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Outdoor living whatever the weather

Outdoor shading isn’t just for when the sun shines! With LED lighting and infra-red heating options for all our awnings and outdoor pods, you can make the most of your outdoor space whatever the weather.

Extra insulation for the winter

While outdoor pods and awnings are all about your outdoor space, outdoor blinds are the perfect solution for a warm and cosy interior this winter.

With exterior blinds you can help keep the warmth in your home by reducing heat loss through your windows, helping your rooms stay snug and keeping your bills down too!

No need to install until Easter 2024

If you want to make the most of your discount now, but aren’t ready for installation – that’s no problem!

You can place your order today and choose an installation date that works for you, up until Easter 2024.

What you get

Your 10% discount applies to Outdoor Blinds, Outdoor Pods and Awnings, and with each order you will also receive a free remote or control switch. The discount does not apply to upgrades or additions to your order, but if you have any questions, please do ask a member of the team and they’ll be happy to help you out!

Get your discount today!

Order your outdoor blinds, living pod or awnings before 15th December 2023 and get a massive 10% discount!

Get your quote now!

Additional Information

Discount valid for all orders placed between 25th September – 15th December 2023 inclusive. Product discount (saving) is off product only and not off any options / upgrades. Remote (motorised products only) and Tahoma Switch limited to 1 per order (irrespective of how many products on a single order).

We reserve the right to amend, alter or withdraw these offers at any time.

The post 10% Off Awnings, Living Pods and Outdoor Blinds! appeared first on Leamington Blinds.

These modern garden accessories allow us to make our outdoor space more accessible and comfortable, whatever the weather or time of year. Therefore, it’s no surprise that these outdoor accessories are now becoming some of the most popular blind and shading options.

So what are the best options for outdoor shading – and how do you decide what’s going to work best for your home or business? This guide will help you through the options available.

Outdoor living blinds

Our outside space has never been so important. With all the impact of the pandemic, there was a period where outdoors was the only place we could safely enjoy with family and friends.

So it’s no surprise that outdoor living blinds have been in big demand.

Our favourite option is the outdoor living pod. This product creates shade and shelter, making it perfect when the sun is shining, or when it’s chilly and damp.

The hard wearing louvre blinds can be automatically adjusted to give you the perfect conditions, whatever the weather. Their versatility almost creates a new room in your garden, one that is still open and accessible, but gives you protection from the elements.

Outdoor living pods are also becoming popular with pubs, bars and restaurants who want to give their customers a space to enjoy their food and drinks even if the weather isn’t fantastic.

By having a safely covered outdoor area, the beer garden or outdoor terrace can be popular all year round.

Made to measure garden awnings

If you’re looking for an outdoor shading solution that’s a little simpler, then garden awnings can be a fantastic option.

Awnings are typically fixed to an external wall, and can be pulled out to provide shelter and shade. They’re most commonly used over a patio area, so you can sit outside and enjoy your garden without being exposed to the sun.

Although there are some traditional awnings styles, today there’s a huge range of modern colours and patterns you can choose for a really stylish finish to your home.

It’s easy to forget that overhanging roofs, porches or even doorways can get in the way of your awning, so measuring up is really important. Before you contact an awning supplier, make sure your measurements are exact.

Commercial awnings

Shop awnings and canopies are also a really popular shading solutions for businesses, from cafés with kerbside tables, to shops that want to keep the glare off their beautiful window displays.

Traditional shop awnings have always provided a classic look, but today awnings don’t have to be the standard stripes and colours. Now awnings can be perfectly tailored to your business, with styles and colours that will appeal to your customers and better reflect your branding.

Pub awnings and restaurant awnings are also becoming more popular as businesses look to make more of their outside space.

External roller blinds for indoor spaces

One of our most popular exterior blind products is the external roller blind. However, this type of blind isn’t designed for creating shade or shelter in outdoor spaces, they’re actually an alternative to indoor blinds and shutters.

What are external roller blinds? External roller blinds are simply roller blinds that are fixed on the outside of a window or door, as opposed to other forms of window treatment that typically hang in front of windows or doors in the home. Outdoor roller blinds are designed to provide insulation, offer privacy and are particularly good at keeping out sunlight.

External blinds are smart, stylish, eco friendly blinds that protect your windows from direct solar radiation. So if you have large windows or patio doors where the heat builds up internally during hot summer days, just from the sunlight on the glass, then you know how incredibly uncomfortable it can get.

Outdoor blinds work by simply blocking out the sunlight before it hits the glass, thereby keeping your internal living space infinitely cooler on hot days.

Furthermore, external roller blinds are a really popular choice for modern, smart homes because you can program them to open or close on a timer, or to react to the temperature or light within your rooms.

