When the weather outside is nice and warm during the day and pleasant into the evening, you want to spend as much time outside in your backyard and soak up the sun's summer rays before winter arrives. But too much sunshine can be stressful on your health and you need a space of shade to cool off from time to time. Here are some ideas to add shade and a cool environment to your backyard space to make it more comfortable during the heat of summer.

Cover an Existing Structure

When you have a structure already built into your backyard, such as a pergola or a lattice frame covering, you can add your own canopy covering to the structure to give a full area of shade to your backyard. You can find a selection of awning and shade fabrics online or at a local distributor. By selecting and buying the awning fabric by the yard you can buy just the right amount to cover your awning and its size. 

You can choose from a variety of colors and patterns in a selection of materials, such as vinyl mesh, to allow in some sunlight, or a sun-blocking all-weather fabric that has UV resistance and made of acrylic, polyester, or polyethylene so it lasts for many years outside in the weather. Be sure to also select the right size of grommets, or hooks and clips, to attach your awning fabric to your outdoor structure.

Install a New Canopy

If you don't already have an existing structure in your backyard which you can cover, you can add a new structure, either temporary or permanent. For a temporary structure you can find a portable awning that comes packed into a convenient case you can store in your garage or outdoor shed. Then, you only need to erect the frame and attach the tent-like covering to the awning to have an immediate overhead covering. 

For a more permanent option you may choose to have an awning attached onto your home's roof and extend over your patio space. These types of awnings are not all fixed either. You can choose from retractable awnings or awnings that are adjustable and those that have slats which can open and close to let in a little or a lot of sunshine.

In addition to these two options you can also plant some vegetation that will provide shade in your yard. Although this option will rarely give you immediate results, adding living vegetation will make your backyard space more beautiful and help the environment.

For more information, you will want to contact a company such as Evans Awning.