Prepping for Winter: Caring for Your Home Awning

January 1, 2019

Home awnings can significantly cut your energy expenses and utility bills and, at the same time, increase your home’s curb appeal and usable space. The U.S. Department of Energy says that home awnings can cut heat gain on east-facing windows by more than 75 percent.

Commercial awnings provide similar benefits in that they allow business owners to enlarge their outdoor space (e.g., shaded area at a restaurant) and reduce the amount of solar heat gain affecting their properties. Those are huge perks of installing awnings.

You might be wondering if you have the know-how and time to learn how to install your home awning or commercial awning.

The good news is that Dorchester Awning can design and install your awning and take it down and store it when winter comes. We are truly a full-service awning company that is there with you from requesting a free quote through installation and maintenance.

Getting Your Home Awning Ready for Winter

Durable awnings that are made from high-quality acrylics—like New Dorchester’s awnings—can last for ten years or more and make it through some pretty tough New England weather.

That said, dirt and debris can accumulate on your home awning throughout the spring and summer, so it might be a good idea to give your home awning a rinse before retracting it for the winter or having our experts take it down and stow it away for you.

Clear Away Debris and Stains

Brushing off dirt, debris, or any twigs that have collected on your awning throughout the spring, summer, and early part of fall is a great way to keep your awning looking great.

Use a gentle brush and stroke downward from the top of your home’s awning to the lower edge. Some dirt might have adhered to your awning. If that’s the case, then gently spray water on your awning using a hose and try to brush the dirt away.

New Dorchester home awnings are designed to be affordable, energy efficient, and durable. Window, door, and stationary awnings are all options along with aluminum awnings and ever-popular retractable awnings.

Obviously, it can be a little tougher getting stains out of aluminum awnings than the fabric of retractable or window awnings. Home awnings made from fabric can be safely cleaned using a mild soap like Dawn dissolved in warm water. You only need to use a tiny amount of Dawn to create an effective stain remover.

Simply dip the brush that you were using to sweep away dirt and debris into your home-made solution, gently brush the dirty areas, and use your hose on a low setting to wash away dirt or stains.

Removing Your Awning and Troubleshooting Tips

After you’ve gotten your home awning clean, you can go about removing or retracting it back in for the winter.

Before you start bringing your awning in, though, make sure that it’s completely dried out from your washing it. Why? Because, like towels, awnings are made of fabric that’s susceptible to mold if bunched up while the fabric is still damp, let alone wet.

Once you’re ready to bring your home awning in, you should check for tears or damage. If you have a non-retractable awning that needs to come down, then make sure to neatly fold it and stow it away in a dry area without too much moisture through the winter.

Protecting your investment in a home retractable awning with a winter awning cover is also a great idea. Retractable all-weather structures are hard to beat. Contact New Dorchester to get started today.