skip to main content

Cape Cod- Should I Remove Awnings?

9 years ago

We have three window awnings and one over the front steps. The original plan was to remove them and place decorative shutters.

One of my friends is concerned how much this will heat the house up in the summer. The house faces west. We live in an area in which it only gets hot for about 4 to 6 weeks in the summer and I have AC. Wouldn't the extra cost to cool the house be made up by the extra solar heat in the cold months?

What do you think? Thanks for any opinions.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

TxMarti
9 years ago
Do they block sun in winter? If so, I'd remove them. You can get some bamboo shades and put them on the outside of your windows during those hot summer days if you find removing them is increasing your electric bill. I bet it won't make that much difference. The back of our house faces west, and we have about 4 months of extreme heat. When it's really bad, I put up bamboo shades outside and they do make a difference.
kitykat
9 years ago
What type of window coverings are on these windows? It would be simple to layer, such as: any type of shade (pleated, cellular, roller) under an existing curtain (sheer, opaque), and raise and lower the shade as needed to modify the sun/heat. These shades can be custom, or cut to size at the local box store.

My last 3 homes had west facing great rooms, and this was my solution. Plus, just my personal opinion, I don't care for awnings.

Overall, I think the cost will equalize, in any event.
Related Discussions
More help w/ Minnesota 'Cape Cod' floorplan/elevation?
Q
Comments (25)
OH and living in an earthome is COZY and economical. :) My parents build it in 1983-1984. It's 3BR 2BA, and about 2400 square feet (rough guesstimation). Every single room was used every single day. Their only regret was not having a sound proofed music room, but how could they have predicted they'd have two musically talented + incredibly obnoxious teenagers? :D Almost the entire south side of the house was floor to ceiling windows. The only other window in the house was a skylight in the kids bathroom (which they recently replaced with a solar tube due to 25 years of moisture issues!) The bedrooms don't have windows, so you sleep in TOTAL darkness. It's also 15 miles from the nearest town...one of my dad's friends was visiting from Los Angeles. When he woke in the morning to total darkness and total silence he lay there for awhile, and then called out in a meak voice "Dennis?" "Yeah, Rick?" "Oh thank GOD I thought I was DEAD!!!!" We never were scared of tornadoes, despite the frequent damage neighbors dealt with whenever a big one came through the area. We rarely needed to turn on the heat and we didn't have air conditioning at all...yet the house was always a comfortable temperature.
...See More
Cape Cod with mixed siding?
Q
Comments (4)
It's a nice looking cape. I'm seeing too much of one color. I think I'd look into beefing up the window trim on the dormers. I'd look into brightening the paint in the porch area to make it more of a focal point. I'd think about painting the body of the house a brighter color to get more contrast from the roof. I wouldn't touch the siding as it looks fine. If I wanted to spend more money, I think I would go with a different garage door style. I can't see the lighting on the front porch, but perhaps that can be brightened, and I'd look into different materials for the front porch and steps to make them more interesting than the concrete. The rest can be done with landscaping and plant selection and placement.
...See More
Cape Cod expansion ideas (aka Love it or List It)
Q
Comments (20)
It's good to go through and work out how you see the addition working for you, but you will definitely want to get an architect involved at some point. I am preparing for an addition also. Like you, I spent a lot of time figuring how I wanted the space to work for me. I came up with a plan and the architect tweaked it based on what I wanted. I didn't know how much my addition would run, so I paid the architect to draw the initial design. I had a contractor in mind who I wanted to work with. He gave me an estimate of what he thought it would cost to build looking at the design. When I saw it was in my budget, I then paid the architect to do the construction plans, which we submitted to the city. An architect should be able to tell you if there is much savings with your last plan. I thought it would save me money to expand one of the back bedrooms into a master - i.e. Tear out part of the exterior block wall of a back room and enlarge it. The architect told me it would be cheaper and easier to just add a new structure to my current house, connected by a door. I was happy to hear this, because it was what I really wanted to do anyway. One thing is that although that half bath costs a lot to put in, I would think it would be nice to have for guests.
...See More
Design assistance for waterfront Cape Cod home
Q
Comments (5)
I wasn't able to find your sketch within a couple of minutes. It's better if you post the relevant pictures directly in the thread. One thing I've always found annoying because it ALWAYS looks and feels like a mistake, is that whenever connecting two destinations, a person must travel up or down BEYOND the destination elevation, and then return to the correct elevation. In other words, going from the upper deck to the basement level and then back up to the pool level does not seem efficient or classy. In order to "flow" from the upper deck to the pool, I believe you would have to make the connection directly from the left end of the deck, and it would thus have to be separate from the expanded deck affair that you are contemplating. To make it separate would not be a bad thing in my opinion. Can't tell from pictures, It might could connect at the outside of the deck and pool, or possibly hug along the house walls. A patio looks better to me than a 2nd story deck on stilts (or some half-derivation of that.) As you have a raised mound of earth off of the back of the house, it seems like you could develop a patio that is supported by a sturdy retaining wall, placing its elevation about two steps below the upper deck level. It would not seem so much difference that "flow" is interrupted, and it would give you the opportunity to include the features you're after. It could also be extended to include a second, even lower, level that puts a little more separation from the firepit area. A new, better and more direct path to the water could come from it. I have no idea what visual effect this will have from the basement area, between the mound an house. We can't see if there's a cave back there, or what. The sketch is rough, vague & general.
...See More
Acadiafun
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the opinions and they were what I was hoping to hear because I really don't care for the awnings. I only have valances as curtains but I can add shades. The street and lot is private so I don't worry so much about people looking in at night - hence the valances.

