If there's one thing that really bugs me about decks and patios -- especially my deck and my patio -- is the fact that at the very time of year when you would love to be outside enjoying it, it becomes unusable thanks to the burning sun and the unbearable heat that you just can't escape no matter how hard you try.
I remember when I first moved into my house.
We were blessed with some really great outdoor space, and as we moved in just before winter was setting in, we really looked forward to the spring and summer and fall of the next year when we would be able to enjoy the amenities.
Everything was great until probably the first week of June when we suddenly were hit with a heat wave.
No problem, I thought.
I just brewed up a fresh batch of iced tea and brought it outside to settle in for a lazy afternoon on the patio.
Well, that lasted about five minutes.
Because if I would have stayed out there any longer, I would've gone blind from the sun in my eyes, turned red as a lobster, or lost about 10 pounds from all the sweating I was going to be doing.
And it's not that we live in a hot climate.
We're in a very temperate region that really only gets extremely hot for maybe a couple weeks out of the year.
But there's something about being out on an exposed patio or deck that really just makes it impossible unless you have a good patio canopy to protect you.
Now, it may seem that the answer is really easy.
Just get out there and research patio canopies, find the one that's the best, hold out for a good deal, and then pull the trigger and get the darn thing installed.
Problem is, it's a little bit harder than that to choose among the offerings.
And that's what this article is all about.
I did a lot of research into this, and believe me, researching patio canopies is not as easy as it sounds (or as fun).
I'm going to get to the very best resource for choosing patio canopies in just one minute, but first let me just give you a little tip.
When you're considering patio canopies for your home, you should know that they're not all created equal, and that one of the things you really have to consider is what the canopy is made out of.
Just about every canopy you'll find is simply made out of something called Sunbrella or plain old canvas, and while both of these materials offer nice variety in terms of color selection, they don't do anything to make the area underneath them any cooler.
If you want that little feature -- and who doesn't? -- then you have to go with a manufacturer that is able to build this into the patio canopies they produce.
Again, we'll get to the resource I've found for finding this kind of thing in just a second.
Also, I would really discourage you from trying to cut corners by going with a generic company that produces budget patio canopies.
It may seem like you're getting a good deal in the beginning, but what I found is that most of these products will wear out after one or two seasons (if not sooner), and you wind up paying more in the long run because you'll wind up repairing it, or even having to replace it, sooner than you think.