Awnings: The Secret To Keeping Your House Cool During the Summer
We are entering the peak of the summer season in South Florida, which means the heat is approaching unbearable highs and the humidity just doesn’t quite seem to let up. And while the obvious solution to the heat may be to blast the air conditioning as much as you can, or encircle yourself with a pentagram of house fans, sometimes even these solutions are not enough to ward off the intense South Florida weather. But, what if we told you there was yet another way to keep your house cool despite the temperature outside? What if we told you there was a third solution to the summer sun that is both cost-effective and environmentally-friendly? Well, this secret cooling technique exists: awnings! In this blog post, we cover how awnings can act as an incredibly powerful cooling medium, despite their innocuous nature.
The Science Behind Awnings: The Greenhouse Effect
One may be tempted to overlook awnings as a valid method to cool their home. Hanging over exterior doors or windows, one could easily mistake awnings as just a simple decorative piece. Sure, they may block the sunlight, but surely they couldn’t prevent the heat? Well, you’d be wrong! Awnings actually directly address the primary reason your home becomes so hot during the summer: the sunlight hitting your windows. When sunlight hits a window and makes its way into your residence, it will land on your home’s flooring, furniture, walls, and more. But that’s not where the heat ends. These objects actually absorb the heat radiated from the sun, and then they themselves will give off even more heat throughout the day. This is known as the greenhouse effect, because like a greenhouse absorbing heat with its glass architecture, your home will similarly absorb heat from the sunlight penetrating your windows and trap it within. This effect holds true even if you use window shades or shutters, as the sunlight still hits the window and will heat your room through the shade.
Photo Credit: MIT | This diagram depicts how heat can penetrate through a home’s window and remain trapped inside. Awnings can prevent this!
Take a stroll through any southern estate constructed in the late 1800s to see this belief for yourself. These residences all include large balconies and extended covered porches, not only to enjoy the breeze on a nice spring day, but also to keep the sunlight from hitting the window to keep the house cool during a time before air conditioning existed. However, as air conditioning increased in popularity, the effectiveness of awnings as a cooling device faded into obscurity and they became yet another decorative patio item. But their effectiveness is very much real: by preventing the sunlight from hitting your window with an awning, you can avoid the greenhouse effect from occurring and cool your home significantly.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Cost-Effective Cooling
The benefits of implementing awnings into your home design don’t stop there. Awnings can also help you save a significant amount of money by lowering your energy bill! As awnings lower the overall temperature of your home, your air conditioning does not need to work as hard to maintain your home at the climate you desire. This can save you a tremendous amount of money by lowering the cost of running your air conditioning more intensely and for longer periods of time. But don’t take our word for it: according to Technology Connections who examined the effect of awnings on a home’s heat, installing awning overhangs on all the windows of your home can reduce the annual cooling energy needs by a whopping 20%. An energy reduction of that size will no doubt make a sizable difference in anyone’s energy bill.
Not Just Function, but Form As Well
Awnings offer yet another advantage over other cooling devices as well: their ability to be personalized to your home’s style. One might be able to paint their air conditioning unit red, but that doesn’t contribute much to the home’s overall look. Awnings, on the other hand, can amplify a home’s style when customized to suit the style of the homeowner. Awnings can come in a wide array of fabric types and colors, and depending on the manufacturer, the cassette frame that holds the fabric can be customized with lighting, environmental sensors, and even a drop shade for added solar protection.
We hope this blog post has convinced you as to the hidden value an awning can provide to your home. Not only can they be stylish, but they can cool down your home tremendously by tackling the issue causing the heat directly while potentially saving you money on your energy bill. If you’re convinced, contact us today for a free estimate for our Eclipse Awnings! Our Eclipse Awnings come in 5 distinct valance styles as well as 22 colors, ensuring that regardless of your personal aesthetic, the Eclipse retractable awning fits right in.
