A home is a castle. It is probable the most important investment you will ever make. You want your home secure and safe. You want it to be a comfortable place to raise your kids and be with your family. You want your home both beautiful and functional. Some people like to sit outside on their porch to enjoy the day or evening. A porch awning is one item that can not only add beauty to your home but it can play a very importnt role in you ejoying your home and the outdoors as well.
An awning is an overall extenstion of your house and home. It is that part of your home that “invites” you to experience the outside by giving you protection against the sun and rain. There are so many different materials and styles to choose one to complete your home. You need to stay within your budget.
If you are looking for a fabric awning, then the type of material that you should look for is acrylic. This is a very popular and very durable awning material. Other awning materials used are cotton, or vinyl. Some are even made out of polyester. The acrylic awning materials holds together better and is has a longer life. Very durable.
Cloth awnings like cotton tend to get dirty very easily. If you are griller and like to grill under your awning, be prepared to clean your awning since cloth awnings attract dirt and soot easily. If you have large trees in your yard, also be prepared to clean your cloth awning since when leaves fall from the trees they have to go somewhere. You will most likely find dirty leaves on your awning. Rain, when it falls from the sky, also may be unclean and filled with dirt from the air. The result is a dirty cloth awning. However, you can keep your cloth awning around for a long time with scheduled cleaning.
If you want more stability and security from your front porch awning then you can purchase a metal awning. They are much more durable and long lasting than a cloth awning. Cloth awnings and those like them may need to be brought down when bad weather approaches, but a metal awning can provide good protection against such weather, and can be left up all the year long. Metal awnings can withstand poundings from heavy rain, hail, and large amounts of snow. Unlike cloth awnings, metal awnings also do not fade from the constant bombardment of heat from the sun.
Fiberglass awnings are another type of awning that can give very good protection against the elements and can be left up all year long. Fiberglass awnings do an excellent job of protecting you from the harmful UV rays of the sun, and give great shading for your porch so you can enjoy being outside. Fiberglass awnings have some other great characteristics. They are very resistant to rotting unlike cloth awnings. Fiberglass awnings are very strong and durable. They are lightweight, and yet can withstand heavy rain, wind, and snow. These are a perfect material for porches by the ocean since they do not corrode due to the effects of salt water. They last longer than many other types of awnings. Also, fiberglass awnings can come in a variety of colors. In this way they can match just about any color you home happens to be.
Aluminum porch awnings are another great choice if you are looking for an porch awning. They are lighter than steel, but are very strong. They are weather resistant and can stand up to heavy wind, rain, and snow. They are also resistant to rusting so they would be another great choice if you happen to be looking for an awning and live near the ocean. They tend to be expensive so to save yourself the money from a contractor putting your aluminum porch awning up, just do it yourself. They are not that difficult to erect.
A lightweight porch awning is a perfect extension to your home. Figure out what type you want to have for the area that you live in. You can have them put up by a professional contractor, or, to save money, you can do it alone.
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