Steel Patio Awnings
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Three tips for buying a terrace awning
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The width of the awning will depend on how much of your terrace you want to protect. If you want to cover the entire terrace, the awning should be one metre wider than the terrace, i.e. half a metre on each side. Calculate the total width of the awning – even where the crank is located.
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The awning’s projection is how far it can be rolled out. The wider the awning, the longer the potential projection. The longer the projection, the more shade.
Most terrace awnings are rolled out with a crank or by pulling a cord, but there are also motorised awnings. For example, it may have a weather sensor that rolls out the awning in intense sunshine and pulls it in again when it gets cloudy or too windy. Some awnings can be operated by remote controlor app. Automatic awnings are often a little more expensive.
Most awning fabrics are made of acrylic or polyester, which are durable materials.
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Acrylic is the most common awning fabric and is marked with a number from 1 to 8, which indicates how much light the fabric lets through. The higher the number, the less light. The fabric does not fade in the sun and is water-repellent. It keeps its colour the longest if the acrylic is spin-dyed, which dyes the thread all the way into the fibre.
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Polyester is flexible and hard to tear even though it's thin. Unfortunately, it cannot withstand the sun to the same extent as acrylic, and UV radiation causes polyester to look plasticky over time.
It's also important to choose folding frames in a sustainable material. Aluminium usually lasts longer than plastic.
So you've decided to buy and patio awning, and perhaps all that's left is to decide which colour... Check out this guide to help you find the colour that make your house look even more beautiful.
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