Durasol Retractable Awnings

Durasol retractable awnings have become popular in recent years, mainly due to their elegance, functionality, and the willingness of the manufacturer to stand behind their products with a warranty. What can you expect from a Durasol awning?

Durasol makes both manual and motorized retractable awnings. The difference of course being that manual awnings use a hand crank while motorized awnings are controlled with a button or remote control. Durasol also makes several other solar shading products, such as DuraShade solar screens, as well as window awnings under their SunGuard and SunCatcher series.

Durasol does not sell direct to consumer, so you will have to find a local dealer to buy from if you want a Durasol rather than a Sunsetter awning. The company has for distinct levels for all different budgets.

The premium awning option from Durasol is the SunShelter Elite retractable awning. Described as the ultimate exterior shading system by the company, this model comes in both a manual and motorized version. Durasol backs the Sun shelter Elite with a 12 year warranty.

One step down is the Durasol SunShelter Select retractable awning. This model is fairly close to the Elite, with widths available up to 40 feet instead of 50. The warranty on the hardware on the Sun Shelter Select is 10 years.

The next model offered is the SunShelter Classic. This retractable awning model is more of a mass produced model, with six specific sizes available, ranging from 11 to 20 feet wide to cover your patio or deck. There are 24 set fabric patterns available, while with the Elite and Select models there are more than 200 choices available. The warranty on the Sun Shelter Classic is 5 years.

The final deck and patio awning manufactured by Durasol is the WeatherMaster model. This model is actually a fixed awning, supported by poles at the front. The Weather Master is available in widths up to 24 feet and has up to 200+ colors/patterns. It is also warrantied for 5 years.

So if you are looking for a custom awning outside of the SunSetter collection, a good idea would be to consider a Durasol retractable awning.

Retractable Awnings

Now that summer is here, more people are looking into retractable awnings for their homes. What are some of the features and benefits of a retractable awning?

Lets start with the basics, that being the difference between a fixed awning and a retractable one. A fixed awning doesn't move of course, once it is installed it is always there. Generally these are supported by posts which potentially block your view of things. Patio awnings and deck awnings are ideal locations for the retractable version talked about here.

Retractable awnings pull back against the house, allowing additional sunlight to come into your home if that what you want. This gives the homeowner flexibility depending on the weather conditions. Also if severe weather strikes, a retractable awning can be pulled in to avoid damage to the material.

That being said, there are two specific types of retractable awnings, motorized and manual. What are the differences between these types of awnings?

A motorized awning is powered by a small motor, and doesn't require any work to expand or retract. Well, no work other than pushing a button or using a remote control. While a motorized awning will certainly cost more, it certainly cuts down on the manual labor and the effort needed to have your awning set the way you want.

A manual awning requires a little elbow grease on behalf of the owner. A hand crank is generally used to expand and retract the awning. While costs are of course lower, after a while you will certainly become annoyed with always having to go outside and do the work yourself. My general recommendation is invest in the motorized awning; you won't regret your decision later, whereas you certainly will with a manual awning.

Another great reason to install a retractable awning is that it can save you money on your energy bill. How? Up to 35 percent of the unwanted heat that enters your house comes in through sliding doors and windows. By using your awning to deflect the sun from your home on hot days, and retracting it during the winter to allow the sun to heat your home. Managing the direct sunlight hitting your home, you can significantly reduce your cooling costs during the hot months of the year. Awnings can also excessive glare as well as provide protection from UV rays.

Can you install a retractable awning yourself? In most cases you can. There is not a high degree of difficulty involved, just a few tools and a helper will do the trick. Motorized retractable awnings do require an electrical outlet, so that may be an addition expense if you need that installed on the exterior of your home.