5 Creative ways to customise your awning

Awnings are some of the most versatile and customisable shade and weather protection devices out there! With a multitude of customisation options for size, shape, colour, style, functionality, placement, material storage and smart technology, you will find exactly what you need and more in an awning for your home or business.

Keep reading to learn more about various awning customisations for retractable awnings, window awnings and more in Sydney!

 

Size

Have you ever gone shopping for clothes, didn’t try it on in the store and got home just to put it on and realise it completely doesn’t fit? Property owners tend to think the same way with awnings’ sizing. With help from the right awning provider, a team traditionally comes out and takes notes and measurements so situations like that do not ever occur.

Whether you are purchasing an outdoor retractable awning or a window awning in Sydney, store-bought structures are generally limiting and have lesser quality. Coming often in hyper-specific sizes places a limit on how one can use them.

Properties differ drastically and are unique in a multitude of ways, which is why it’s ever-so-important to get an awning that is tailored specifically to your needs. This ensures you get a perfect size and maximum value.

Unless you buy an awning from a retailer which offers a variety of sizes, your awning can be any size. It is a custom fit for covering what you are looking for. This is one of the largest benefits of hiring an awning company to create and install your awning.

Colour

With fabric or canvas awnings, your colour palette options are potentially limitless. Your awning’s frames can also have various metallic properties, but for a colour matching guide with soft material awnings, read below.

In terms of light and dark-coloured retractable awnings or window awnings in Sydney, the idea is simple. Light colours like white or pastels reflect light and will therefore direct light away from your home. Darker colours absorb light, which means your awning will trap more heat than a lighter colour.

If energy savings is the absolute primary reason for your investment in a retractable awning, then you should pick a light colour like white. If you are more concerned with style and aesthetic beauty, then choosing a deeper shade is recommended.

Accenting your home with various colours also impacts your colour pairing decision. A historic building, especially in Australia, is usually well complemented by subtle striped awnings with scalloped edges. Modern homes can be complemented by sleek lines and bold colours.

Above all – make sure you choose something that you will still like in a few years from now to make the most of your investment!

Here’s a colour guideline for various home colours in practical terms:

• Gray – Brown awnings look ultra-sophisticated. Yellow creates an attractive contrast.
• White – A red awning can work well. Blue looks stately and conservative.
• Red brick – Avoid any shade of green awning.
• Tan/beige – Choose blue or green if you want the colour to pop.
• Blue – Avoid reds.
• Yellow – Green is a popular colour choice.
• Green – Brown will complement it.
• Wood – Many colours along with black will work well. Decide based on your surroundings and the style of the home.
• Black awnings – While not the choice for energy efficiency, can work with virtually any house colour. Shades of brown also work well with most houses. Red awnings tend to fade more quickly than other colours. Meanwhile, yellow, blue and green will hold their colour for longer periods of time.

Colour guideline for various types of architecture:

• Traditional homes – Deep/dull greens and blues and other neutrals
• Cottage style homes – Work well with stripes
• Colonial homes – Neutral colours, stripes
• Modern homes – Stay away from patterns. Solid colours work best.
• Beach homes – Colour and patterns! Go crazy!
• Scalloped edges -These work well on colonial homes or at a place of business
• Stripes or solids – Stripes can work well for a retail store or colonial-style homes. The size of the awning will dictate the width of the stripe. A narrow stripe will be overwhelmed by a big awning. The general rule of thumb is – the larger the awning, the larger the stripe.

If you have a retractable awning, when it is retracted, the cassette should match the colour of your home to make it almost invisible when the awning is retracted.

Material

When it comes to awning material, you ideally want a durable fabric or material that forms the cover. Awning materials can generally offer the following benefits

1. Durability
2. Dirt-resistance
3. UV protection
4. Colour retention

If you are looking for more shade, consider getting an awning with a drop shade.

Polyester (vinyl-coated) is ideal for larger awnings because it offers “rebound” behaviour to prevent sagging in the long term. The vinyl-coated option is resistant to UV light, mildew and water. It also performs excellently in high humidity areas like Sydney’s summer months.

Solution-dyed acrylic (canvas) is best for frequent use because the colours remain vibrant longer.

Acrylic-coated polyester is good for acrylic as a base for many awning fabrics because of its durability and resistance to wrinkling, fading and mildew growth.

Metal or aluminium is durable and relatively low maintenance. Although it’s common for metal awnings to rust and dent in severe weather and without proper maintenance.

Additional Functionality

Generally, you will find five main functional awnings in the market – retractable, motorised, portable, fixed and window awnings. There are extensions and other ways to customise your design, but these are the base templates for awning investors.

Why is it important to look at additional functionality? If you want shade, ease and convenience, then an outdoor retractable awning might be the best choice for your property, but if you want to advertise your company on your shopfront, a straight drop awning would be better. Knowing the type of additional functionality, you will have a better idea of what suits your needs when picking an awning.

If you plan on using your awning for shelter from the rain, you want a covering material that is rated “waterproof”.

App/mobile device control is available if you have a smartphone or tablet. You can now get motorised awnings that are controlled via an app.

Don’t forget to check out integrated lighting in your awning. This is an excellent way to both protect from weather and have a gorgeous well-lit area.

Nowadays, you can even get awnings that come with built-in heaters that project heat to the covered area. This is great in cooler climates where it can get chilly at night.

There is a series of retractable windows that provides plenty of light and air. The downside with the “glass” awning is that you don’t get shade, it merely protects against wet weather.

Storage

The cassette is the covering around the motor and holds the covering when retracted. It’s the part mounted to the wall.

There are 3 types of cassettes:

• Full (closed) cassette – When awning retracted is fully protected.
• Semi cassette – Provide some protection to the covering.
• Open cassette – Retracted awning remains exposed.

When it comes to the motor consideration, you want one that is:

• Durable
• Quiet
• Maintenance-free

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Whether it is to stand out, add space or save money, installing awnings in your Sydney business property is a handy method.

If you are looking for awnings for sale, look no further than Eureka Awnings. Our team of dedicated professionals are more than happy to help maximise your business’ potential.

Visit our Sydney showroom today or call 1300 789 886 for an onsite quote.