←back to thread

Why don't we use awnings anymore (2022)

(thecraftsmanblog.com)
413 points samclemens | 1 comments | 15 Oct 24 22:11 UTC | HN request time: 0.202s | source
Show context
philwelch ◴[16 Oct 24 02:28 UTC] No.41855050[source]▶
I might just be unusually sensitive to this, but there is a downside to awnings that hardly ever gets mentioned. Yes, an awning keeps your house cooler by blocking sunlight, but it also blocks sunlight, reducing the natural light inside your house. This means you either sit in the dark or use more artificial light, which is fine except natural sunlight is (for me at least) very beneficial for mood and for maintaining the circadian rhythm.

I know lots of people who don't mind living in darkness or seem to have a personal vendetta against the sun, and maybe those people would be genuinely better off with awnings, but I don't think they're for me.

replies(5): >>41855510 #>>41855749 #>>41855817 #>>41856748 #>>41861849 #
1. Cthulhu_ ◴[16 Oct 24 08:14 UTC] No.41856748[source]▶
This is the main reason I went for screens, which are a fine mesh fabric that cover the whole window, but you can still see outside - over shutters, which are double layer aluminium whatsits that really keep anything and anyone out. I mean it still gets pretty dark in the house with them closed, but in the hottest days of the summer, dark means cool and cool is good.