The Best Freestanding Awnings for Your Home

As the gentle breezes of spring give way to the dog days of summer, we outdoor living aficionados find ourselves looking for shade. For many of us that would mean heading back indoors or taking solace under our patio umbrella. There is another option that is gaining popularity, that of a freestanding awning.

How Freestanding Awnings Keep Your Patio Welcoming

Your patio or deck is your outdoor oasis – a place you go to relax, get away from things and enjoy a little “you” time. As the summer approaches and you begin feeling like a slab of bacon just about fully cooked, retreating into the shade only makes sense. Your patio umbrella may be nice, but is limited in how much shade it gives off… and the awning over your door is nice but you don’t want to get whacked by the door every time the kids rush through it. The best option for you would be a large shade source held up by multiple poles… something like a freestanding awning.

Since a freestanding patio awning has two poles to keep it upright, it’s more stable than an umbrella and capable of holding a larger canopy. That’s the key to keeping an entire dining table or conversation pit shaded during the hottest parts of the day. And, since it’s not attached to your home like a standard awning, you have the ability to move it from place to place (albeit that you’ll probably need some friends as they weigh 200 lbs. and up).

Even though the large coverage area is the biggest plus (they get as large as 8’ x 17’) for a freestanding awning, freestanding outdoor awnings are also water and wind resistant. You can also choose your fabrics and colors (anywhere from “Downton Abbey” to “Wild Thing”). You’re sure to find a combination that is just right for shading your (large) outdoor space.

Commercial freestanding awnings have graced the best businesses in the country with wide swaths of shade, a better long-term value than multiple umbrellas for keeping their patrons comfy. Businesses should consider these as a substitute for 2-3 patio umbrellas while providing greater coverage and stability.

Choosing Which Freestanding Awning is Right for You

When considering freestanding patio awnings (also known as freestanding deck awnings) to shade your family, the most important consideration is size. Identify the space you’re trying to shade (whether it’s a dining area for cooler mid-day meals or the outdoor sofa where we share our stories with each other) and select the freestanding awning canopy that is right for that size.

Next you should choose your color – depending on the awning you select, you may have as many as 18 choices – one that is sure to make just the right statement for your home.

Finally, you should consider how you are going to make the awning stable – is it going to be installed on your deck (you’ll need to select the Deck Mount Plate), in your yard (you’ll want the Ground Insert Base) or on a patio (choose the Freestanding Offset Base). Selecting the right option will mean years of solid service for your freestanding awning.

Styling Your Outdoor Space with Freestanding Awnings

It’s a beautiful July 4th holiday, although it’s unusually warm. You’ve got chicken and German bratwurst on your BBQ grill along side water-soaked ears of corn, and you can’t wait for lunchtime. As you empty the grill and bring all the bounty it had to offer over to your outdoor dining set, you realize that you’re a little sweatier than you’d like to be… just when the shade from the freestanding awning hits you.

Ahhhh, blessed relief. Setting the trays of food on the table you realize that the baseball game is just starting up on your outdoor television. Feeling better now that you’re cooling off in the shade, you crank up your patio mister to cool off your family by as much as 20° while they eat our July 4th feast. Knowing there’s food around brings the kids almost instantly, but your spouse has to be retrieved from under the cantilever umbrella that shades your chaise lounge chair. Together at last, time for a relaxing (and cooling) family meal.

Freestanding Awnings Expand Outdoor Living Spaces

Although some families find that the incessant heat of the sun’s rays may drive them indoors in search of shade, those with a freestanding patio awning may continue their outdoor fun throughout the hottest parts of the day. The large shade area is perfect for family fun, whether it be dining, playing a “draw four” card on your sister in a heated game of Uno, or just relaxing in the outdoor breeze without concern about baking in the sun.

Whether you’re still trying to decide if a freestanding awning would work for you, or if you need help with selecting just the right size, we’ve got your back. We’ve spent decades training our patio consultants to have all the answers, and we’d love you to call us if you need a little help. Call us at (855) 298-4922 and we’ll be right there with you, every step of the way.