With so many types of awnings to choose from, finding the right one for your home or business can seem like a daunting task.
That’s why the Open Space Concepts team have put together this handy guide to the various designs and styles that are out there, covering everything from the classic patio awning to the various types of cassette awning to help you make a decision you can feel confident about.
At Open Space Concepts, we specialise in the design and installation of bespoke outdoor living structures, with state-of-the-art modern awnings being one of our most popular products.
If you’d like to enquire about making a purchase, please tell us your requirements and we’ll get to work right away.
Types of Awnings: Which One Is Right for You?
There are several main types of awnings, but the one that is most appropriate for you will depend on how you intend to use your awning and the level of weather protection you want it to provide.
Find out more about each type of awning and discover how each one is meticulously designed to elevate your outdoor space:
Patio Awnings
When you think of awnings, it’s probably this type that first springs to mind. This popular type of awning is fixed to the wall and typically extends over an outdoor seating area with a patio or decking.
Patio awnings are an excellent option for homeowners who want to extend their living area with a sheltered outdoor space where they can relax, unwind, and enjoy the fresh air whilst being protected from direct sunlight.
When not in use, this awning can be neatly retracted back into its cassette to keep it in pristine condition. Most modern patio awnings will be remote controlled, which means they can be easily extended or retracted at just the press of a button for ultimate convenience.
At Open Space Concepts, we offer a broad range of remote controlled patio awnings that are perfect for creating a comfortable and luxurious living space. These stylish awnings are ideal for those who don’t have the space or budget for a glass room or veranda but still want to make the most of their beautiful outdoor space all year round.
Freestanding Awnings
As their name suggests, these types of awnings have a full structural framework that can be placed anywhere, without the need for wall mounting.
Freestanding awnings are great for covering large open spaces, which makes them especially popular with businesses such as restaurants or cafes that need to keep their outdoor dining space sheltered from sun and rain. They’re also popular in domestic spaces, with many homeowners choosing a freestanding awning to shelter areas such as pools or lawns.
Pergola Awnings
This type of awning is wall-mounted like a patio awning, but it has a fixed frame which stays in place even when the awning material is retracted.
Pergola awnings are considered to offer extra stability thanks to their additional front support posts. This makes them more suitable for year-round weather protection because they’re less likely to be damaged by heavy rain or strong wind.
Open Space Concepts’ strong and durable pergola awnings offer all-round sun protection, wind protection, and rain protection whilst still looking sleek and stylish. With over 250 colours and fabrics to choose from, we can create a bespoke pergola awning that perfectly matches the exterior aesthetic of your home.
Vertical Awnings
Vertical awnings are essentially more advanced window blinds, similar to your typical indoor blinds but fitted externally.
This type of awning has a drop-arm design that allows it to extend away from the wall and provide optimal shading. Vertical awnings increase your protection from sun, rain, or wind and can also act as privacy screens to block out those nosy neighbours!
Open Space Concepts’ Erhardt KD Awning and Markilux 1710 Stretch Awning come with an optional front valance that offers additional shading and privacy whilst still blending seamlessly into the external aesthetic of your home. We also supply a range of sturdy external blinds that can be fully lowered for maximum weather protection and remain taut even in strong winds thanks to automatic adjustments.
Conservatory Awnings
This unique awning type is mounted onto an existing roof structure to offer exceptional temperature control. Conservatories tend to overheat in the summer, but this type of awning will prevent the heat from even reaching the glass to ensure the structure stays cool even in high temperatures.
Conservatory awnings allow you to manage your conservatory’s climate easily via remote control, ensuring the temperature is comfortable all year round.
At Open Space Concepts, we always do our best to meet your specific requirements when it comes to creating incredible outdoor structures. If a conservatory awning is something you’re interested in, contact us with the details of your project and we’ll determine which of our awning styles might be suitable.
Alternatively, if it’s temperature control for a fully-enclosed structure you’re looking for, we’d recommend one of our stunning Louvre Pod pergolas. These bioclimatic pergolas can be attached to your home like a conservatory or fitted as freestanding structures in your garden or patio area, and offer ideal comfort in terms of light and temperature thanks to a totally natural ventilation system.
Stationary Awnings vs. Retractable Awnings
All awnings are either stationary or retractable, and it’s important to understand the difference between the two before deciding which type of awning to buy.
