Awnings canopies are the easiest way to protect yourself from the scorching sun or rain in your summer cottage. After all, not everyone has a gazebo, besides, the awning is easy to move to any convenient place. In this article, we will look at what types of awnings exist, and what you should pay attention to when choosing them.

General information
There are different types of awnings and awnings for summer cottages - from a piece of tarpaulin, which is stretched between trees, to a whole structure, which is installed on a permanent foundation. However, the most popular are collapsible structures, which consist of a frame and fabric stretched over it.It is they who are usually meant by the word "awning".
Such products are the most convenient to use, in addition, they have a number of advantages:
- Reliably protect from rain (concerns closed structures), thanks to this it is comfortable to rest under them, even if it is pouring rain outside.
- They allow you to enjoy outdoor recreation, but at the same time protect the sun.
- The design is quickly assembled and disassembled by hand, weighs a little and takes up little space when assembled.
- Thanks to mobility, you can use it not only in the country, but also take it with you when going out into nature.
As for the shortcomings, they can only be attributed to instability during gusts of wind, which is associated with the low weight of the structure. However, this can be avoided with the help of stakes and stretch cables. Thus, such products do not have serious shortcomings.
It should be noted that awnings and canopies, consisting of a frame and fabric, also come in different types. Therefore, before making a purchase, you need to familiarize yourself with the main ones.

Types of awnings
Constructions
All existing tents primarily differ in their design. The following types are currently on sale:
Umbrellas | Provide protection for a small area from the sun and rain. You can install such an umbrella over a bench or garden table. In addition to performing basic functions, the product is an excellent decorative element of landscape design. The main advantages of umbrellas are mobility and low cost. |
Open awnings | They are more bulky products, under which a large table with benches or a deck chair can fit. |
Closed awnings (tents) | Unlike open canopies, tents, if necessary, can be completely fenced off from the outside with plastic or fabric walls, however, they can easily be converted into a structure of the previous type. To do this, as a rule, you just need to pull up or “roll up” the walls. The price of tents is the highest. |

Advice!
Large canopies can be used to shelter the car from the sun if there is no garage in the country house.
The choice of the type of construction depends on the tasks assigned to the product. If, for example, you need shelter from the sun to spend time with a book in the garden, an umbrella is a great option. If you need an alternative to a gazebo to have picnics there, then tents are the best choice, as they allow you to continue relaxing even if the weather has turned bad.

Material
All canopies - awnings and awnings for giving in the form of tents differ in the materials from which they are made. When choosing a product, this moment can play a decisive role, since durability and a number of performance qualities depend on it.

So, the fabric for an awning for a canopy is of the following types:
- Opaque - is an artificial material that is durable and resistant to ultraviolet radiation.
- Transparent - is a fine mesh that can protect both from sunlight and from mosquitoes. However, these awnings are designed to be used exclusively in sunny weather, because they are not able to protect from rain.
- Combined - represents fragments of a transparent and opaque material. Such tents are the best choice, as they are able to protect from rain and from the sun, besides, they look attractive.
- PVC - is a material that can protect against bad weather and the scorching sun. As a rule, the side walls of PVC tents are transparent, and roof - painted. Therefore, similar designs can also be recommended for summer cottages.

Frames of canopies and tents are usually made of the following materials:
- Steel tubes - products are of low cost, however, they are heavy and not resistant to corrosion. (See also article Canopy from a profile pipe: features.)
- Duralumin tubes - have good strength and at the same time are free from the shortcomings of steel products.
- Fiberglass - is the best choice, as it has resistance to mechanical stress, excellent durability, low weight and low cost.
Note!
When choosing a product, you should pay attention to the method of assembling the frame.
The best option, in terms of simplicity and convenience, is to connect parts according to the “father / mother” principle.
If the assembly instructions are complicated, then installation can take a lot of time.
Here, perhaps, are all the main differences between awnings that you need to pay attention to when choosing them.
Conclusion
There is a wide range of awnings on the market today. Therefore, before making a choice in favor of a particular type of product, it is necessary to determine the main tasks that will be assigned to it. In addition, an important point when choosing is the material from which the awning is made, so you should not give preference to the cheapest models.
From the video in this article, you can get some additional information regarding this topic.
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