Retractable Awnings: The Complete Guide

Introduction

Our team at Humphrys Awnings created this comprehensive retractable awnings guide to help inform home and business owners before they make an investment. Retractable awnings are both beautiful and practical, and come with several benefits (some of which you may not expect). In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about retractable awnings, from how retractable awnings work to the benefits of installing a retractable awning and everything in between. Armed with this information, you will be able to select the right awning for your space, and of course, we are always here to help.

What is a Retractable Awning?

A retractable awning is an awning that can be either manually or mechanically retracted and opened depending on the user’s needs. Awnings can be used to provide shade and privacy, beautify your surroundings, create additional usable outdoor space, and to brand your commercial location. Retractable awnings are permanently mounted to the exterior of your home or place of business via brackets and can be installed over patios and decks, windows and doors, and above apartment terraces and balconies. They provide excellent value, are easy to take care of, and can be made in custom colors, prints, and sizes.

Curious what to look for when shopping for a retractable awning? Read about retractable awning parts and components, and how they impact the quality of an awning.

How Do Retractable Awnings Work?

A retractable awning unrolls fabric from a rotating roller tube as its lateral arms extend, then rewinds the fabric as the arms retract. The rotation of the roller tube is initiated either by a manual hand crank or an electric motor. Heavy-duty springs inside the lateral arms straighten the elbow joints and move the front bar. Retractable models do not require posts set in the ground. They mount directly to a wall, soffit, or roof with stainless steel brackets.

What Turns the Roller Tube?

For manually operated awnings, a hand crank turns a worm gear mounted at the end of the roller tube. The gear transfers that motion to the tube, which unrolls or rewinds the awning fabric as the awning extends or retracts, while also holding the awning in its selected position when cranking stops. Motorized models utilize an electric motor inside the roller tube to extend and retract the awning at the push of a button. For operation during a power outage, a manual crank override is available as an option on certain motorized awnings. Awnings wider than 20 feet require motorization.

What Are the Benefits of a Retractable Awning?

Retractable awnings have a host of benefits that can extend your enjoyment of the outdoors:

• Choice: You can choose full sun or comfortable shade at any time of day, extending the useful hours of your outdoor space even in the hottest months of the year.

• More space: Retractable awnings create additional space for entertaining, working, and lounging, allowing you to use your outdoor space throughout more of the year.

• Curb appeal: A retractable awning can enhance your home’s exterior with a tailored look that complements its architecture rather than looking like a stock add-on

• Sun protection: Outdoor furniture that is regularly shaded by a retractable awning can last longer because it is protected from UV exposure.

• Long-lasting: The ability to retract during bad weather makes retractable awnings less likely to suffer storm damage than awnings that remain exposed year-round.

• Keep the sun at bay: There is no longer any need to step onto a blazing-hot deck or spray down hot furniture before sitting outside. Pets and people alike will appreciate cooler surfaces for lounging.

• Stay outside: The shade beneath an awning can make your outdoor area more comfortable, helping you spend more time outside when it counts.

• Save energy: By shading windows and glass doors, a retractable awning can reduce solar heat gain inside your home during warmer months. Potential cooling-cost savings vary based on your climate, the season, and how you use the awning, while retracting it in winter allows sunlight to help warm your home.

Which Retractable Awning is Best for Your Space?

Wondering where to begin? First of all, there are many types of retractable awnings; some stretch out horizontally, and others drop down vertically. The type you choose will depend on the location you are trying to protect from the sun.

If you are overwhelmed by the different options below, do not hesitate to contact our awning experts for assistance.

• Lateral-arm retractable awnings

• Retractable side or drop arm awnings

• Drop-down or solar shade awnings

• Semi-cassette awnings

• Pergola shade awnings

• Limitless Canopies

Where Will It Be Installed?

Retractable awnings can do more than shade windows and doors. Solar shade awnings can drop vertically to shade an outdoor kitchen, dining area, or bar. Pergola shade awnings can be installed over an existing pergola to provide shade wherever it is located in your yard. A drop-arm canopy can cover a deck while allowing you to adjust its pitch based on the angle of the sun.

Retractable awnings can shade porches, patios, decks, backyards, swimming pools, doors, windows, and balconies.

What Fabric is Right for your Retractable Awning?

Concerned about fading? We offer a vast array of fabric choices from the top outdoor fabric manufacturers in the world. Available fabric lines include Sunbrella, Recasens, Sattler, Dickson, and Para Tempotest, which offer UV resistance, color retention, and resistance to mold and mildew.

Most of our fabrics are solution-dyed acrylic, as this fabric is extremely UV resistant and tends to keep its color and beauty for years and years.

