Outdoor window coverings are one of the latest trends to keep a house cool this summer according to National Marketing Manager for Luxaflex Window Fashions Jenny Brown who says maximising living space with a seamless indoor-outdoor transition has been a key trend across the past year, and shows no signs of slowing down.
“Outdoor awnings remain hugely popular as they offer advanced sun protection and airflow for a more enjoyable entertaining space, while providing the added benefit of helping maintain your home’s internal temperature,” says Jenny.
The main trend this season is expected to be awnings colour coordinated with the home exterior. The colour of the awning can affect the heat and glare says Jenny. “Darker colours are best for reducing glare, whereas lighter colours are more effective for heat control – contemporary awnings look fantastic on the modern home, however the ‘timeless’ collection of awnings suit more traditional architectural styles.”
Another big trend moving ahead in 2018 is personalisation, as Australians continue to switch to smart home automation at a record pace. Motorisation provides homeowners with numerous additional benefits, such as the option to schedule their window coverings to lower exactly when they want which can help create substantial savings on a home’s cooling bills. “By scheduling your awnings to lower as you leave for work in the morning, you can actively help maintain a cool indoor temperature in your home. External shading reduces heat transfer through windows by up to 90 per cent and a whopping 88 per cent of a home’s heat gain in summer occurs through windows,” says Jenny.
Stopping the heat of the sun from entering your home is important to keeping your house cool in summer. A room attracts heat if objects inside the house get hot, it causes the heat to radiate throughout the house. An awning may be the ideal fix, rather than keeping the air-conditioner running this summer.
Readers also enjoyed our story Home from the Heart.
