How Awning & Patio Materials Can Keep Your Outdoor Spaces Cool
A patio offers a perfect outdoor entertaining space to relax comfortably outdoors. However, direct sunlight can make the area uncomfortably warm. Luckily, the right finishes for your patio surface, along with accessories like awnings, can keep you cool and comfortable, even in warmer temperatures. Here’s what you should know when choosing materials for your backyard.
How Patio Surfaces Affect Temperature
Some patio materials are dark and porous, which allows them to easily absorb heat energy. This makes the surface warm and radiates that heat back into the air above. Other materials are light and solid, meaning they reflect UV rays and don’t retain nearly as much heat as darker materials. While lighter materials can still get considerably warm when exposed to direct sunlight, they cool much faster, as heat doesn’t linger within the material.
For example, concrete and pavers reflect heat effectively, while asphalt and artificial turf absorb heat and increase patio temperature. Wood and composite decks fall in between these two extremes, holding onto some heat while reflecting the rest.
How Awnings Affect Temperature
Canvas awnings block the sun’s rays from reaching the patio’s material by reflecting heat and light. In fact, awnings can block up to 77 percent of heat energy, especially if the awning is a lighter shade that reflects sunlight. The exact temperature difference depends on the direction the sun is facing at a particular moment, but awnings and canopies over south-facing spaces tend to make the largest difference, since this direction is where the sun’s rays are the most direct throughout the day.
Additionally, the patio material you choose impacts how effective canvas awnings will be at minimizing the effects of heat. For example, artificial turf absorbs and holds onto heat significantly more than concrete, so blocking light from reaching this material in the first place is essential for keeping the space cool. However, it can also help with concrete decks, since light is reflected off these surfaces, which can add heat to the air above the patio.
If you’re looking for awnings to keep your patio cool and comfortable, contact Central Florida Awnings in The Villages, FL. Also find us in Orlando, FL and all parts of Central Florida! We work with top brands like SunSetter® and Eclipse ®. Visit the website for a selection of awnings and canopies. To request a consultation, call (844) 629-6464.
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