Explore fabric options for retractable awnings

Selecting the Right Color for Your Home

With hundreds and hundreds of color choices, Humphrys Awnings is sure to set you up with an awning that complements your home, outdoor setting, and personal style. A good place to start is to think through your preference for light or dark colors. Light colors are perhaps more practical in that they reflect sunlight more efficiently than dark colors, and you will find more savings when choosing a lighter color. However, colors like navy, red, green, and black all have their uses and work well when set against certain house colors.

Beyond color, consider whether a solid, striped, or patterned fabric best suits your space, as well as details such as a scalloped valance, drop shades for added sun control, or a hood to protect the awning when retracted.

Learn how to match an awning color to your home's style

Manual vs. Motorized Retractable Awnings

It may not be surprising that manual retractable awnings are a more budget-friendly option, while the convenience of motorized retractable awnings make them a bit more of an investment. Both come with the benefits of being able to open and retract your awnings to suit your needs and shade preferences. A manual awning has a hand crank similar to what you may have used in the old days to close and open a car window. Motorized options can be controlled by a wall switch, remote control, or app. Some retractable awnings can even be set to roll up or retract based on the sun’s movements; an optional wind sensor triggers the closing of the awning in windy and rainy conditions to prevent damage when you’re away from home.

How Much Maintenance Do Retractable Awnings Need?

One benefit of a well-made retractable awning is that it requires minimal maintenance to keep it performing at its best. With just 10-20 minutes per month, your awnings can be kept free of dust and dirt with a quick spray of the hose. Aside from an annual scrub brush session and lubrication of the metal parts, your awnings require very little time to keep them looking and functioning at their best!

Beyond simply keeping the awning clean and in good shape, it is important to prevent damage from weather. The lateral structure of the retractable awning makes it particularly vulnerable to things like high winds and heavy rain. Since it is only attached on one side and extends out quite a distance, it is important to keep the awning retracted whenever there is a risk of bad weather.

What Sizes Do Retractable Awnings Come In?

Retractable awnings can be fabricated for virtually any need that you have, whether for residential or commercial spaces. That said, there are some limitations when it comes to width and projection, simply to maintain structural rigidity and to fit the folding lateral arms. To a point, the wider the retractable awning, the further your horizontal projection can also be. That said, there are some specialized retractable designs that allow these limitations to be bypassed, enabling retractable awnings that extend further than they are wide.

Understanding the sizes available for retractable awnings as well as the relationship between length and projection is an important prerequisite for measuring your space for one.

How Do You Measure for a Retractable Awning?

Before you even reach out to awning companies for quotes, it's a good idea to take a few measurements yourself. This will give you the information you need to get good value from your initial calls with prospective awning dealers.

Use our step-by-step guide to measure your deck or patio for a retractable awning

How Much Does a Retractable Awning Cost?

A quick Google search for retractable awnings brings back results ranging from $300 to $10,000, and the reasons for price differences aren't always apparent. But the adage 'you get what you pay for' certainly applies here, and many differences are easy to see with a second glance.

Inexpensive awnings ($3 to $8 per sq/ft), such as those you would find at Home Depot, Wayfair, and similar retailers, generally come as kits and are complicated to assemble and install. By necessity, they are lightweight enough to transport and install without professional assistance. This means that durability, usability, and aesthetics are secondary priorities. These awnings are best for occasional use (such as with an RV or on a cottage), since heavy use can wear them out quickly.

High-end awnings ($20 to $45 per sq/ft) prioritize everything that cheaper awnings sacrifice. They are generally constructed with thick, heavy, robust parts, and offer a wide range of options for convenience and increased comfort. These awnings are also often custom-made, enabling a far greater range of sizes, features, and colors/patterns than down-market options. The trade-off is that these products are very difficult to install on your own and are expensive to ship, so working through a dealer or installer is a must.

Mid-range awnings ($10 to $15 per sq/ft), such as the well-known brand Sunsetter, are a compromise. While more durable than the awnings sold at big box retailers as well as more customizable, mid-range awnings are still made to be shipped nationally and installed by the homeowner. They are also constructed to hit a lower price point. All of these things mean that some durability, aesthetics, and features have to be sacrificed. Despite this, mid-range awnings will better stand up to routine residential use and come with significantly better product support than budget options.

The price isn't the only factor that affects the total cost of retractable awnings, though.

Humphrys Awnings is a pioneer in the design and manufacture of retractable awnings. We use premium fabrics from leading brands around the world, available in hundreds of colors and patterns. Our hardware is made from the most durable materials and built to the highest standards of quality. We stand by our products with one of the best warranties in the business. We've built that reputation since 1874.