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Nov 10th 2011

Preparing For Winter

The summer is over so take down your outdoor shades, cover them up, and store them for the winter. If you can't take them down, then be prepared to clean up them off every now and then, especially with a lot of dead leaves, dirt and rain peltering them throughout the long winter months.

Introduction to Outdoor Shades

General Outdoor Shades

Also known as sun shades, these are an overlooked but important part of home exterior layout, as it generates extra space near the home which can be used for recreational and other activities.

For example, well-placed umbrellas in the backyard near a pool acts as outdoor patio shades from skin-harming solar radiation. For porch shades in the front of the house, an awning or a set of solar shades allows the homeowner to enjoy that space for relaxation. If there is sufficiently large space around the house, a permanent family-sized canopy provides shelter from both sun and rain for outdoor activities like picnics. The are approximately 5 basic types.

Shade or solar umbrellas are simple, large umbrellas which are erected near tables or extend from a side-arm to shade people sitting nearby. The side-arm ones are known as offset umbrellas. Umbrellas are often the simplest kind of shade, as it is not necessary to make structural changes to the house in order to affix the shading. But umbrellas are also the most limited because the area underneath is not very large and often taken up by a table. Any bit of rain would get at the people sitting underneath around the table.

A pergola is a wooden structure with four posts that holds up an open roof. The open roof is just a series of wooden beams arrayed side to side with gaps large gaps between to let the sun in. The blocking of light is incomplete but that is why the pergola is so prized. The intensity of the rays is cut down but people still enjoy some remnants of the sun light. For mild or cold climates having a bit of light helps warm up even when one doesn't want to be in the path of the full blast of ultraviolet radiation.

Awnings are retractable aluminimum or plastic frameworks which hold a stretched fabric that can be installed over windows or doors. The key role of awnings is to provide a small extension of the house from the opening to provide shade to those near the opening. Awnings must be kept clean due to the possibility of mold or fungal growth. Awning material can be woven fabrics or polyesters, but both will require regular cleaning. The most advanced awnings are controlled by remote and retract automatically upon detection of strong wind or rain.

Canopies are large tent-like outdoor shades, usually held up with a frame that sits on the ground. In contrast, an awning is supported entirely by a frame that's attached to another structure, most often the house. However, the distinction becomes blurred in the case of freestanding awnings, which need not be attached, and in the case of patio canopies, which may in fact be partly attached to a house yet have two poles (wood or steel usually) that support the rest of the structure. Awnings are good for very big parties that take place on the grass.

These are also known solar roller shades and are another type of exterior shading in a limited sense. Usually shades are placed on the inside of the house, but it turns out that placing them on the outside helps prevent the light from ever entering and thus repulse all heat radiation. Installing solar window shades has the effect of reducing interior temperatures by 5 to 10 degrees fahrenheit. The newest ones are controlled by remote - one reason is that often windows are very large so lifting and lowering all the shades takes a lot of time.

Shades are used to cover skylights. As with solar window shades, skylight shades limit the amount of light from entering through the ceiling. While it is nice to have natural light illumination inside the house, it is also important to limit it at times. They are hard to install, clean and take down because of the height.