Awnings for Decks: Shade for Your Outdoor Lifestyle
Whenever you spend time in your backyard with family and friends, you probably find yourself hoping that the weather cooperates. Even a light sprinkle of rain can put a damper on the mood and a bright sunny day can be a bit much to handle.
To keep the good times rolling, you’ll need something to shelter everyone from the elements. If a pavilion is just too massive for your deck or out of budget, consider an awning. Awnings for decks will solve a great deal of your backyard weather-related problems and they can be surprisingly attractive, too.
In your search for retractable awnings, permanent awnings for decks, motorized awnings for decks, or any other variation, you’ll likely come across a lot of great options. In this article, we’ll cover some of the benefits of installing an awning for your deck as well as some of our favorite products on the market.
What are the Benefits of a Deck Awning?
You’ll want to know all of the great things about awnings before you consider any other shelter options for your deck, so let’s see why awnings are so useful on decks:
Shelter from sunlight and rain: A deck awning protects everyone, your deck, and everything under it from the worst of the weather. This enables you and your loved ones to enjoy the outdoor living space for much longer.
Air temperature control: A deck awning regulates the air temperature in your outdoor living space. During summer, the increased shade over your deck can have a dramatic impact on the comfort level on the deck.
Surface temperature control: A deck awning can also greatly affect the surface temperature of your deck. By blocking the majority of sunlight, materials such as wood composite will remain at or below the air temperature. No more burning your bare feet when you step outside on a scorching day.
Indoor temperature control: A deck awning can also help to regulate the air temperature inside your home. Whether it’s keeping direct sunlight out of your windows or chilly winds from washing across the outer walls, the awning can make a big difference. This will make your air conditioning and heating units more effective, greatly reducing the amount of electricity or natural gas that your home uses. Like a large shade tree, an awning on the south or west side of your home will drastically reduce your cooling bills.
Very low maintenance: A deck awning is designed to withstand the harshest of the elements and extend your outdoor living. Awnings need practically no maintenance - you might want to occasionally hose them off to remove any stuck-on leaves but other than that, put your energy where it needs to be: having fun with friends and family.
No deck clutter. A pergola or pavilion needs to be supported on all four corners, which means legs: and these legs can clutter the look of your deck. An awning is attached to the home without any supports on the outer side for more ease of movement below.
Fast installation: Most awnings can be installed by one or two people in a couple of hours at most, so you get to enjoy some cool shade after the work is done.
Are There Any Downsides to a Deck Awning?
The biggest drawback to a deck awning is that you can’t use a fire feature other than a tiny portable gas-fueled fire pit while the awning is extended. Fire pits should have at least 80 inches of clearance above them to prevent the heat from scorching the awning. This means you shouldn’t use a tall patio heater unless the awning is retracted. .
Are Deck Awnings Worth It?
Whenever you’re looking to make your outdoor living space more comfortable, you always want to make sure there’s shelter. The cheapest option, a patio umbrella, might work but it can blow over in the wind, only covers a small area, and requires constant repositioning as the sun moves across the sky. Permanent structures such as roof extensions or pergolas may not be possible considering the size of your deck and budget. Awnings fit somewhere in the middle.
If you spend a lot of time on your deck (or want to), awnings will give you the shelter you need. And did we mention that modern awnings can be stylish?
Featured Product Recommendations
The Retractable Sun Shade Patio Awning from AECOJOY is a customer favorite, with four stars from over 1,300 reviews. The AECOJOY Retractable Sun Shade Patio Awning represents comfort in outdoor living. The high quality polyester fabric protects whatever is underneath from harmful ultraviolet radiation while the aluminum alloy and steel frame keeps the awning strong against strong, sudden gusts of wind. It retracts using a long adjustable crank, making it easy for anyone to open or close this awning as necessary. It’s available in four different sizes, ranging from 53 square feet up to 130 square feet. Best of all, it’s adjustable. If you want more protection, lower it to the lowest open position; and if you want to maximize the view, raise it to the highest open position.
“We are very satisfied with these awnings.” - Amazon contributor V
The Motorized Patio Retractable Awning from ADVANING is an amazing addition to any outdoor living space. The ADVANING Motorized Patio Retractable Awning is one of the best examples of simple and effective outdoor living improvements. One of our favorite features is that it gives you a choice of how you want to open or retract it. It’s either remote-operated, or crank-operated. The Easy Pitch System allows you to effortlessly change the configurations according to how much or how little shade you want. The durable fabric provides UV80+ sun protection while the steel and aluminum frame structure keeps the awning strong for many years to come. You can select this awning in various sizes, from 56 square feet all the way up to 160 square feet. Even better, there are 9 different color and pattern arrangements that can pair well with your home and landscape.
“Excellent Quality and Value for Money.” - Amazon contributor Ian