• Aluminum – Metal awnings aren’t flexible; therefore, they aren’t widely used for retractable awning models. However, if you choose this one, one key advantage is its durability. Alongside this, aluminum is UV, mildew, and rust-resistant.
• Acrylic – This is mostly used as a protective covering on a base material, rather than a primary raw material for a canopy. It’s UV-resistant and hydrophobic.

Besides these materials, fiberglass, Lexan, and galvanized steel are also available to order.

Useful Additional Features

No matter what types of canopies you need – store front or deck awnings – there is always room for improvement. Besides total customization in terms of size, design, material, and shape, your sun awning for house can be equipped with additional features like:

• Integrated lighting – This can be lighting with which to enjoy an evening under window awnings for homes or could be special lights that catch customers’ eyes even from far away. All in all, you will cut the costs of buying an outdoor lighting system.
• Heating system – Built-in heaters add even more comfort and allow you to enjoy your time outside even when the weather leaves much to be desired. This way, you will enjoy your brand-new terrace with an awning for more than a couple of months during the summer.
• Remote control via an app – You have an automated retractable awning, yet there is no remote control? What’s happened? Here’s what: you can now control the system even via a mobile app.
• Skylights – If you have a backyard awning retractable feature is vital. It’s better to find a solution that allows you to enjoy the stars at night and protects you from the sun’s rays during the day. Fortuna Visual has a solution – shades with wind-sensors. Do you want one now? Buy from the Fortuna Visual Group website immediately!

What Else to Take into Account

For an awning to become a lucrative investment, which will serve you for years and deliver the maximum convenience possible, you have to consider such factors as:

Durability

Quality and durability are primary points to take into account when choosing any product, not just a retractable awning. In terms of home or commercial awnings, pay attention to the durability of awning materials, and the methods used to construct awnings.

UV-Protection

Ultraviolet radiation can damage anything, including a front-door awning. Thus, once again, the material choice is crucial. Some are more UV-resistant than others. Generally, the damage from the sun can lead to two outcomes. The first one is that the fibers will get thinner and thinner and eventually become prone to tearing. The second one is that the awning’s colors will fade with time. In order to avoid this, you should choose a naturally durable material, protected by a coating.

Mildew-Resistance

Mildew can spell the end for awnings for your house. The best solution is to apply a special coating, the same as with ultraviolet rays, that will contribute to mildew resistance. The best strategy is to use a coating before an awning is welded or woven so that it’s properly protected from all sides.

Retractable Mechanism

Depending on your needs, you can choose a retractable awning. However, it may be hard to roll up and down. Therefore, you should also consider an automatic awning.

Where Can I Use a Tent?

An awning can be used in any place where there shelter from the sun or wind is required. For example:

• Eateries, cafes, and restaurants will benefit from a patio awning, which will allow you to place additional seats outdoors.
• Malls and retail shops can use door awnings inside and outside for advertisement purposes.
• Owners of office buildings will like sun porch awnings, which reduce the sunlight and therefore decrease energy costs with style.
• Hospitals and other healthcare facilities can use awnings over their entrances to shield their doors from wind and ensure more comfort for their patients.
• Government facilities (like schools) can save on energy bills with the help of outdoor window awnings.
• Resorts and hotels can install retractable awnings to provide shade and comfort for visitors who want to drink a cup of coffee outside.
• Gyms, spas, and fitness centers can create outdoor lounge zones, or just use awnings for branding purposes.
• Residential households will benefit from a retractable house awning in the garden or over a swimming pool, patio, or drive-through.

As you can see, an awning can be used in many different ways. It can simply protect people from the sun and wind, or it can contribute to the comfortable atmosphere of an outside patio no matter the time of day.

Benefits of Awnings

Awnings are an affordable investment that delivers benefits for both private households and businesses. Here are the main advantages:

Architectural Aesthetics

There is no doubt that front door awnings are an eye-catching decorative solution. A custom manufacturing method allows our clients to create unique pieces of art that will decorate their entrances. Along with helping with identification, it’s an effective shelter from adverse weather conditions.

Weather Protection

Whether it’s a patio awning or an awning for deck, this is essentially a shelter, which effectively protects you from the sun, wind, and rain. You can enjoy a cup of coffee even when it’s raining outside. Moreover, it protects the building’s entrance and windows. Thanks to this protection, you won’t need to spend much on repairmen in the future: a win-win situation.

Energy Savings

Surprisingly, unshaded windows alone can increase the cost of your energy bills. As one study from PAMA states, an awning can save up to 50% of required cooling energy annually in hot climates (like Texas), and up to 25% in moderate climates. If you don’t want constant shade, just order a commercial retractable awning.

Extend Your Living Space

You can create a comfortable outside area right next to your building, or some distance away from it. Just decide between a canopy or wall-mounted awning. If you’re looking for robust construction, consider commercial metal awnings.

FAQ

Fortuna Visual Group – Your Reliable Awning Supplier

Fortuna Visual Group considers customers to be the backbone of the business. We believe that all our success is due to our customers, who reward us with their trust and loyalty. We prioritize our customers’ needs through every step of our operating process.

Such an approach allows us to guarantee that, whether you ordered a retractable awning or any other type of outdoor shade awnings, you will receive exactly what you want at the best possible price.

Fortuna Visual Group has been working hard on delivering top-notch awning solutions around the whole country for over a decade. We have developed a wide range of commercial building awnings for stores, cafes, hotels, and offices, as well as solutions for residential households.

We provide custom orders to help you express your identity. In this way, even a simple awning over door can become a unique decoration. Our designers help customers choose the most suitable materials, colors, designs, and printing.

If this is the service you’re looking for, request a quote, and we will contact you promptly. We would be glad to hear from you! Here is how you can contact us.