As the name suggests, stationary awnings, or fixed awnings, are permanent structures that are secured to the front of your house or building. This style of awning must be able to withstand varying weather conditions, so will usually be made from a durable canopy fabric that can collect falling rain and snow.
Remember that fixed awnings are there to stay – they can’t be put away like stationary awnings so are generally considered to be a less practical option.
Retractable awnings, on the other hand, can be rolled away when not in use, which makes them a much more versatile option for your windows, doors, decks, and patios.
These awnings can be extended to block out the elements and provide shade when needed, and retracted when you want to soak up the sun. Most modern retractable awnings are operated via remote control, which means you can turn your sunny patio into a shady oasis without even having to get up from your seat.
Retractable awnings are the most popular type of awning because of their flexibility, which is why all of Open Space Concepts’ awnings can be extended or retracted at just the touch of a button.
These types of awnings are also much easier to maintain than stationary awnings because you can store them away when the forecast predicts adverse weather conditions, preventing water or wind damage.
Domestic Awnings vs. Commercial Awnings
Awnings are the perfect outdoor solution for both domestic and commercial settings.
All awning styles can be used domestically to keep your outdoor space sheltered from the elements and add aesthetic value to your property. With a wide variety of styles and designs available to suit varying budgets, you’re sure to find the ideal solution for your home in our collection of bespoke fabric awnings.
However, our products can be used to create bespoke all-weather solutions for businesses as well. Awnings from Open Space Concepts are robust enough to withstand the challenging conditions that commercial awnings have to endure, making them perfect for use within sectors such as hospitality and retail.
Commercial awnings provide a unique opportunity for businesses to increase useable floor space by allowing outdoor seating areas to be used all year round, and improve the aesthetics of shop fronts thanks to their sleek, modern, and fully customisable designs.
It should be noted that while all types of awnings are suitable for domestic use, certain products are better suited to covering larger areas and are therefore more appropriate for commercial use. To find out more about which styles would be most suitable for your businesses, get in touch with the Open Space Concepts team today.
Full Cassette Awnings, Semi Cassette Awnings, and Open Awnings: What’s the Difference?
As well as choosing the type of awning you want, you’ll also have to choose which cassette type is most suitable for you.
Each type of cassette offers a different level of protection for your awning when it’s rolled away:
Full Cassette Awning
With this type of cassette, the roller, fabric, and arms are stored away inside a built-in casing when the awning is retracted. Because the awning is fully enclosed, full cassette designs offer the highest level of protection from rain, wind, frost, and snow. We always recommend full cassettes for commercial settings to protect the awning from vandalism.
A full cassette isn’t always necessary in domestic settings since most gardens offer some protection from the elements in the form of fences to block side winds or a roof overhang above the installation. If you don’t need the highest level of protection, a semi cassette awning or open awning might be a more suitable option.
The majority of Open Space Concepts’ awnings feature a sleek and modern full cassette that neatly encloses the awning from all sides to keep it protected when not in use.
Semi Cassette Awning
A semi cassette awning provides some protection from the elements by being partially enclosed from above and from the sides. The underside of the awning will remain exposed when retracted, but the installation will still be well-protected from rain, wind, and snow.
This cassette type is ideal for most domestic settings, as the underside of the awning is generally covered well enough already that a full cassette is not required. However, a small amount of maintenance might be required to keep the underside of the awning free from any dirt that might gradually start to build up as a result of its exposure.
Open Awning
An open awning does not have a cassette to roll back into. These types of awnings are most suitable if the installation will be protected by overhanging parts of the property and therefore not very susceptible to rain or wind damage.
For more information on which type of cassette might be the best option for your home or business, contact our team of awning experts today.
Discover a wide range of modern and stylish types of awnings at Open Space Concepts
If you’re ready to create your dream awning, look no further than Open Space Concepts. We will fit your new awning in less than a day so that you can get straight to enjoying more time outdoors with friends and family.
Our range of awnings are sleek, sophisticated, and completely bespoke to match the exterior aesthetic of your home or business. With 8 styles and over 200 awning fabric options to choose from, you’re certainly spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding how your awning will look.
Open Space Concepts is the UK’s leading outdoor living company, trusted by customers up and down the country to deliver outstanding outdoor spaces where comfort, style, and practicality are all top priorities. Our team has over 25 years of experience in the industry, making us perfectly primed to deliver the right product for you.Explore our stunning range of awnings to find the perfect fit, or fill out our online contact form to make an enquiry.
