Patio Awnings: Everything You Need to Know

Having an interior patio is an advantage in your home for relaxing and enjoying family dinners or meals. A space dedicated to relaxation, surrounded by greenery, plants, and flowers, is like another room, but outdoors. Patio awnings are very useful both in summer and winter, as they protect us from the sun's rays and summer heat, as well as from the wind and winter rain. Patios aren't just a simple living space; they become a way of life, a very personal way of life. Many people become accustomed to this lifestyle and can never again live without a patio in their chosen home. Thanks to awnings, your patio becomes a cool place to enjoy while still being protected from the changes in the weather during the winter months.

Type of awnings according to the patio

There are numerous types of awnings for patios, but each home has different and, therefore, personalized needs, meaning each home requires a protective system tailored to them. At Mk Awnings, we are experts in installing awnings and pergolas for your home. Choosing one type of awning or another depends on several factors, the first and most important being the available space. This is essential to begin choosing or ruling out your options. For both interior and exterior patios, the options for shading the outdoor space include opting for a wall-mounted awning, pergolas (wall-mounted or with four supports), gazebos, or shade sails.

Motorized awnings

Box awnings are convenient because they fold away when not in use and provide a clear view of the outside space. For small patios, they're perhaps the best option. The larger the awning, the more advisable a motorized model is.

With sensors

To protect the awning on your patio, we recommend installing wind and rain sensors. This way, when the first drops of rain or gusts of wind begin, it will automatically retract and be stored in an aluminum box.

Pergolas with awnings

If your indoor or outdoor patio is fairly large, a pergola with an awning or adjustable slats (bioclimatic) would be perfect. If you want to create more space on your terrace, you can choose a wall-mounted pergola, as it only has two support legs. However, if you have a lot of outdoor space, a gazebo, a stretched pergola, or our complete bioclimatic pergolas would be ideal.

Triangular awnings for smaller patios

If your patio isn't very large and you don't have room for large structures, our top recommendation is triangular awnings for a boho and magical atmosphere, which you can complement with lights for your evening dinners. Similar to a fabric awning, they are attached at several points. They also come in pre-made square and triangular shapes. At Mk Awnings, we install all sizes and formats, as they are custom-made and adapt to any space.

Type of fabric

The most important thing is that the fabric used to make the patio awning has UV and infrared protection, so it will act as a screen. Ideally, it should block between 90 and 99% of UV and infrared rays, thus avoiding the feeling of heat. Additionally, most fabrics are micro-perforated, which promotes micro-ventilation and prevents the greenhouse effect.

Color is not just aesthetics

The color also influences the awning's protection from the rays it filters and, above all, the amount of light it allows to pass through. Light-colored fabrics filter the sun's rays, thus providing light to the covered area. The darker the color, the more they protect from the sun's light intensity.