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Tag: awnings in colorado

Best Uses for Awnings

Posted on by Meghan Lalonde

Many homes and businesses in the Fort Collins area consider awnings an essential type of outdoor shading system. Awnings are versatile and available in a variety of styles and colors that will enhance the appeal of any property. There are many other benefits and uses for awnings:

Cut Heating and Cooling Costs

Significantly reducing heating and cooling costs can be achieved for your home or business through the use of awnings. Awnings are a great option for warmer months and in the Summer, because they reduce heat gain by 77 percent. Awnings also are great for preventing the sun’s rays from hitting doors and windows.  This outdoor shading system also helps air conditioners run more efficiently, saving your money on your utility bill.

Protect Furniture

If you have expensive furniture and decorations in your home, you want to do everything you can to protect them from any sun damage.  Awnings are a vital solution to prevent UV ray damage or fading to furniture, flooring, and curtains.

Increase Curb Appeal

Awnings are an affordable way to add curb appeal to any home or business. We offer a variety of styles and colors of awnings from the industry’s top manufacturers that can complement any architecture or homeowner’s taste. Awnings also help attract customers to your business.

Enhance Outdoor Living Areas

Patios and decks look great with awnings. Not only do they add style to your outdoor living area, but they are also functional. Awnings allow you and the family to enjoy time spent outdoors, providing shade on sunny days. Awnings can also significantly reduce the outdoor temperature during warm summer months. On rainy days, homeowners can also take refuge under their awnings and stay dry.

At Peterson Canvas & Awning, we carry a large variety of residential retractable awnings, commercial awnings and sail shades. Our team of professionals can help you decide on what product is right for your property. Contact us today at (970) 493-4033.

Retractable Awnings Offer Many Solutions

Posted on by Meghan Lalonde

When most people think about awnings, they imagine the type that hangs over movie theaters or restaurants, but there is another kind of awning that is great for any home or business: a retractable awning. Retractable awnings offer many solutions and are becoming increasingly popular for many reasons, including versatility and affordability.

Great for Any Purpose

Retractable awnings can be both flexible and versatile, making them ideal for nearly any kind of residence or business in Colorado. You can choose from a variety of colors made from high-quality fabric that blocks out different amounts of light.  Selecting a retractable awning will complement your personal taste and the style of your home.  It’s a natural extension, and not an awkward add on. You can also choose the length of the awning, so that it perfectly fits your outdoor living area.

Cost-effective

Typically, these awnings only have attachments to the house, meaning you won’t have to deal with standing poles obstructing your view. A retractable awning placed outside helps you save on your heating and cooling bills. You can also take it down and store it away when not in use. Purchasing a good cover that you can place over it while in storage also extends the lifespan of your awning, so that you do not have to replace it for several years.

Hassle-free Removal

A retractable awning provides shade and protection from the weather, but they are also easy to remove when not in use or during winter months.  Businesses can benefit from retractable awnings because they offer customers refuge from the rain when entering or leaving the business. For residential use, they allow any patio or porch to be the perfect space to enjoy the outdoors throughout the year.

 

For more information about retractable awnings in the Fort Collins area, contact us today at 970-493-4033. We proudly also serve customers in Loveland, Windsor,  Greeley,  Estes Park,  Boulder, Broomfield,  Louisville,  Arvada,  Longmont, Berthoud, Cheyenne,  Laramie,  Grand Lake, and Lafayette.

Why Restaurants Choose Red Awnings

Posted on by Meghan Lalonde

Ever noticed how many restaurants in urban areas opt for a red or warm-colored awning to extend their dining areas and attract customers walking down the street? Walking through downtown Denver or Vale, CO, you’ll spot a number of restaurants with a crimson awning wrapped around or in front of the location. It’s not a mistake — red awnings are by far some of the most popular choices for restaurants.

Why? Well, there’s some psychology behind the choice.

A lot of research has been done to study the connection between colors and eating habits. A few of those findings have been relatively universal, such as that blue and purple awnings can result in a loss of appetite as they are not colors psychologically associated with natural food.

The color yellow can eventually be too bright and cause irritation for patrons dining under a restaurant awning. This is also why some fast-food restaurants incorporate yellow into their design and decor, to help maximize turnover. Meanwhile, the color green is often interpreted as being relaxing.

Red, however, draws attention on the street and, being the same color as a number of natural foods, stimulates the appetite, which is why the color has almost become the ubiquitous choice for restaurants and local eateries.

So while you might not expect it, there’s more thought going into that awning than you’d think. If you’re in need of a restaurant awning in Colorado, contact Peterson Canvas today!