What are the best outdoor blinds?

Outdoor living pods, external blinds and awnings are all great ways to bring your internal and outdoor living areas together. But the best choice really depends on what you hope to get out of your outdoor shading solution.

If you’re looking for a simple way to provide shade and shelter on your patio or outside your shop, then awnings may be the perfect choice.

If you’re looking to create an entertaining space, like a whole new room, then outdoor living pods are simply fantastic.

If you want smart blinds that protect your windows from the sun’s glare, then exterior roller blinds are the best option for you.

But whatever you decide, Leamington Blinds can measure up, supply and install the perfect outdoor shading system for your home or business.

Enquire online

To get a quote, or if you just want some friendly advice from our expert team, get in touch today.

The post Outdoor Blinds & Garden Awnings Buyers Guide appeared first on Leamington Blinds.

That’s why so many people are looking for ways they can enjoy their outdoor space whatever the weather, with outdoor shading solutions like verandas, awnings, pergolas and even living pods.

But knowing what options are out there, and which is the right one for you can get really complicated.

So in this guide we’ll talk you through all the different ways that you can get a bit of shade and shelter in your garden. From the differences between pergola, verandas and canopies, to the best options for different parts of your outdoor space.

Different types of outdoor shading

Let’s start off our guide by talking about all the different names and terms you might hear when you’re looking to add some summertime shade to your garden.

Awnings

Awnings are probably the most well-known type of garden shading, although a lot of people associate them more with shops than they do with homes and gardens.

Awnings are usually fitted to the side of a building inside a case, or cassette. They can then be opened out from the wall, and are usually held in position by strong metal arms that keep the material in place.

A more advanced type of awning is often called a pergola awning, which includes slim but strong lead rails and posts for additional support, making a more secure, weatherproof area. These are a bit like a garden lean-to canopy, using a similar framework to a veranda, but and awning-style material for the roof.

You can also get completely free-standing awnings, which are also sometimes referred to as canopies.

Your traditional shop awning is usually a striped, wind out awning that comes out to cover a shop window, or outside display. These classic shop front canopies are usually pvc or coated canvas to keep the awnings waterproof and hard wearing.

But you’d be amazed at the range of modern awning designs that are available today as well. Not only can you get really stylish colours and designs, you can also get electric awnings that you can control by remote, or even with an app from your phone.

Modern awnings provide UV protection from the sun, and can even come with additional features, such as LED lighting or ultra safe infra-red heating, meaning that you can use them all day and night – whatever the weather.

Canopies

A canopy is often used as another name for an awning, but it’s also used as a more general term for a covering, so it often crops up in descriptions of other types of shading and shelter – often just to describe the roof element.

For example, a veranda can be described as a lean-to with a canopy, and you can often see free standing canopies that are a lot like umbrellas or parasols.

Pergolas

Pergola is actually a term that a lot of people find confusing, any you might find it’s used to describe a few different styles of garden structure.

Strictly speaking, a pergola is an open framed structure that plants can grow up (whether they do or not is another matter!).

That’s why things like verandas and living pods can also be known as pergolas. You may hear people describe things like gazebos as pergolas too, and sometimes you can even hear them called free standing awnings.

So, it can be a bit complex to get the terminology right!

At Leamington Blinds, we like to think of pergolas as a permanent frame that can provide shelter and shade in different ways.

A lean-to pergola with a solid roof is what we call a veranda, and is typically attached to the side of your house.

A metal garden pergola with a louvred roof is what we call an outdoor living pod, and can be free standing or attached to your house.

Verandas

As we’ve just mentioned, a veranda is a permanent roofed structure that is typically attached to the side of your house. They typically have a solid roof in glass, perspex or even metal.

You see lots of verandas creating sheltered walkways over side alleys, but also at the back of houses, creating a modern lean to pergola style of shelter, complete with a glass roof.

Verandas are becoming more and more popular as an alternative to conservatories, as many people find them more usable (and much less expensive!).

That’s because modern patio verandas are incredibly flexible, as you can add side panels, screens and even sliding glass doors to create exactly the space you want.

A glass veranda with sides is almost like creating your own garden room, and the siding is usually available as zip screens, which can be opened or closed whenever you want, or solid panels in glass, pvc or even aluminium for strength and security.

Living pods

Outdoor living pods are free standing metal framed pergolas with a louvred roof, and often side panels too. They’re incredibly versatile and can almost create a whole new room in your garden.

Typically, a living pod is an aluminium pergola with a retractable roof, which is louvred so that you can have it completely open, completely closed, or find the right balance of sunlight and shade through its slats.

