3 Little-Known Benefits Of Awnings Over Home Windows

1. Lower Home Cooling Bills

Since average high temperatures in Alabama can skyrocket into the 90s during the summer, you are likely always looking for ways to reduce your home cooling costs. If you do not have awnings over your home windows, then you likely do not realize just how much these awnings can lower your home cooling bills.

When the sun heats your home during the summer, radiation passes through your home windows, which causes an effect called solar heat gain. And it takes an average of 20 percent of the energy an air conditioner uses during the summer is to combat the indoor warming effect of this solar heat gain.

According to the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association, installing awnings over windows of a home can reduce home cooling bills by about $200 annually by reducing the amount of solar heat gain an air conditioner must work to counteract.

While this solar heat gain does help heat your home naturally in the winter, when you choose retractable awnings, you can simply remove the awnings in the winter to allow the sun to heat your home naturally during the cold season.

2. Protect Family From UV Rays When Indoors

While glass in the average window blocks most of the sun's UVB rays, about half of the sun's UVA rays still pass through the glass. Even if your family takes steps to not sit directly in front of home windows to protect themselves from the sun's UV rays, realize that these rays project about six feet into the home through the window.

Both UVB and UVA rays can contribute to the formation of skin cancer and premature skin aging, but UVA rays are considered the most hazardous because they travel deeper into the skin than UVB rays. This fact makes it important to take steps to protect your family from the sun's UV rays when they are indoors as well as outdoors.

Reducing the amount of UV radiation that enters your home windows by installing window awnings over them is one way to help protect your family from the sun's UV rays when indoors.

3. Prevent Carpet and Furniture Fading

If you have noticed that your carpet or furniture tends to fade over time, you may have just accepted this as a natural part of furniture wear and aging. However, about 90 percent of carpet and furniture fading is actually caused by the sun's rays that penetrate through the windows in your home.

The effects of solar heat cause about 25 percent of furniture fading, while furniture exposure to the sun's UV rays contribute to an additional 40 percent of the furniture fading process. The final 25 percent of the sun's effect on furniture fading is simply due to the sunlight that penetrates through your windows.

You can easily slow down how quickly the carpets and furnishings fade in your home by having awnings placed over your home windows. You can then look forward to replacing or reupholstering your furniture less often if furniture or carpet fading has been a problem in your home.

While installing a fixed or retractable awning over an outdoor living space is a great way to protect your family from the sun's harsh UV rays and heat when they are spending time outdoors, be sure to consider placing awnings over your home windows to reap these benefits and more. Reach out to Evans Awning Company to discuss your residential awning options.