Homes a hundred years ago typically had awnings for home over each window and doorway. In those days this was pretty much the only way to cut down on the glare from the sun. These older homes had no insulation and no air conditioning or fans. Awnings were the only method they had to control internal temperatures.

Five decades later came the industry gold standard. Heavy duty aluminum came into vogue, and every new housing development proudly displayed all their new awning designs; in many cases, they were turned into important selling points considering homes hadn’t converted to air conditioning as yet. Some were permanent, others were removable to either clean, or take down in the winter.

Over the next few decades awnings became not only methods to cool off the house, but a type of style and fashion accessory. Homes with yards and patios would install huge awnings to cover large expanses of patio or yard.

That’s not to say they were no longer needed or appreciated! Homes dating from the fifties or even the sixties, built with permanent awnings, were being sold to families who decided to leave these awnings in place! Still working, still adding value, and not detracting at all from the beauty of the home, these awnings weren’t going anywhere!

Depending on what you’d like to install in today’s world, you’ll find large differences when it comes to prices, sizes and whether they are manual or automatic. Of course, the automatic ones cost more but when it comes to large sizes that cover the equivalent of a living room, this is the only way to go. A manual awning of this magnitude would be almost impossible to maneuver easily, or it would need to be installed in sections.

Always consider professional installation especially if you want the automatic styles. Since they need to be hooked into a power supply directly (they don’t just plug in), this isn’t really a job for anyone but either a licensed electrician or a professional installer.

Pricing varies greatly. The typical large home improvement centers usually act as middlemen; they only put you in touch with local stores and contractors who can help you choose awnings and get them installed. Smaller local retailers might be a better choice if they actually manufacture the product themselves and offer installation services. They sell direct to the consumer and because of that, are most likely able to provide lower prices than at the big box popular retailers.

Finding it impossible to pick the right outside awnings for home? Get the inside scoop in our awnings for home Mercerville overview.