For people living in most of the U.S., the two exceptions being the Alaska, the most northern state, and the calm, moderate state of Hawaii, summers will include a period of sweltering, uncomfortable weather that is as short as a few days to as long as several months.

During the hottest days, it becomes uncomfortable to spend time outside the house. Families with children won’t be able to spend time playing in the open air. People will find it difficult to exercise by taking walks or running. Pets and their owners will have a hard time taking advantage of the outdoors.

For gardening aficionados, such intense sunlight can end up killing carefully cultivated crops and flowers. Plants need sunlight to grow, but can wilt in the face of excessive heat. If the heat is short-lived, the wilting may be temporary. But over some threshhold the damage to the plants will be permanent with little chance of revival.

To avoid the damaging effects of these intense summer days, home owners should consider outdoor shade solutions for their home. There are roughly three kinds of possibilities to help shade the home. One, a fixed structure that is part of the house. Two, a portable shade that can be moved to desired locations. Three, an air-temperature regulating system such as an outdoor fan or an outdoor misting system. These three may be combined also to synergize their cooling effects.

Examples of fixed structure outdoor shades are the pergolas, gazebos and most awnings. An awning is a fabric shade structure placed over windows or doors usually. This serves a dual function both of cutting down light entering the house as well as the area immediately outside and under. Large awnings can theoretically cover some part of the garden or backyard. The convenience of contemporary awnings is such that a push of the switch on a remote can let the awning open or close. However, this outdoor shade solution is quite expensive.

The products from the portable shade category is both cheaper to buy and easier to install. The best example of a portable outdoor shade is the pool umbrella. This pool accessory is so ubiquitous because every home owner immediately sees the need for a simple way to protect people enjoying the pool from harmful UV rays. The pool umbrella can be easily stored away or taken out depending on the situation. There are two other kinds of useful portable shades. The portable awning is a much lighter version of its fixed cousin, the traditional awning. It can be easily moved from place to place. Also, a canopy structure serves much of the same function except it can have fabric walls to block wind also.

Besides outdoor shading, the home owner should consider a powerful temperature regulation system. The outdoor mister is such a regulation system. When activated, it sends tiny, microscopic drops of water into the air. When the water evaporates, the temperature of the cools, much like the way our bodies cool by sweating. A special fan for the outdoors can be used with the mister to speed up the evaporation and cooling.

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