Thanks!!!
peegee
9 years ago
Well, good luck! I get a LOT of heat in the south and west windows in the summer and prefer not to run the central air any more than needed, so had old-fashioned roll-up aluminum awnings installed which when rolled up for the winter do not interfere with solar gain, but really help when down in the summer. I don't love the look, but it's function over form, and I feel they have been well worth the investment.
rosie
9 years ago
By far the most effective heat control is to stop the heating rays before they hit the house and start baking the roof and west wall. How about planting a deciduous tree or two that will do that eventually? By far most awnings were reluctantly added after the fact to deal with a significant problem.

Related Stories

TRADITIONAL HOMES Houzz Tour: Breezy and Fuss Free in Cape Cod

By Becky Harris

Kids, pets and countless guests needn’t fear messing up this relaxed but pulled-together vacation home

TRADITIONAL HOMES My Houzz: Heartfelt Traditional Style Warms a Cape Cod Retreat

By Design Fixation [Faith Provencher]

Family mementos, cool vintage finds and coastal-inspired touches add just the right amount of cozy to this New York couple’s vacation home

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: New Life for a Dilapidated Cape Cod

By Design Fixation [Faith Provencher]

Neutral colors, classic furnishings and coastal touches outfit a floral designer and her husband’s Massachusetts home

KITCHEN OF THE WEEK Kitchen of the Week: A Cape Cod Classic

Check out the ‘before’ and ‘after’ images to see how this remodeled kitchen reclaimed its traditional charm

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: DIY Love Reforms a Dated Cape Ann Home

By Theresa Fine

Handmade touches and classic neutrals transform a dark Massachusetts house into a beautiful home fit for a family

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Bright and Airy Updates in a California Fixer-Upper

By Hoi Ning Wong

An Australian family tackles an unloved Cape Cod–style house, turning it into an inviting home that reflects their history and travels

TRADITIONAL HOMES Houzz Tour: Historic Concord Grapevine Cottage’s Charms Restored

By Becky Harris

This famous property had fallen on hard times, but passionate homeowners lovingly brought it back

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: A Summer Beach House Charms and Welcomes

By Mary Prince Photography

An expansive, thoughtful renovation transforms a humble 1870s house on Cape Cod into an inviting place for living and entertaining

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Vintage Charm and DIY Style in Maryland

By Michaela Dodd

A Cape Cod-style family home overflows with hand-painted pieces and personalized style

TILE Double Take: Is That a Little Blue Crab Crawling up the Fireplace?

By Becky Harris

Handmade local accent tiles bring sea critter personality to this coastal Cape Cod living room

More Discussions

Kitchen layout/island dilemma

13

Small Condo Remodel

9

Bathroom/Laundry and Ensuite layout in granny flat space

3

ADU/MIL Rough Floorplan Ideas

23

Closet design not functional, any advice?

9