6 Patio Awning Ideas for Creating Shade in Summer

We’re about to come into the hottest part of the summer, you know… the part where it feels like you could fry an egg on the floor of your patio. Not only are temperatures rising, but the Sun continues its relentless attack on your family’s skin, eyes and comfort while relaxing in your backyard oasis.

The best way to beat the summer heat is to provide shade in strategic areas of your patio that your family frequents the most. How? You could build a roof or pergola, but that would be spendy and require many of us to acquire a whole new skill set. You could plant some gorgeous shade trees, but who has 15-25 years to wait for those trees to mature to get that blessed relief. Not to worry, our patio experts have exactly the right shade in store for your little ones this summer.

Ideally, you would be able to use the shade on these blistering days but be able to have to sun provide that much-needed Vitamin-D on gorgeous days. Your options are fairly limited… you could use a patio umbrella and move it around to where you need the shade, or you could use what more and more families are relying on to beat the summer heat – the patio awning. A Patio awning gives you shade when you need it, protects your family from surprise summer showers, and easily rolls up to provide golden sunlight when the weather is just right.

We asked our experts to put together their favorite ideas for using retractable awnings in the summer and boy did they come up with some great ones! Let’s take a look…

1. Install a retractable awning for shade only when you need it

You’ve heard it said a thousand times… keep it simple. When it comes to purchasing items for your home, those with less moving parts are more reliable. Manually cranking the Advaning Slim-Gray Series MA1410-108NG manual retractable awning is super easy, and the unique Easy Pitch™ provides the simplest and most convenient way to adjust the canopy’s pitch angle.

2. Consider a clear awning for an ultramodern aesthetic

Sometimes it’s what you can’t see that makes all the difference. The clear polycarbonate construction of the Advaning PA Series PA – SERIES solid polycarbonate premium door awning looks like it will not only provide protection from rain, but the lightweight clear material will block up to 99% of harmful UV rays (UV rays are reflected, while visible light is allowed to pass through). Whether this is modern magic or the very best of science, we love the clean, clear look.

3. No structure near where you need shade? Use a freestanding awning to provide relief

4. Add a freestanding awning to shade an isolated or freestanding patio

5. Use multiple freestanding awnings to shade a larger space

6. Angle your freestanding awning to adjust the shade perfectly for your patio

Patio Awning FAQs

Is a patio awning a good idea?

Absolutely! Here are some top benefits of a using a patio awning:

What is the best material for a patio awning?

Overall, our experts suggest using a vinyl or polyester composite awning canopy for most homes. They’re completely waterproof, can’t catch on fire, require minimal maintenance, come in a wide variety of colors and sizes and can handle just about anything that mother nature tosses at them.

Our next favorite material for a patio awning would be acrylic fabrics due to their being highly durable and excellent at repelling water. From the looks department, acrylic awnings will still look amazing many years down the line and are the most impervious to sun bleaching.

What type of awning is best?

Our experts say that polycarbonate awnings, which easily withstand intense heat and weather, reduce light transmission and block harmful UV rays with the best of ‘em… and because of this they are your best bet.

Which is better, a pergola or awning?

A pergola is a (mostly) permanent structure that typically has a slatted wood roof to help in blocking sunlight. Although you can drape a canvas or other canopy over the pergola to increase the UV blocking power of the structure, most pergolas rely on the semi-shade provided by the wood slats.

An awning (whether freestanding or attached to your home or business), when extended, provides not only UV blocking but also shelter from rain, and can be retracted during those rare, gorgeous days when you just can’t get enough sun. Our vote is that an awning wins, hands down.

Choosing Your Patio Awning