Awnings

Choosing Awnings

Awnings are ideally suited to the Central Coast lifestyle.  They can offer great protection from the morning and afternoon sun, as well as allowing you to enjoy outside entertaining areas for extended times of the year.

Awnings are the most effective option for slowing down the heat entering your home.  It can often mean the difference of 4-5 degrees, and that’s before you start up the air-conditioning!

These days Awnings come in a variety of colours and fabrics.  The three most popular fabrics are Canvas, Acrylic and Sunscreen Fabric.  The correct awning fabrics are designed for outside use and many carry 5+ year warranty on the fabric alone.

The traditional stripes suit a traditional style of home or cottage and are available in Canvas, Acrylic or Sunscreen Fabrics.  The Sunscreen fabrics allow you to still see out of the window, but the awning blocks out 90% of the heat and glare from the window – before it even hits your window.

There is an increasing trend for a modern look for awnings with the matt colours of charcoal, heritage green, cream, and primrose being the most popular.  There are over 50 colours to choose from in either a waterproof acrylic fabric or sunscreen fabric.

The interesting thing about awnings is the ability to “freshen up” the look of your windows.  If you have an old awning that is still working perfectly, but the fabric is dated or mouldy, a “re-skin” or “re-cover is an inexpensive way to give it a new lease of life.  An awning recover is often a third to a half of the price of a new one.

Here is a brief review of the different styles of awnings suited to the Central Coast Lifestyle.

Automatic Lock Arm Awning

Not so much automatic, but it folds away easily (automatically). Arguably the most popular and affordable awning for the Central Coast Lifestyle. An Auto Lock Awning is ideal for ground floor locations, where you can pull them down and let them fold away by standing next to them.  They are not really suited to anything above the ground floor as they cannot have internal controls, so it makes them hard to open and close if they are too high up.  Premier Shades at 18/482 Pacific Highway, Wyoming  have an Automatic Lock Arm Awning on display at the front of their shop.  You can try it and see how it opens and closes for yourself.

Pivot Arm Awnings

Great for upstairs or downstairs.  The arms actually pivot out from the window, so you do have a bit of space between the awning and the window.  The arm length can be specified if you want it shorter or longer, but it is not suitable to sit under.  Pivot Arm Awnings on the Central Coast can be motorised or have easy to operate internal controls, meaning you can open and close them from inside the room they are attached to.  The internal controls for your awning is often a small box that you can wind with a handle from the inside with minimum effort.  Motorised awnings can be operated with a remote control or hard wired and have a switch on the wall.

Ways to control your awning:

Crank Handle: Where you hook the long extended pole into a hook on the awning and wind it to move the awning up or down/ in or out.

 

Internal Winch Control: These control boxes help you wind the awning in and out.  They are mounted inside the window often next to the window frame.  Usually off white in colour.  Awnings are often very heavy, and these winch controls are an easier way to raise and lower them.

Roll Down Awning

Similar to a internal roller blind, these awnings have the mechanics and fabric to withstand the weather outside.  A number of different variations means you can have them as a spring loaded up and down control, a rope and pulley control, a wire guided control (where the fabric is hooked onto wire guides on either side and moves up and down) or motorised.  These types of awnings can be down as the PVC Cafe Style of awning that you see in a lot of outside dining areas of restaurants and cafes (known as Cafe Style Awnings).  However the most popular fabrics are acrylic in plain matt colours of charcoal, heritage green and cream, or sunscreen fabrics in similar colours.  As well as blocking the heat from your windows around your house, these awnings are great for enclosing an outside Patio or deck area for privacy.

Folding Arm Awning

Extend your outside entertaining area all year round, without the cost of a builder!  A folding arm awning arms extend horizontally so you can sit underneath.  Often referred to as a retractable awning, it is great for creating extra cover by a pool, on a deck or patio area.  The opening and closing controls can be operated by a crank handle, or they can motorised.  To motorise a Folding Arm awning on the Central Coast you would be looking at an additional $1,000.   The fabric can only be acrylic or sunscreen fabric because the weight of canvas would be too heavy for the awning to cope with. Most Folding Arm awnings can be made as wide as 7 metres, with the ability to go wider by joining two folding arm awnings together.   The fabric of the awning can be held within a cassette, so when it folds away, the fabric and components are completely protected from the weather and general wear and tear.   To learn more or organise an expert to visit your home for a free measure and quote speak to Premier Shades on the Central Coast.  click here.

 

Why should you choose a Folding Arm Awning for your Central Coast home?…read our article here http://centralcoastblinds.com.au/faqs/folding-arm-awning-central-coast-style/

 

 

 

Ziptrak External Awning.

Possibly one of the most popular style of awnings around at the moment.  The Ziptrak external blind can enclose your deck or pergola easily, protecting you from the Heat, Sun and bugs.  No need for a builder as it can be installed between your posts either on the inside or on the outside (face of the post).  The Ziptrak external blind can be custom made up to 6 metres and is mainly made with a PVC or screen fabric.  If you need it wider, it can be installed with a removable post, so you can span up to 12 metres. The Ziptrak is more for sun protection, than wind protection.  While not officially rate on the wind scale, it can take around 50km per hour.  Stronger winds than than, and it should be left all the way up or it could act like a sail and rip from its brackets.  Premier Shades are considered the local experts of Ziptraks on the Central Coast and have a number on display in their showroom at Wyoming.  To read more about this great product click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dutch Hood Canopy Awning;

These awnings have a fabulous European look to them are very popular for shop fronts too.

The Dutch Hood style Awning has straight sides, while the Capola Canopy Awning looks a little like an eyelid with rounded sides.  These are great way to decorate an entrance to a home or business.  A Dutch Hood Awning is decorative and functional therefore a little more expensive than a standard auto-lock arm awning.  Dutch Hood Style Awnings would suit homes on the Central Coast that are looking to create a more Mediterranean or European look to their home.  Dutch Hood fabric awnings can be “reskined” which means new fabric can be put on an existing frame to freshen up the look and make it more modern. Premier Shades has a Dutch hood canopy awning on display in their showroom at 18/482 Pacific Highway, Wyoming.

Carribean Aluminium Awning.

Being made from Aluminium makes these Awnings 100% waterproof.  They are made in vertical stripped panels, so the width is unlimited. You do not need to have alternating stripes, as the awning looks just as good as one solid colour.  The range of colours is very similar to colourbond colours and they have a white underside.  They look great matched in with guttering colour of your home. The maximum projection is 1.8metres.  They are ideal for covering in small areas above doorways or verandahs.    You can have them made with our without sides, however without sides if by far the more popular (and affordable) style.  Premier Shades, Awnings & Blinds have a Carribean Aluminium Awning on display at the front of their shop at 18/482 Pacific Highway, Wyoming.