Awnings are one of the most distinctive features that business owners can add to their buildings. They’re more than a way to display your name. A couple of the benefits include: they can provide shelter from the rain and they can save you money on air conditioning in your building by blocking the sun that pours through your windows!
Beyond those simple perks, awnings can become a part of your business’s branding–and a part of the neighborhood or main street where they reside. People often use awnings as landmarks and meeting places because they are so distinguishable. If you’re looking to define your business, an awning is a great feature to add. Let’s talk about what you need to know when deciding on a business awning.
Ask: What type of business awning is best for you?
Before you ask yourself what type of awning you need, consider your business. Awnings are characteristic of many small businesses like coffee shops, family-owned restaurants, bakeries, and hair salons. They help to create that homey, welcoming feel. A few things to consider are:
- The color, shape, and size of your awning
- Whether you want an awning over your windows, doors, or both
- The material for your awning–canvas, vinyl, or aluminum
All of these choices depend on your specific needs. Your business awning’s style needs to match your atmosphere and branding. Not sure what that even means? Working with a designer to figure out how you want to advertise yourself may help.
Displaying your business name or logo
Awnings aren’t just a decorative feature and a shield from the sun and rain. They can also be used as a type of signage to display business names, messages, and logos. This is what makes them such a great tool for advertising: if you have a name or message on your awning, people will remember your business in addition to the distinctive color or style of the awning!
Choosing a material for your awning
Awnings come in all shapes and sizes as well as materials. Here’s a recap of the most common materials and their benefits:
- Canvas: Canvas has been a common awning material since the 19th century, and clearly, it has stood the test of time. However, without a vinyl coating, canvas is not waterproof.
- Vinyl: Vinyl is waterproof and has the ability to resist mildew while blocking the sun.
- Aluminum: Aluminum is one of the most durable awning materials. While other metal awnings can rust, aluminum doesn’t, and it can effectively block the sun from heating up your building.
Choosing a style for your awning
In addition to choosing an awning material, you’ll need to choose a style. There are numerous shapes of awnings, and not everyone calls them the same thing, so it can get a bit confusing. The most popular shapes include traditional, barrel, dome, concave, and convex.
A sign band, the flat area where a message is printed, can be added to any shape of awning.
To complicate things even more, there are all types of valances your business awning can have, including straight, classic, V-cut, wave, serpentine, and greek key.
Should you get an illuminated awning?
As with all types of signage, adding illumination allows your business to be better seen at night. Some ordinances may have specific restrictions about illumination. If your awning is translucent and the internal illumination shows through, you can achieve a more modern look, whereas if the awning material is opaque, the awning looks more traditional.
Business awnings come in infinite shapes and sizes
Between material, shape, color, and valance type, there are infinite combinations of awning styles. It may difficult to decide on your perfect awning, but by working with a sign designer, the process is a lot simpler. Awnings are a popular building accent for a reason, and if you feel that one would suit your building, it may be right for your business.
