Patio Covers vs Awnings vs Pergolas for Florida Homes

POSTED December 27, 2023 BY Absolute Aluminum

If you’re looking to upgrade your patio with an awning, you may want to reconsider. While awnings look like they can get the job done on the surface, there are better options out there—especially if you partner with the outdoor living experts at Absolute Aluminum. Here’s why our patio covers are the best option for your Southwest Florida home:

FLEXIBILITY

Awnings are nice, but they don’t offer the flexibility you need. The sun can sit in a variety of positions throughout the day, but your awning just stays in one. So, if the sun or the rain is coming in from the side, you’re out of luck with a standard awning.

Our Pergola X patio covers, on the other hand, are adjustable and include louvers that can rotate up to 170⁰ to provide shade in any space regardless of the sun’s position. If it starts raining, the louvers will close and interlock, providing exceptional shelter so you don’t have to run indoors and cut your outdoor fun short. You get sun, shade, or shelter with the simple touch of a button!

Customization

At Absolute Aluminum, we know that our customers are special and want to put their special touch on their new pergola patio cover. There are many options to customize your new pergola patio cover and make it more functional for you and your family. Some popular options for customization include:

• Accent lighting
• Ceiling fans with or without lighting
• Custom colors
• Custom columns
• Retractable screens

If you have something specific in mind, our team can help you determine how to make it a reality or assist you in exploring the opportunities available in customization. To help a pergola patio cover for your backyard that can win the pergola vs. patio cover debate, you want to discover the available options and ways to make this space more functional and magical for you and your family.

Quality

The quality of a patio cover from Absolute Aluminum is unmatched by our competitors. We’ve been in business since 1988 and have helped a countless number of satisfied customers throughout Southwest Florida. Every project we take on starts with a thorough consultation so we can understand exactly what you’re looking to get out of your patio cover. Then, our in-house design team and staff engineers will create a patio cover perfectly suited to your needs. As a family-owned and -operated business, we know our reputation is on the line with every project we do. That’s why we stand behind our products and services with our 100% satisfaction guarantee on all workmanship.

What is a Patio Cover? Pergola vs. Patio Cover

Before you decide which option wins in the pergola vs. patio cover argument, you need to know more about the options available to you and what each one brings to different outdoor living spaces.

Awning

An awning is a cover that extends out from your home to cover an outdoor area. It’s usually made from fabric or aluminum, which gives you options for colors and textures. It’s designed to provide shade and protection from the elements. There are several types of awnings available, such as retractable, freestanding, window, and door awnings. Sometimes, an awning is simply decorative and offers no practical use.

Pergola

A pergola is a large structure that covers an outdoor space. It features columns and open lattices at the top. It provides shade without completely blocking out the sunlight.

Dating back to the Italian Renaissance, pergolas are most often attached to the home, and in some cases, the homeowner allows climbing, flowering plants to thrive on the columns and lattices. These features can be made using aluminum or wood.

Patio Cover

Attached to the home, a patio cover offers shade for the backyard. It’s usually placed over a deck or patio for protection from the elements. Patio covers come in a variety of styles, and they’re usually more of a permanent fixture than an awning. They look like they were built by the house. Common building materials for patio covers include wood and aluminum.

Louvered Roof Big Benefits

You can rotate the louvers to always be in the shade, no matter where the sun is. Even with the louvers cracked open, you get ventilation in the heat. Fixed canvas awnings and patio covers trap the heat, which is not ideal in Florida. Light is important. When you attach an awning or solid patio cover, it darkens all adjacent rooms. With a louvered roof, we can set scenes where it opens and closes at a certain time, allowing light into those rooms.

Pergola Patio Covers

With a pergola patio cover, you get the best of both worlds. A pergola patio cover is a more permanent structure that offers the beauty of a pergola with protection from the sun and elements of a patio cover.

Absolute Aluminum provides you with one that provides flexibility, allowing you to open and close the lattices up to 170⁰ as needed for your comfort. You can also add customization, which isn’t possible when you opt for an awning or pergola to personalize and ensure that it functions for your planned usage.

Contact Absolute Aluminum Today for a Pergola Patio Cover You Can Enjoy for Years

For over 35 years, Absolute Aluminum has partnered with homeowners to help them develop an outdoor space they love. A pergola patio cover has what an awning doesn’t. It offers flexibility, customization, and quality that make it a great addition to any home. For more information or to schedule a free consultation with some of our expert team members, contact us today. Our team provides you with a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all workmanship. We look forward to enhancing your outdoor living area for you to enjoy for many years to come.