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Today's
Awnings reduce cooling cost
Q: A: Dear Paul: Providing shade for your house and deck is very important for reducing your peak air-conditioning load on hot afternoons. In particular, if your house has brick or masonry walls, the sun's heat is absorbed and this can keep your house uncomfortably warm well into the evening. There are several types of movable awnings available, but the most convenient for your needs is a large lateral arm retractable awning to cover your deck and wall. In addition to providing shade, by selecting the proper fabric, installing one can provide protection even from heavy rains and storms. While sitting under the retractable awning at my own home, I have never had a drop of rain water leak through. A lateral arm retractable awning is unique because it is supported only where it attaches to the house wall. This cantilever design eliminates the inconvenience of having awning supports at the outer corners that rest on the deck or patio. Since it is attached flush against the house wall, it provides very effective and complete shading of the house wall when it is opened. There are hundreds of styles, patterns and colors of decorative fabrics that can be used on a retractable awning. Because the fabric rolls up and is hidden against the wall or under the roof soffit when it is closed, it is not continually exposed to the sun's rays or harsh weather. This function, along with ultraviolet ray inhibitors in the fabric, provides for a long life with little fading. A lateral arm retractable awning can be opened any amount, from just a few inches to its full projection length. You have complete control over the amount of shading and rain protection that you want. For example, when entertaining, you may not want to have the entire deck covered. Although the lateral arms are very strong, they are not strong enough to handle a heavy snow load in the fully open position. I found this out the hard way James Duller is a mechanical engineer who writes on a wide variety of energy and utility topics. His column appears in a large number of daily newspapers. Copyright 1999 James Dulley 18 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING AUGUST 2001 one winter when one elbow broke. However, this is generally not a problem because you usually keep the awning closed in the winter for maximum passive solar heat gain. To visualize how a retractable awning works, hold your arms chest high and tight against your chest with your elbows out to the sides. Now slowly straighten out your arms and imagine them covered with fabric on a roll. This is exactly how a retractable awning opens and closes over a deck or patio. The two lateral arms are spring-loaded at the elbows with the spring force trying to straighten them out. These springs create just enough tension on the fabric, stored in the roll on the wall, so that it stays taut no matter how far the awning is opened. When it is mounted at the proper slope angle, rainwater will not gather on it. Lateral arm retractable awnings can be made in sizes from 4 feet to 40 feet wide with up to 14-foot projections out from the wall. Since you can open one as far as you wish, it is often wise to buy one that has a slightly greater projection than you currently need. A larger one will have slightly longer arms and a larger fabric roll against the house wall. Even the largest awnings are easy to open and close with a hand crank mechanism like I have at my house. For more convenience though, select an optional electric motor drive that is hidden up against the house wall by the fabric roll. Push a button and it opens or closes to any position. If your budget is not tight, consider adding a high-tech wind and rain sensor to control it automatically when you are away. Another movable shading option for a window or wall is a retractable vertical awning. The width can be as narrow as two feet for small window shading, or as wide as necessary. The awnings have hand cranks or are motorized, and are available with see-through, colorful acrylic or total blackout privacy fabrics. If your deck is not located directly against a wall, consider a freestanding retractable awning design. An easy-to-move butterfly design extends out from the frame on both sides and retracts into a narrow protective hood at the center. There are also non-lateral arm awnings that swing down over a window. Write for (instantly download - www.dulley.com) Utility Bills Update No. 465 - buyer's guide of nine manufacturers of various retractable awning designs listing max. widths, projections, features, prices, installation instructions and a fabric selector guide. Please include $3.00 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Illinois Country Living, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244. AUGUST 2001 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 19 |
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