Hello everyone,

we are currently thinking about shading/covering our terrace.

We have a terrace on the south side with a depth of 4 meters and a width of just under 8 meters.

However, the terrace is structured in such a way that we do not want/cannot cover/shade the entire part of the terrace, as that would simply be too much and not necessary.

What is important to us is a depth of about 3-4 meters, preferably 4. The width of the awning should be around 5-6 meters.

Basically, we have purchased all the terrace furniture in weatherproof design, so I basically leave everything in place (whether winter or summer). In winter, everything is made weatherproof accordingly, but in summer everything stays.

Due to the price ratio, as well as the installation difficulty/effort and space requirements, a reasonable awning is definitely an alternative for me.
The advantage of a terrace roof does not really become clear to me.

However, I have some concerns about an awning:

- We have really strong winds in our new development area. Can an awning with a 3-4 meter extension depth really withstand that when the wind picks up? Are awnings also sufficiently rainproof so that you can sit and grill dry even in light rain?

Has anyone perhaps considered something similar and now has experience reports on the subject of awnings?

I look forward to any input in this area!

Patio furniture is usually weatherproof, but furniture still suffers if it is constantly exposed to the elements. Certainly, this is less the case with better materials than with simple materials. At the beginning, we had simple wooden furniture. After 5 years under the canopy in the old apartment, it still looked really good. After moving into the house, they spent one or two summers outside and were actually totally ruined. For a few years now, we have had a canopy and don’t want to be without it anymore. It should be 4m deep if possible.

Electric awnings are often combined with wind and rain sensors. Probably not without reason.
When it rains on vacation in southern countries, you often see how water puddles form on the awning.
I can’t add any personal experience there though.

Patio furniture is usually always weatherproof, and yet furniture suffers when it is constantly exposed to the elements. Certainly, this is less the case with better material than with simple materials. At the beginning, we had simple wooden furniture. After 5 years under the roof in the old apartment, they still looked really good. After the move to the house, they stood outside one or two summers and were basically completely ruined. For a few years now, we have had a roof and don’t want to miss it anymore. 4m depth should be possible if at all.

Electric awnings are often combined with wind and rain sensors. Probably not without reason. When it rains in southern countries on vacation, you often see water pools forming on the awning. I can’t add any personal experience here though.

Our "lounge" is located in an area that basically cannot be covered anyway. Also, here we have a complete metal construction – whether it is exposed to the weather or not probably doesn’t matter to the piece.

The same goes for our patio table (frame made of aluminum). Everything is pretty cheap, and even the tabletops have relatively little to do with wood. Just for the furniture alone, I somehow don’t see the added value yet. Grill etc. can simply be pushed into the garden shed over the winter and that’s fine.

I’m simply concerned about rain/wind with the awning – that’s somehow my main problem.

As you say. No idea how it behaves with water pools and whether the wind can also damage the awning, especially with a correspondingly large awning (there’s more surface area).

Can an awning with a 3-4 meter extension really withstand it when it gets windy?

Are you really sitting outside during a storm or do you rather retract the awning in bad weather (a wind sensor also helps)?

Are awnings also quite rainproof, so that you can sit dry and grill even in light rain?

Yes. Last year I installed a 4x3m awning at my ex's place. Good quality. No problems with wind and a little rain. Strong wind and/or heavy rain = inside anyway. Normal rain showers are no problem.

Our "lounge" is located in an area that fundamentally cannot be covered one way or another. Besides, we have a complete metal construction here - whether it is exposed to the weather or not probably does not matter to that part.

Everything that is permanently exposed to the weather and direct sunlight suffers from it. I would be more interested in why the seating area is located where it wouldn’t be covered anyway, or why I would need a roof somewhere where I never sit. One can, as always, have a different opinion or come to a different decision. I myself have always built fixed patio roofs, either with glass roofs or, as now, with a "dark" roof. I find it comfortable that the furniture stays dry (still exposed to weather and partially rain/humidity), and that this area at the house can always be used dry. In the past, we had an awning under the glass roof, equipped with a sun sensor. For me in BW that was a pointless investment and we soon stopped using it, because no sensor or automation can be set as I or one would decide by hand. If the awning is outside, then I’m out of the house and it can react to wind/rain. Hardly imaginable to always leave the awning outside, no matter where you live. Currently, we additionally have a nice sun umbrella in the garden that could withstand quite a bit of wind; still, we close it rather earlier for safety because the noises associated with it sound rather unsettling. So the basic questions remain: What is your goal and why are seating furniture located outside the area where you seek shade? Shading alone is possible with an awning that you retract when it rains. But a 24 sqm awning would also be a real behemoth.

So auch our terrace table (frame made of aluminum).

If it's a simple piece of furniture, take a look at the screws. Our neighbors also had aluminum furniture with steel screws.
Then all the rust water ran inside the table leg onto the terrace slabs and left unsightly stains.

There are more advantages, for example, we have garden slippers in front of the door instead of, as in the beginning, in the living room. In the evening, it stays cozy longer under the roofing (but maybe it could also be like that with an awning). Neighbors, for example, have also installed a TV on the terrace.
The grill is used on our terrace all year round, regardless of whether we then eat there or bring the food inside.
With roofing you are simply much more flexible, but of course also significantly more expensive. It probably will never pay off compared to the faster wear of the furniture, but it is definitely much more comfortable.

There are already quite a few threads with pros and cons of roofing. Maybe you could read up on those as well.