The patio is really an ideal place to hang out with the family. Its proximity to the house makes it easy for you to move things like toys, games and even food items quickly to it. You can have an evening meal on the patio if you like or play a game of monopoly with your family. The only thing that might prevent you from using the patio is bad weather. If it is too sunny or if it rains, you will find it difficult to stay on the patio. But with outdoor patio shades, this could be a thing of the past. Patio shades can effectively block the sun and the rain and help you have hours of fun no matter what the weather looks like outside.
There are different kinds of shades available to cover patios. The least expensive method is to simple use a huge beach umbrella. If you are just sitting alone or spending time with your spouse on the patio, an umbrella might be all you need to protect you from the sun. But if you need a better and more permanent solution, you can choose between awnings and canopies to provide shade over your patio.
Awnings are fixtures that consist of a metal or plastic frame with a fabric stretched over it. The frame acts as a skeleton and gives shape to the structure, and the fabric blocks the sun or the rain and provides that actual covering. The frame is normally attached to the side of the building over the place where the patio makes contact with main building. In the case of free-standing patios, the entire frame is supported on four legs that extend to the ground from the four corners of the awning fabric, and the structure is not fixed to the side of the building.
Canopies are also another kind of fixture that can provide shade over a patio. Canopies are usually larger and provide more coverage than awnings. The framework of a canopy closely resembles that of free-standing awnings where the entire frame stands independent of the building. While awnings might act more like a sunshade over a window and partially cover the patio, a canopy would normally cover the entire patio from corner to corner.