Why You Should Install a Retractable Awning ASAP
Here in Central Florida, we love the sunshine but sometimes it’s a little too much. Whether you’re a homeowner trying to enjoy your backyard without the harsh glare, or a business owner looking to offer guests a shaded outdoor space away from the harmful UV rays, a reliable way to get instant shade is needed. Motorized retractable awnings from New Horizons – Go Retractable offer a stylish and functional solution that adjusts to your needs with ease.
Location is EVERYTHING!
Looking for inspiration? Motorized awnings are versatile and can help provide shade to many different areas of your home or business. Install a retractable awning over your backyard patio, balcony, poolside lounging area, or even your garage-side gathering spot. For businesses, commercial awnings are ideal for restaurants, cafés, resorts, and commercial storefronts. They instantly enhance curb appeal, comfort, and even seating capacity.
How to Choose the Best Awning for Your Home:
The Basics
Once you make the decision that you want an awning for your home or business, there are many other things to consider to make the most of your choice: size, fabric, frame, and features. Before we get into the more detailed features of the awnings, let’s discuss the basics.
Size
You’ll want to first choose an awning size that fits the dimensions of your outdoor living space and provides the coverage needed. The maximum width is 25ft and the maximum projection is 12ft.
Fabric
After determining the size of your awning, you’ll want to find the fabric type, design, color, and pattern that works best for YOU! All of our awning fabrics are made from the company Sunbrella. Their awning fabrics are the industry leader and are recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation as part of the complete sun protection regimen. If you would like a preview of the fabrics we offer, you can view them on the Retractable Awnings page on our website. You can also choose the design for the front of your awning (the valence). You can choose from either a straight or scalloped design (pictured below).
Frame
Finally, you also have some choices to make with the awning frame and color. Living in Central Florida means we deal with some crazy weather at times, so you’ll want a frame that is built to last and withstands exposure to the elements. Our awning frame materials are made of aluminum and steel – very durable – and made for outdoor living. Specifically, the aluminum is powered coated aluminum which is lightweight and an excellent choice for retractable awnings to withstand the intense Florida sun. Luckily, these are standard features of our awning frames, all you have to do is pick your color. They come in a few color options including: black, white, bronze, and beige.
Fun Facts! Frame and Sunbrella fabrics have a 10-yr warranty and all electronics have a 5yr warranty. Also, if you have a particularly bad glare from the sun you can choose to add a drop shade to your awning for that extra sun protection!
Features: It’s All About the Details!
Motorized retractable awnings aren’t just convenient, but also smart. They come included with features like: manual override capabilities, LED lighting, user-adjustable pitch control, and an enclosed cassette, and you can also choose to add a wireless wind sensors for even more convenience.
Wireless Wind Sensors
For added protection and general peace of mind, you can choose to add sensors to your retractable patio awning that will detect strong winds and auto-retract back into the enclosed cassette. This feature is especially useful here in Central Florida where our weather can turn from beautiful to stormy in the blink of an eye!
Manuel Override Capabilities
Each of the motorized awnings comes with a simple hand crank that can be used to retract the awning back in case of loss of power. Another very helpful protection feature against the unpredictable Florida weather.
LED Lighting
Unlike the other features listed so far, the led lighting features is a great aesthetic feature that is included with your awning purchase. They are implemented into the awning and can be turned on and off with your remote. You can see in the picture that the lights on this patio awning provide a nice amount of light for the perfect evening ambiance. The lights are such a great addition because they allow you to extend the use of your awning into the evening and night!
User Adjustable Pitch Control
Most awnings, even fixed awnings, are designed with a downward pitch for the best sun and weather protection. However, being able to adjust the pitch of your awning is a great way to add sun protection or welcome in the warmth as needed. With our patio awnings, you can use the hand crank to control the pitch of your awning, tilting it up or down as the seasons change.
Enclosed Cassette
Finally all of our awnings come with an enclosed cassette, which is the housing that keeps the awning protected when it is not in use. It has a clam shell type of design and ensures that your awning stays clean and protected from the elements, prolonging its lifespan and ensuring years of enjoyment.
Ready to Upgrade Your Outdoor Space?
The New Horizons – Go Retractable team is here to help you reimagine your outdoor living or business space with comfort, sun protection, elegance, and ease with our motorized retractable awnings. Our professional installation team is ready to build the shaded backyard of your dreams. Contact us today for a free quote or stop by our one-of-a-kind outdoor showroom at our office in Winter Park, FL to see our three full sized motorized retractable awnings in action!
