Category: In the shade

Summer time is a great time to hang out with friends and family while utilizing your outdoor living space. Whether you have a patio or deck, it may be wise to invest in an awning to help protect yourself from the sun’s harmful UV rays. There are a number of ways to enjoy your outdoor living space and here are some of our suggestions.

Barbecue
Who doesn’t love a good burger or hot dog? Hang out with friends and family by hosting a barbecue on a nice summer day. Food and good company will make almost everyone happy so get up and start a barbecue with friends and family! Barbecuing on your outdoor living space would make a great summer time activity.

Host parties outside
Set up your deck for a simple backyard barbecue or a full-fledged weekly routine dinner party. No matter how you choose to enjoy your awning, it’s always better with friends and family! Awnings are the ultimate protection from UV rays so you can still enjoy the sunlight without experiencing the burn.

Enjoy the outdoors
While we’re all attached to computers, cell phones, and glowing screens for a majority of our day, enjoying the outdoors can be a great way to unwind after a long and stressful work week. To help do that, awnings are an easy and effective way for you to enjoy the outdoors and reduce energy costs.

Relax and read
Another popular activity is to relax and read in the shade. With awnings you can easily adjust to stay in or out of the sunlight so you can maximize the enjoyment of your book or newspaper.

As summer is heating up with the sun shining right down on your yard, some people may want to try to avoid the heat. However, there may be some yards that do not provide any shade with the lack of trees so if you want to go outside and stay cool, take a look at a retractable awning for your yard. There are several benefits to installing a retractable awning for these hot summer days.  Here are three reasons why installing a retractable awning will be beneficial to you.

Protection from the Sun

This is one of the biggest reasons why people want to install a retractable awning for their home. Many people enjoy throwing parties during the summertime when the sun is blazing out so to protect people from the sun, it is a great idea to add a retractable awning to your home. It will allow you and your family and friends to stay cool and in the shade but not have to stay inside. Retractable awnings allow you to decide if you want to stay in the shade or if you want to shine in the sun.

Not only does the retractable awning protect people from the sun, but it also protects your floors and furniture from the sun. Your wood floors and furniture may change color and get damaged if it receives too much sunlight which is known as wood oxidation.

Money Saver

You may not realize how a retractable awning can help save you money, but it helps cut down on your energy bill. During a hot and sunny day a retractable awning that prevents the sun from coming through the window can help keep the home around 10-15 degrees cooler which means you will not have to turn your air conditioner as powerful as if you did not have an awning. Retractable awnings can also save you from spending money on polishing or replacing your wood floors or furniture from damages the sun can do to them.

Customization

Retractable awnings allow you to get creative as you like. There are several options to choose from to customize your retractable awning to meet your needs and preference. If you are interested in installing a retractable awning give Eclipse Shading System a call!

With a retractable awning installation backyard living “room” is more than just a storage area for your deck, grill, pool and patio furniture; it’s an outdoor living and entertaining area you can turn into a livable, fun and functional part of your home. It can extend your existing entertaining area into your backyard or create an entertaining area if you don’t already have one.

Contact a Peterson & Canvas professional awning installer to help you decide what’s best for your backyard. Remember, your backyard is a flexible outdoor living space whether you have a pool or not; it’s an area you can turn into a comfortable outdoor dining and living area for your family and friends to enjoy.

You may already have a shade structure in place but don’t know how to make the most of it. It’s all a matter of knowing what you like/don’t like, your style and of course your budget. Your shade structure basically provides you an area that you can put outdoor furniture or even an outdoor kitchen underneath, and, these spaces can be added to or enlarged with an addition of a retractable awning.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind when it comes to creating your dream backyard living space:

How big do you want your outdoor living area to be? Be sure to measure all areas carefully (your local professional will do this as well) and take into consideration the existing landscaping.

How much is your budget for your new outdoor space? Make a list of must-have’s and a list of options. Prioritize them if you can’t do them all at once. You can always add to it down the road.

What type of colors or fabrics would you like to use? Acrylic canvas, such as Sunbrella, is water resitant, fadeproof and mildew resistant. Mesh fabrics provide options to maximize visibility balanced with heat and glare reduction. These come in numerous colors, patterns and styles for durable, long lasting style.

What do you want to use this area for? Entertaining? Dining? Cooking? Lounging? All of the above? If you’re looking for more of a dining area than a lounging area, then your awning professional will likely have different suggestions on either for you.

You can dress up that area by installing shade accents (such as shade sails or power screens), pergolas, adding stairs or rails. You can even have lights installed into the awning. Invest in some outdoor treated weatherproof furniture, key accents such as lighting (string lights are easy & very affordable) and maybe consider a fire pit for those chilly nights. Tie it all together with some plants and landscaping.

And there you have it! All you’ll need to create your own backyard living area you’ll want to relax in every night this summer. For more information about retractable awnings and other shading solutions, contact Peterson & Canvas at (800).845.4033 or by email at info@petersoncanvas.com!