Sometimes the shade our customers are looking for comes from a few different products – all working together for the optimal solution.
These customers, settling into their new home, realized that the sun on their west facing deck and south facing kitchen window was creating unbearable heat – both on the deck and in the house.
In order to cut down on the solar radiation coming through the kitchen windows (one west facing, the other south), they chose the Sundrop. This strong and versatile awning was the perfect fit. Depending on where the sun is in the sky, they can extend the Sundrop out and down as much as required. Even when windows are out-swinging, the Sundrop can minimize interference with the window’s operation. One of the Sundrops is 7’ wide and one is 5’ wide, and they both have 3’ extension arms. 3’ extension arms allow the Sundrop to extend almost 6’ vertically below its fabric roll. As well, the customers opted for the Smartcase options; aluminum cassettes that fully envelope the fabric roll. They protect the fabric while the Sundrops are not in use, and give them a sleek, finished look.
For their 16’ X 16’ deck, our lateral arm awnings didn’t quite fit the need. The longest extension of our lateral arm awnings is 14’8” (the longest of any awning on the market). They wanted a covering that reached the full width and length of the deck, would fit under the overhang of the garage and would be as stable as possible in their windy environment. They had no intention of wanting to use the deck in poor weather, so they were not concerned about a covering that would accommodate rain. The solution was the Sunplus. In typical applications when mounted at a good pitch, the Sunplus works very well in the rain. It even includes rain gutters. But, for it to be mounted under the garage overhang, it had to extend horizontally. This is fine, given there is no intention to use this Sunplus in the rain. Just like the Sundrops, the Sunplus’s fabric role is protected by a Smartcase.
The fabric chosen for both the Sundrops and the Sunplus is a beautiful solid tan colour in the 1% open weave, acrylic fiber selection. This fabric blocks 99% of sunlight and allows air to move between the weaves for fast drying. This premium fabric is warrantied for 10 years. Fading, mold, and mildew will not be a problem. With the white frames, these products fit the house and surroundings very well.
Finally, the light and heat from the sun setting on the deck had to be dealt with. This is where the Sentry comes in. The Sentry has a maximum width of 26’ and a max drop of 12’. For this application, the medium-sized Sentry, again in a Smartcase, mounted perfectly to the west face of the Sunplus frame. The fabric chosen was a white pearl/grey fiberglass composition with a 12% open weave. Blocking about 88% of the sun’s rays, it still allows some view from the deck to the backyard. Additionally, it provides daytime privacy on the deck.
The two Sundrops, the Sunplus, and the Sentry are all motorized with their operation integrated into the customer’s wireless tablet using Somfy’s “myLink” home automation system.
Now, these happy homeowners can use the sun’s radiation to help warm the house in the winter (by keeping awnings retracted and protected) and can block the sun to help keep the house and deck cool in the summer.
Contact us today to find out which options might work best for you!
