Awnings, those graceful pieces of canvas or aluminum that shade your windows, are making a comeback, especially for commercial buildings. While sleek, well-kept awnings add a softer, uniform look to most any building, aesthetics isn't the only reason to invest in awnings. These window accessories can help you save money on your cooling bills, align with your building's historical look and even make your building easier for visitors to find.
Benefits of adding awnings to your building
1. Aesthetics. One of the primary advantages to adding awnings to your commercial building is that they give your office or retail establishment a uniform, streamlined look that attracts the eye. They also make your building easy for visitors to spot from the street.
2. Energy savings. Awnings don't just make the front of your building look nice; they help you save energy (and energy dollars.) By keeping the sun from shining directly on your windows and transferring heat, they help keep your building cooler, naturally, without having to use energy to artificially cool your office and retail space. According to a study by the National Park Service, adding awnings can reduce the heat gain by up to 65 percent on south-facing windows and up to 77 percent on east-facing windows.
3. Helping keep your building's historical integrity. Awnings were common on most buildings, both residential and commercial, in the late 19th and early 20th century, before air conditioning became the norm. If you have a building that dates from that era, adding awnings can help make it look as it would have when it was newly built.
4. Preserving your window frames and trim. Since awnings shade and protect your windows, they will keep rain water and snow from collecting on your window frames, which can cause the paint to chip. Therefore, with awnings, you won't have to re-paint or re-stain your window trim nearly so often and the exterior of your building will stay looking well kept with less effort.
5. Comfort. Awnings can also help keep your employees and guests comfortable inside your building. With awnings, you won't have those hot patches near the windows as you can have with windows that aren't shaded by awnings.
While adding awnings may not be the right choice for every business owner, investing in these attractive window accessories can help keep your buildings cool and comfortable, help your bottom line by reducing your summer electric bills, and even reduce your company's carbon footprint, something you can use in your marketing.
For commercial awnings, contact a company such as The Dize Company.
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