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Awnings Provide a Value-Added Home Upgrade
 When people think about home products or upgrades, they often think about interior design, room additions or even extending their outdoor living with decks, patios and landscaping. However, one upgrade not often talked about by homeowners or even builders, are awnings and canopies. These structures are regaining popularity and allowing families to enjoy the outdoors in a variety of weather conditions. And, not only do they provide a unique aesthetic appeal, they also provide energy-savings benefits, making awnings an eco-friendly home addition.
To draw attention to this issue, the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA), a trade association of awning manufacturers, is educating and creating consumer awareness on the benefits of awnings. These benefits are available without compromising a home's exterior beauty.
The Benefits: The use of awnings and canopies blend the benefits of function, style, and sustainability in your home.
- UV Protection: Awnings provide protection from excessive sun exposure and excessive heat. It also protects furniture and carpets from fading.
- Weather Protection: Awnings provide protection from inclement weather.
- Colorfast: Awnings are made using colorfast, UV resistant materials.
- Easy Care/Limited Maintenance: Awning care is easy, with minimal washing and sweeping. While they can be cleaned by the homeowner, awnings can also be professionally cleaned by an awning manufacturer. In terms of storage, awnings are by design self-storing when retracted. Stationary awnings and canopies can be easily removed and stored during the winter months.
- Energy Efficient: Awnings provide an eco-friendly way to help cool your home's interior during hot summer weather, while reducing electricity usage for more sustainable living. Awnings reduce direct solar gain through home windows. This is important because solar radiation through glass is responsible for nearly 20 percent of the load on an air conditioner. Additionally, the ability of awnings to limit the sun's rays through glass directly reduces the impact of global warming from greenhouse gas emissions.
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 A study PAMA commissioned through the Center for Sustainable Research at the University of Minnesota determined that awnings are a viable means of reducing home air conditioning. The study which covers twelve cities representing different climates across the United States found that window awnings can reduce household cooling energy by as much as 26 percent in hot climates and 33 percent in cold climates.
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The Uses: Awnings and canopies, both aesthetically appealing and functional, create outdoor areas that can add beauty and style to your home and extend your living space.
- Awnings for windows and doors
- Privacy valences and shades for screened room or porch
- Patio covers
- Canopy covers/structures for outdoor family activity area
- Canopy protection for outdoor furniture and carpeting.
- Canopy covers for wooden decks from weather damage and fading due to excess exposure to UV rays.
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 The Fabrics: Awnings fit the unique style of every home. There are numerous fabrics and awning styles being offered by the awning specialists in your area,
- Woven Acrylic: These fabrics are water-repellent and colorfast, and are available in a variety of rich colors, which helps in retaining their beautiful appearance for years.
- Vinyl-coated: These fabrics are waterproof and can act as an outdoor shelter, providing protection from the rain when storms roll through.
- PVC Mesh: These fabrics provide ventilation, filtered sunlight, and improved outward visibility, making them ideal for sheltering an outdoor haven for relaxation.
For more information about the benefits of awnings and a list of nearby awning manufacturers, please visit www.awningstoday.com
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