An additional reason why patio awnings that are fully retractable make a lot of sense is that in the event of severe weather conditions, they can easily be rolled up to prevent damage to the canvas awning itself. Furthermore, a permanent awning structure can also cause damage to the structure of the home if it is battered by high winds, tornadoes or hurricanes, which are often a concern in various parts of the country.
Another reason why retractable awnings continue to be a favored choice for homeowners is that they are more cost-effective to fit, when compared to the cost of building a permanent type of sunscreen for the area. A retractable patio awning offers just as much protection from the sun and rain, and yet cost a lot less than the permanent awning systems. Additionally, a retractable awning also provides much more flexibility since they can be either fully extended or fully rolled up, or opened to varying degrees, which allows you to have a great deal of control over your outdoor environment. If you want to allow more light into your home, then you can retract the awning enough to brighten things up, while still providing enough shade to protect carpeting and furniture from direct sunlight.
Shade awnings, whether a patio or window awning, can also help homeowners save money over time as well. If you live in an area with plentiful sunshine, then the awnings around your home can add an extra layer of protection from the sun, shading windows and doors and reducing the amount of heat that permeates into the house. This can lower energy bills significantly in many cases, particularly when the awnings are used to create structures for shade on the sunniest sides of the house, usually the western and southern exposures.
There are two main types of retractable awning, which are manual and motorized. Manual awnings are adjusted by the use of a hand crank mechanism and have sturdy stabilizer arms that are attached to the walls of your home or the patio structure. These are cheaper to install and maintain than the automatic, motorized versions.
The motorized models of retractable awnings have two main types of controls available. Either you can have a switch installed into the wall or you can use a remote control unit. Both methods will give you complete control over the extension and retraction of the awning. These systems also have wind sensors that will cause the awning to retract when winds hit a certain level, as well as a manual override that allows you to control it during a power failure.