Window awnings are an easy way for you to upgrade your home’s visual appeal while also gaining some practical benefits. Still, choosing to add them to your house is a decision that you don’t want to take lightly.
If you’re thinking about adding window awnings, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we’re going to explore some of the key facts that you should consider before making a decision. We’ll explore the ways in which window awnings can benefit your home while also helping you figure out how many you need and where you’ll want to place them.
Let’s get started!
What Value Is A Window Awning Adding To Your Home?
“A window awning adds plenty of value to your home. Generally, you can divide their value offering into two categories: aesthetic value and practical value.“
Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
Aesthetic Value
Let’s be honest about something: window awnings, when chosen correctly, look absolutely beautiful on the side of a house.
For starters, they come in all sorts of shapes. That means you can get yourself an awning that has a concave shape, or even one with a dome or waterfall shape, just to name a few. There are countless numbers of shapes, and you’ll undoubtedly find one that matches the design of your house.
Better yet, window awnings come made in all sorts of materials like vinyl, acrylic, fibreglass, and even wooden awnings available, each offering slightly different benefits in terms of maintenance and protection from the weather.
To top it all off, window awnings these days come in a virtually unlimited number of patterns and colours.
Nothing adds a little colour and style to your home better than a brightly-coloured window awning!
Practical Value
Of course, window awnings aren’t all about looks. They also offer your home plenty of practical value as well.
With a window awning, your home will be much better protected from the elements. In simpler terms, that means you can protect your windows from heavy rain as well as intense direct sunlight.
Just imagine that: with the correct type of window awning, you can have your windows wide open even when it’s raining!
And when it’s sunny out, your window awnings will reduce the UV rays that make it into your home. That offers plenty of value because it helps to cool down your home and reduce how much you’ll spend on cooling!
How Effective Are They?
As mentioned earlier, window awnings can help to reduce the amount of intense direct sunlight that goes through your windows. But just how effective are they at doing that?
Well, some statistics show that window awnings can reduce heat from sunlight by as much as 65% on windows that face the southern direction and up to 77% on those facing west!
Just think of how much cooler your home will be during the summer months when there’s plenty of sunlight. Just by installing window awnings, you’ll reduce the amount of heat and cut down on whatever you’re spending on cooling your home.
Besides that, window awnings are also effective at keeping the rain away from your windows. That means that a rainy day will not stop you from enjoying your open windows or your balcony if you have one.
How Much Cooler Is It By Having One Installed?
At this point, it’s clear that window awnings reduce the amount of heat and UV rays that pass through the window. But just how much cooler is it to have one installed on your home?
Typically, awnings can reduce the temperatures in your home by as much as 15-20 degrees Celsius or 59-68 degrees Fahrenheit.
With awnings installed on your windows, you’ll enjoy a much cooler interior, especially on sunny days like those during hot summer months. Indirectly, that also means you’ll rely less on fans and air conditioning, leading to plenty of financial savings!
Does The Position Of Your Home Matter When Installing A Window Awning?
No, the position of your home doesn’t really matter when installing a window awning. That might be a controversial statement to some, but it’s the truth!
You see, there are certain types of homeowners who don’t see window awnings as simple additions to their house’s structure. These are traditionalists, and they believe that there are specific rules that must be followed about the position of a home and how they install window awnings.
For example, some people see window awnings as part of their home’s architectural ‘type’. In simple terms, they want a home that’s of a specific style, like maybe a Queen Anne or American Colonial. For their house to ‘qualify’ as that type, the structure and awnings must be in very specific positions.
Still, in this day and age, most homeowners aren’t sticking to traditional rules. People simply want a nice-looking home that’s comfortable. To get that for yourself, you don’t need to be too concerned about your home’s position when installing a window awning.
Do You Benefit More From A South-Facing Or North-Facing Window Awning?
Between south- and north-facing window awnings, those which are south-facing will offer you much more benefit in terms of reducing heat and maximizing comfort. So, by placing awnings on your south-facing windows, you’ll reduce the amount of direct sunlight and UV rays that make it past those windows and into your home.
“Still, that doesn’t mean that putting awnings on your north-facing windows is a waste. Remember: window awnings provide a wide range of benefits, well beyond simply reducing heat gain.“
Even on a north-facing window, awnings will keep rain, snow, and any kind of debris away from the window. You’ll still be able to keep your window open even while it rains. Last but not least, the materials and designs that you choose for your awning will also enhance the aesthetics of your north-facing window!
When Is A Window Awning Not Worth It?
Window awnings come with their fair share of drawbacks as well. That means there are certain situations when a window awning might not be worth the investment.
As mentioned earlier, window awnings are excellent for protecting your window from direct sunlight, rain or snow, as well as falling debris like tree branches. Unfortunately, that also means that the awning will block out part of the view from your window.
So, if your window is positioned in such a way that you have a lovely view, you might want to reconsider placing a window awning there. Even though the design of the awning might look amazing, fixing it there will come with significant trade-offs that aren’t worth it.
After all, what’s the point of having such a fantastic view if your window awning ends up blocking half of it?
How Many Window Awnings Does My Home Need?
There are no fixed rules about how many window awnings your home might need. It’s entirely up to you!
Sure, traditionalists might claim that only specific windows should have window awnings. That’s because some homeowners stick to unwritten rules that say only the front-facing windows should have window awnings.
While those traditions might exist, you as a homeowner have the freedom to choose as many or as few window awnings as you’d like.
Some homeowners might prefer having as many window awnings as possible. Doing that will maximize a lot of the benefits offered by window awnings, such as reducing heat inside the home. Plus, buying in bulk might get you a discount if you’re good at negotiating with your supplier!
However, other homeowners might only want a window awning on specific windows. To minimize their spending, they might only place awnings on windows that receive direct sunlight every day.
There are no wrong or right answers! If you’re unsure, start with one window awning as a way to experiment. That way, you can discover what you like or don’t like about window awnings, and then go from there.
Which Rooms Make The Most Sense To Have A Window Awning?
It would make the most sense to have window awnings for rooms with south-facing windows. Windows facing that direction will get the most direct sunlight throughout the year, which also means that they’ll experience the most intense heat gain.
By installing window awnings for these rooms, you’ll be able to filter out a majority of the sunlight and UV rays that are trying to get through. Placing a window awning on a south-facing window can reduce the amount of sunlight that gets through by as much as 65%!
To put that into context, reducing that much sunlight can also lead to significant reductions in temperature, in some cases by as much as 15-20 degrees Celsius, or 59-68 degrees Fahrenheit!
Other than less heat and more comfort, why does this matter? Well, instead of spending lots of money on placing awnings on all your windows, you can do it more strategically. Placing them only for the rooms with south-facing windows will give you more bang for your buck!
Alright, that’s it for this article guys, if you found it useful then a share on social media or your website would be cool!
All the best
Steve
ps here’s a few articles related to this one you might find interesting:
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