Because of its robust framework, an outdoor living pod creates a protected outdoor space that can be as flexible as you like. You can even choose an outdoor living pergola with side panels, which gives you the ability to create an area that’s almost like an indoor living space.

Especially when you consider that you can add LED lighting and infra-red heating options into the mix too.

What’s the right choice for my garden?

Now we know all about the different types of outdoor shading – how do you choose the right one for you? Well, it all depends on what you’re looking for, so let’s go through some of the key features that you might want from your garden shading option, and uncover the best fit for your needs.

Temporary shading

Not everyone wants a permanent fixture in their garden, and would rather have the option to choose between sunshine and shade whenever they want.

Often the best option here would be to have custom awnings, as these can be opened or retracted any time you like, giving you a lot more control and flexibility.

Of course, most awnings are fixed to a wall, which makes them an excellent shading choice for decking and patios, but not so great if you’re looking for temporary shade away from the house.

If you want something freestanding, another good option to consider would be an outdoor living pod.

Technically, these louvred pergolas are permanent, but that only applies to the framework itself. In terms of the shading, that can be as flexible as you like, as the roof is not just adjustable to let in as much or as little light as you like, it’s also completely retractable.

Weatherproof pergolas and verandas

Sometimes outdoor shading isn’t actually about sunlight – it’s about providing shelter from the elements.

In these cases, an awning is probably not your best option. Because they open out from a single place (usually from your wall), they’re less robust when it comes to windy conditions, and don’t have any sides to provide extra shelter.

Also, because awnings are made out of material such as pvc, they usually are rainproof, but are less sturdy than a solid glass, pvc or louvred roof that you might find on a veranda or a living pod.

If you’re looking to create a sheltered area next to a building, then a great option is to install a veranda. Veranda roofs are usually made of glass or pvc, providing a solid barrier to the rain, and usually come with inbuilt guttering to ensure the water drains properly too.

Verandas are a popular choice if you’re creating a weatherproof walkway, either between buildings or down the side of your house.

They’re often used by schools and companies that have multiple buildings on site, and need people to be able to move between without getting soaked!

But if you’re looking for something that doesn’t rely on the support of a wall, then a freestanding pergola, or an outdoor living pod could be the best option.

Because living pods come with a fully louvred roof, as well as siding options, you can make them incredibly resistant to both wind and rain.

Shaded entertaining areas

The most common reason someone’s looking for garden shading, is because they want to use their outdoor space for entertaining.

Of course whether you’re looking for hot tub awning, decking verandas or a full garden pergola with a retractable roof, probably the biggest consideration when you want to create an entertaining space in your garden, is ensuring there’s light and warmth.

The good news here is that today you can get fantastic lighting and heating options for almost any type of garden shading, including awnings.

The most popular type of lighting for pergolas, verandas and awnings is LED lighting. These low energy, bright lights don’t get too hot, and consume less energy than standard bulbs, and they work well in both the heat and the cold, so they’re ideal for outdoor use.

When it comes to heating, by far the best option is infra-red heating. Infra-red heaters can be installed in almost every type of garden shading, including awnings, and can provide targeted, low-cost heating in an instant.

Outdoor living rooms

If you really want to make the most of your outdoor space, then you can add a veranda or pergola to your garden that essentially creates a whole new room that you can enjoy.

Verandas are a really great way to achieve this, and at a fraction of the cost of a new conservatory too!

A modern veranda comes with a huge range of customisable options, including glass side panels and even sliding doors, so they can become incredibly close to a full conservatory style room.

But if you’re looking for a garden veranda that’s not attached to your house, then an outdoor living pod could be your answer.

These structures can include retractable side panels for additional shelter, and are versatile enough that you can have a solid roof, no roof at all, or to make use of the louvres to create the perfect balance of light and shade.

Shades for decking, patios and hot tubs

Patios and decks typically start at your back door, so they’re usually in the prime position for you to protect them with an awning or veranda.

For a more flexible option, an awning may be your best bet, as you can retract it whenever you like. Hot tub awnings are particularly popular, as they mean you can make the most of the sun when it’s out, but still enjoy a dip in the winter, with the awning providing you a bit of protection from the elements.

Pergola, veranda, awning or pod?

Now you’ve got the full story on all the different types of garden shades, it’s all about what the best options are for you.

And whether you need a decking pergola, a fully equipped outdoor living pod, or electric full cassette awnings, we’ve got everything you need right here at Leamington Blinds.

Get a quote

If you’d like to find out more about our outdoor shading options, just fill out the form below, or give us a ring and one of our friendly team will be happy to help!

The post All about garden shading, from pergolas to living pods appeared first on Leamington Blinds.