Category: Awnings

It is important take appropriate action to care for your retractable awning to keep it in the best condition possible. With the night drawing in sooner and the cold frosts setting in, there is no better time to prepare your awning for the cold winter months. Firstly, it is important to clear your awning free from any leaves twigs and other debris that the autumn brings to our gardens. If you do not remove this debris, you may cause unwanted damage and stains to your retractable awning material. During the winter it is the best time to give your awning a clean and mend any repairs it may need while it is not being used as often. Once clean and repaired, spray the material with a waterproof protective spray to...

Not all awnings can stand up to stormy weather. In fact, an awning needs to be constructed in a certain way, and use high-tension fabric to be able to resist them without being retracted. Standard fixed-frame awnings can rarely stand up to powerful weather. They can be especially dangerous in the event of windstorms, as they can often detach from the building and flail around destroying windows and doors. However awnings that can resist storms are much stronger in design. Certain models make use of fabric structures that can withstand Category 5 winds without removal. When looking for a storm proof awning keep an eye out to see if it is labeled as such. Awnings that are storm proof tend to be advertised around the fact that they can stand up...

Awnings have been used for thousands of years, they are remarkable building features in that they have changed little over the course of history. The Roman Empire made use of large retractable fabric awnings, using them as shelters for the main seating areas of amphitheaters and stadiums. They have even been written about in ancient poems; “linen-awning, stretched, o’er mighty theaters, gives forth at times, a cracking roar, when much ’tis beaten about, betwixt the poles and cross-beams.” was a description given by the Roman poet Lucretius in 50 BC In the 19th century, awnings were simple constructions, often improvised for utility over aesthetics. Their basic design consisted of timber or cast iron posts set along the sidewalk edge, linked by a front cross bar. Today awnings come in many different...

Awnings and canopies are both used for the same purpose, they provide cover for adjacent areas of a building. In fact, they are so similar in their design and function that they are often mistaken for one another, even by fabricators, awning retail outlets and designers. There’s no precise rule when it comes to distinguishing the characteristics between awnings and canopies. Often times, what one designer sees as an awning, another would describe it as a canopy. Despite this there are certain features that help define awnings and canopies from one another. Awnings are typically structures that provide cover for a window. Canopies on the other hand tend to provide cover for doors. Other distinguishing features are that awnings are defined by their support points, which often rely on a single...