Been thinking about adding a small awning or maybe extending the roof overhang on the south side of my house. Thing is, I realized the sun angle changes quite a bit from summer to winter, and I don't wanna block out the nice winter sun that warms up the room, you know? So now I'm wondering if there's some kind of DIY math or simple calculation I can do to figure out exactly how big or deep to make it. Like, hypothetically, if I wanted shade covering my windows completely in July but still let sunlight in around December, how would I even start figuring that out? I'm not exactly a math genius, but I'm willing to give it a shot if it's not too complicated. Anyone here ever tried something similar or have any tips on how you'd approach this?
Did something similar last year, and it's actually not too tricky once you get the hang of it. First, look up your latitude online, then find a solar angle calculator (there's plenty free ones if you google it). Plug in your location and dates—like summer solstice (June 21-ish) and winter solstice (Dec 21-ish)—to get the sun's angle at noon. Once you have those angles, sketch it out roughly on paper, using your window height and the angle to see how deep the awning needs to be. Worked pretty well for me...good luck!
"Once you have those angles, sketch it out roughly on paper, using your window height and the angle to see how deep the awning needs to be."
Good advice. I'd just add—don't forget to factor in roof overhangs or nearby trees. Learned that one the hard way...shade calculations aren't always purely mathematical!
That's a really good point about trees and roof overhangs. I remember when I first tried figuring out shade for our patio, I got super into the math side of things—angles, sun paths, all that jazz. Felt pretty proud of myself too, until I realized I'd completely overlooked the neighbor's giant maple tree. Turns out nature doesn't always follow neat geometry!
One thing that helped me was actually spending a day or two casually observing how the shadows moved across the area I wanted shaded. Nothing fancy—just marked it roughly with chalk every couple hours. It gave me a real-world reference to double-check my calculations against. Sometimes what looks perfect on paper doesn't quite match reality, especially if you've got uneven ground or other structures nearby.
Also, if you're planning something permanent like an awning or pergola, it's worth considering seasonal changes too. The sun's angle shifts quite a bit from summer to winter, so what works great in July might not give you enough shade in September—or vice versa.
Anyway, don't stress too much about getting it exactly right on the first try. Shade planning is one of those things where close enough usually does the trick...and if not, there's always room for adjustments later on. Good luck with your project!