As far as patio enjoyment and living spaces are concerned, shade is one of the most important features. There is nothing more satisfying than going out on your deck on a gorgeous spring or summer day and soaking it all in. Of course, having a retractable patio awning to provide this shade makes your time out there even more enjoyable.

This is what we will be discussing here today. We will also be discussing the various features and benefits of several types of retractable awnings and the best applications for each. If you should find that your needs are specific, then you will be best served by contacting the manufacturers or local awning supply company for details regarding your climate and other environmental conditions.

With the myriad of choices in styles of patio awnings, finding the one that best matches your needs is key. With this in mind, you can determine what level of motorized function and other structural attributes of your outdoor shades best fits with your lifestyle. Based upon the way you use your patio and the other types of patio coverings you may have, the perfect patio awning is just steps away.

As far as costs are concerned, these vary as well. Below you can see a sample shot of some styles available on Ebay. These are typical of the types of prices you will see for outdoor patio awnings. If you contact your local awning dealer, they may be able to get you pricing that is equal to these. Sometimes, you may find that the prices offered online are seemingly too good to be true. Make sure that you are getting the same quality of materials, craftsmanship and warranties as your local dealer is able to get you.

Well, you probably already made this decision or you wouldn’t be here. However, just to make some points regarding this matter, we will clarify some ideas. One of the most popular reasons to use a motorized patio awning is because of its flexibility. In other words, when the weather becomes threatening for a standard fixed mounted awning, these styles can be – as their name suggests – retracted, or rolled back to protect them from damage. Additionally, this feature allows you to provide shade when you wish and sun when you want to bask on your patio or deck.

A retractable patio canopy gives you much more functional use for the size. If you had a traditional fixed mounted canopy or cover over your patio, you would be limited to whatever type of shade that provided. Sure, you could get a really nice look with a pergola style of patio cover, but that has its limitations. You would not, for instance, be able to simply remove your pergola and have a clear open view of the day sun or night sky to enjoy from your deck.

So, let’s talk about the main types of retractable patio awnings. The main categories would include motorized or manual. The manual styles have a simple crank handle that can be folded down and locked when not in use. These types work well for smaller applications and are even found on many recreational vehicles. This style is popular because they are less expensive than the motorized styles and have less parts to replace when they wear out. For someone with less physical strength or for a heavy user of their patio, a manual style may be too cumbersome. However, there is also a style of shade tree awning as seen in the picture at right, where the awning can be opened to various lengths. This allows for much more flexibility in the type of space and shade requirements you may have. For example, maybe you want only half of your deck shaded and the other half to be in the sun. Maybe you have a hot tub or some other feature that you would like to be un-shaded at specific times or for certain uses.

A motorized retractable awning provides for the same functions as the manual style, but requires no physical effort and can be activated at the flip of a switch. This is important to consider as you may need to quickly get inside and then close your awning from indoors. Such a situation may arise if the weather suddenly becomes too inclimate to be outdoors. The best use of this type of motorized style will be appreciated by the true patio lover who is often using their deck or patio space and may have different requirements for shade, sun and entertaining. Retractable deck awnings are a keen invention that have been made ever more popular by today’s trends in outdoor living spaces. Just think, with the ability to put movable shade wherever you need, you will never have to worry about a burn while you are out enjoying your deck and patio in the future. Say good bye to foiled outdoor parties moving indoors because of the intense sun and heat. Yes, get a retractable patio awning and start enjoying your patio space again.

No site or article regarding patio awnings on the internet would really be complete without a look at the Sunsetter brand. The following videos below are promotional, but also give a good description and some 'real' people's experience and appreciation of these types of awnings.