Regular readers of this space will probably recall that I often recommend awnings for decks, patios, pergolas, pavilions, and practically every part of your outdoor living space.

But awnings are not free.  Even if you drop by your local Big Box Store and buy the cheapest awning they have, and try to install it yourself or with the help of your good-for-nothing brother-in-law Ralph – you’re still in for a hefty credit-card charge.

And if you do get your awning in this fashion, there’s a good chance it will get blown to tatters as it rips off part of your roof due to the serious lack of installation skill you’ve come to expect from Ralph. 

And then you’re in for an even bigger charge, as you’ll have to get the roof fixed, and either scrap the whole awning thing or call a true professional (I know one!) to start the project over and do it right.

I recommend calling the professionals first, and instead.  You’ll spend a little more up-front, but you’ll end up saving a boat-load of dough in the long run.

But still: Is it worth it?

Sure, you’ll get much more enjoyment for many years from your outdoor living space… you’ll absolutely love your new awning, probably so much that you’ll just go out and open and close it for fun for a few weeks or months after installation… but is it worth it?

The answer may surprise you (which would indicate you have not been a regular reader of this space): Yes.  Getting a beautiful new awning, professional installed, is totally worth it.

There’s a reason restaurant businesses love to install awnings (and even full enclosures) for their outdoor dining spaces: It’s because it’s totally worth it. 

We show them, through the magic of our fantastic Return On Investment Calculator, that the investment a restaurant makes in an awning pays off in an amazingly short period of time by opening up far more seating for their patrons.

But what about your place?

Well, here are just a few ways your awning will start to pay for itself within about nine minutes (though results vary – you might start saving money in the very FIRST minute).

• Property value.  Yes, whether you’re sprucing the place up to sell it, or just sprucing it up to live there, your home is worth more when you have a beautiful new professionally-installed awning.
• Energy savings.  You might be one of the 100% of our customers who has to pay utility bills, and if so, this will interest you: Your new awning keeps the weather from beating on your sliding-glass doors and windows in the awning-covered area, which reduces your energy consumption and saves you money.  In fact, your awning will keep your deck or patio about twenty degrees cooler in the hot summer months, and that means your air conditioner can go away a little bit, and spend its time cooling your wife’s sewing room.
• Reduced sun damage.  While the sun’s powerful UV rays are pounding through your windows and patio slider, they’re causing your drapes, rugs, furniture, and valuable Van Gogh paintings to fade and lose value.  Your awning can help fix that!
• Neighbor envy.  Okay, the fact that your new retractable awning will make your place the envy of the neighborhood may not result in direct cost savings.  But really, you can’t put a price on neighbor envy.  Am I right?

Add it all up, and you’ve got your answer: YES, your new awning will be totally worth it.  You can even get an awning with weather sensors that just seem to know when the wind’s kicking up, and close your awning automatically (protecting your investment).  You can get an awning with dimmable lights.  You can get an awning in just about any color or fabric type you can imagine.  And you can get that giddy feeling you can only get when your neighbor says “Whoa, Dude, where did you get that amazing awning?”  And THAT is SO worth it.