Common Awning Installation Issues & Solutions

Posted on by Meghan Lalonde

If you are looking to spend time outdoors with family under a retractable awning, this is the perfect time! During nice, warm and sunny weather many homeowners choose to sit under an awning or shade to enjoy their outdoor living areas. Yet, after many months of not using it, you may come across some problems when trying to take it out. Here are some common awning installation issues and solutions.

 

Issue: The awning makes a knocking or cracking noise when extending or retracting

Solution: The awning brackets have not been tightened completely. Be sure the square torsion bar is completely seated in the back of the mounting bracket and tighten the mounting bolt until the locking lip on the inside of the mounting bracket is drawn down over the torsion bar.

 

Issue: The fabric sags and is not tight

Solution: The arms are locked out (over extended), causing the fabric to sag. Reverse cranking direction and retract the awning in until the fabric is taut. Important: The fabric should always rollover the top of the roller tube, not from underneath.

 

Issue: The motorized awning stopped working while you were rolling in and out

Solution: Your awning motor has a built-in thermal override to prevent overheating. Prolonged use, in and out several times in a row can cause the motor to temporarily shut down. Let the motor cool down for 10 to 15 minutes and try the remote again. The unit should begin to operate again.

 

There are also some things to be aware of to ensure the beauty and strength of your awning.

 

DO NOT leave the awning extended when you are not home. Strong winds may damage your awning and this is typically not covered by the warranty.

 

DO NOT hang plants or small children off the front bar for the safety of your family members and the safety of your awning. Hanging heavy items may cause the awning to collapse and break.

 

DO retract the unit when not in use or if severe weather is predicted.

 

DO occasionally clean your awning as described in the care and maintenance section.

 

DO retract your motorized awning with the manual override feature if you lose power.

 

At Peterson Canvas, we offer many styles of awnings and shades for the Fort Collins area. Our experts can recommend the perfect solution to any awning need you may have. Contact us today at 970-493-4033.

How to Create a Perfect Outdoor Workspace

Posted on by Meghan Lalonde

The summer is a great time to enjoy the sun and the fresh air outside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also be productive as well. The outdoors is a great place to be productive and working outdoors has been linked to higher productivity, creativity, and better mood. Read on to find out how to create a perfect outdoor workspace.

Block the sun

Shading is the most important part of any outdoor office, while sunlight is great for your skin and mood, prolonged exposure is harmful for your skin. Not only that, excess sunlight can make it nearly impossible to see the screens on electric devices, making it difficult to read text on the screen and edit images or videos. The best approach to solving your shading issue is a retractable awning, which blocks 99% of harmful UV rays. Retractable awnings are great investments for any outdoor workspace as they also do much more than block the sun and keep you cool. Retractable awnings also protect you from the elements and keeps your indoor temperature cooler, which helps reduce your cooling bill.

Ensure enough workspace

There’s nothing worse than having to worked in a cramped space. The idea of having an outdoor workspace is to have as much room, if not more, to work as indoors. Giving yourself enough room to work is important to staying organized and focused so you can remain productive.

Comfortable seating

While office chairs are great, they are notoriously clunky and will suffer damage from the elements if left outside. While you can bring an office chair with you when you’re working outside, a better solution would be a patio chair with enough lumbar support to accommodate extended periods of sitting.  

Looking for awnings in Colorado? Since 1957, Peterson Canvas & Awning has been dedicated to providing our customers with attractive and practical mounted shading systems for home and commercial use. To learn more about what we can do for you, contact us today or give us a call at 970-493-4033.

How Awnings Can Save You Money this Summer

Posted on by Meghan Lalonde

With one of the hottest summers approaching, your wallet is sure to take a hit from keeping your home cool and comfortable. While there are many ways to keep cool this summer, installing awnings can be the cheapest option to keep cool over the long run. Find out how awnings can help keep you cool and your wallets full this summer!

How Awnings Work

So how do awnings work? Awnings work by deflecting the sun’s rays. Effectively preventing an increase of indoor temperature of your house by blocking heat from entering your home. According to the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association, awnings can reduce air conditioning costs by up to 25%. This is because your air conditioning does not have to work as hard to maintain the desired indoor temperature.  So how much cooler do awnings make your home? A study by the American Society of Heating and Air Conditioning also concluded that awnings and similar exterior mounted shading systems can reduce interior heat gain by up to an astounding 77%.

Not only do retractable awnings help reduce energy consumption and therefore cooling cost, they also add comfort and style to your outdoor room and value to your home. Retractable awnings provide a shaded outdoor living space that can be used to host backyard barbecues, pool parties, and intimate gatherings. The versatility provided by a retractable awning combined with their practicality makes retractable awnings a must have for any homeowner in the summer.

Looking for awning in Colorado? Since 1957, Peterson Canvas & Awning has been dedicated to providing our customers with attractive and practical mounted shading systems for home and commercial use. To learn more about what we can do for you, contact us today or give us a call at 970-493-4033.

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