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External Shading for Doors and Windows
When it comes to preventing excessive heat and glare from the sun on South and West facing windows and doors there are several options available, some of which you may not have considered.
The trick with preventing solar heat gain is to prevent the sunlight hitting the glass of your windows, doors or bi-folding doors. Internal blinds of various types only stop sun glare and do not stop the heat entering the building.
Using various fabric and solid metal blinds and awnings externally can provide the perfect solution and provide some vision where required to the outside.
Samson Awnings offer a wide range of purpose made products which are generally suitable for commercial or domestic use on any property covering very large doors and windows if required.
Option 1
External Zip or Wire guided Fabric Vertical Blind.
Yes, that’s right an external fitted fabric blind to provide proper protection from the heat and glare of the sun but also provide protection from wind and rain if necessary.
The very latest ranges of external blinds offer by Samson are designed to be other gravity fed or cable and motor power driven with a zip channel system to the sides to ensure the greatest tension in the fabric itself when closed. The choice of fabrics is huge and there are also perforated options to provide some vision and ventilation even when closed but still able to provide protection from driving rain and diffuse the sunlight too.
For true weather protection and controlling sunlight and heat gain look to fitting blinds externally and benefitting far more in all round control of sunlight, wind and rain ingress. If you have sliding or inward opening windows then you can have the windows open and the blinds down to act as the weather protection, especially in the hotter months of the year.
Option 2
External Retractable Fabric Awning
A retractable awning can be used for either providing protection for an area underneath but also for protecting doors and windows from sunlight, especially those facing West and South which can suffer from low lying sun in the Autumn months.
Our awning range is huge, and all the awnings are made to measure with sizes up to 14m wide and 4m projection with a fully adjustable angle for the fabric cover to ensure the best protection when extended out.
Whether manual or electric operation, a good quality awning will provide shade for your doors and windows but also can provide a prefect space underneath to help define an outdoor area for your patio, garden or terrace to entertain family and friends.
Option 3
Drop Arm Awning
A traditional method for window shading this simple awning will drop down and provide a fabric protection cover at a 45-degree angle with a small protective cassette for the fabric and roll mechanism. The side arms provide the stability when opened and some models will allow the fabric to drop almost all the way down to 180 degrees acting like a normal blind to protect the whole window or door.
Drop arm awnings are a great solution as they are lightweight and don’t require the fixings like a self-supporting retractable awning does.
The cassette is small containing the fabric and the system is stable in wind because of the mechanics.
Should I Replace My Shop’s Awning
With Christmas over and the January sales winding down, this is perhaps the first time this year that you have had to take a step back and look at your shop. One question you may be wondering is if it is worth getting an awning or replacing your current one.
Here, we will outline the benefits or doing just that, and how they improve more than just the aesthetics of your business.
Revive Your Aesthetic
Over time, older awnings may have gotten worn, faded or damaged. This is of course a natural problem with most older awnings, whilst most modern awnings are capable of dealing with the effects of harsher weather. Faded and worn signs often put people off from entering a shop, as we naturally judge a shop from the outside before we enter it.
A new awning can completely change the appearance of your shop, making it immediately more inviting to potential customers, enticing passing trade.
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Brand Awareness
One of the strong points of an awning from Samson Awnings is the ability to personalise it with your shops own branding. With most awnings it is possible to have any RAL colour, and branding is also possible. This means you can have your logo and colours on the awning, extending your presence on the high street and making yourself more visible, as well as further the cohesion and strength of your brand.
Provide Protection
With the weather becoming more extreme over time, as Winters become colder and wetter and summers becoming warmer, awnings and other forms of protection could become more important. Whilst we are now in late January, Summer will arrive before we know it, and it is important to prepare accordingly.
An awning will not just protect you in wet weather, but will also stop your premises from becoming unbearably hot during the summer. Extending an awning in warm weather can stop the burning summer sun from warming up the glass in the windows of your shop, therefor keeping the whole building cooler, and encouraging shoppers or visitors to stay longer.
How An Awning Can Greatly Benefit Your Business
Standing out as a business is getting more important by the day, as competition has never been fiercer. So what can you do to get the edge on your neighbouring businesses?
Products such as awnings are a fantastic way to do this, and have numerous benefits which can help to save you money, bring in new customers and please your
Brand Awareness
One of the biggest benefits an awning has is that is can be personalised or branded. This allows you to extend your presence on the high street and stand out compared to your peers. Physically standing out from your competitors provides a massive boost and is more likely to attract new customers and visitors.
A branded awning can be a very impressive addition to your property. When done well, it can provide a massive boost to your businesses aesthetics.
Utilising Space
With space at a premium in busy city centres or high streets, maximising your space has never been so important. Because of this, a lot of different businesses are looking for ways to make the most of their outdoor areas to maximise revenue.
Awnings help to allow use of your outdoor spaces even in trickier weather conditions by protecting your customers or visitors from rain. Alongside this, combined with LED lights or infrared heaters you can extend the usability of your outside space further into the night time and even during the colder months. This allows for more space for customers and the chance to maximise revenues at all times for a relatively small amount of money.
Weather Protection
Of course, one of the biggest benefits of an awning is simply the weather protection it will provide to those both inside and outside the property. Keeping those underneath dry and protected is a massive benefit, allowing for additional seating, as well as keeping the pavement or path underneath it dry and less slippy.
Not only this, but awnings have been shown to have a positive effect on passing trade, with customers more likely to stop outside under an awning and look in the window of the shop.
One of the effects often forgot about is actually the effect awnings can have in warmer summer weather, where they stop the hot sun from warming up the glass and making the room inside unbearable. From shops to offices, this can have a massive benefit for both visitors and members of staff, helping increase productivity by relieving uncomfortable weather conditions.
The Benefits of Full, Semi and Open Cassette Awnings
How to Choose the Perfect Awning
With a wide variety of possibilities, it can be daunting to purchase a new awning for those unfamiliar with the product itself. From different styles, makes, models and more, it can understandably seem like an overload of information.
We are commonly asked what the difference between an open, semi and full cassette awnings are, and what their different uses can be. In this short piece, we hope to make the difference between the three styles clear and examine the different uses for them in both domestic and commercial settings.
What are the Differences?
The cassette itself is the casing which houses the fabric, mechanism and arms, and provide protection against the elements.
A full cassette provides complete protection when the awning is fully retracted and this makes it perfect for shops, cafes and more, as well as being the ideal cassette type for the notoriously changeable British weather. This is the ultimate protection for the awning and whilst this is certainly reflected in the prices, the safety and reliability of these, as well as the impressive aesthetics, make them extremely popular.
An open cassette meanwhile provides no external casing to protect from the elements for the arms or fabric, however a protective top cover can sometimes be added. The lack of casing means these are best suited to areas involving an overhang, however the lack of casing means these can often span far greater areas than cassette awnings, and are also usually less expensive too.
A semi cassette awning contains a top that is protected by casing that will protect from a certain amount of weather damage. They can also have additional guards added to enhance protection. These are useful as a mid point between the full and open cassette awnings.
As a general rule, all of these awnings are suitable for both commercial and domestic applications, but they have specific strengths and ensuring you have the right awning for your needs and property is crucial.
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How Can They Benefit You?
With such stark differences between the three kind of awnings, they are understandably useful for various purposes.
A full cassette awnings like the Markilux 990, are without a doubt the best awning for an all year round protection system, and they look fantastic, with a range of designs aimed to ensure there is always an awning that will suit your property. With the British weather notoriously changeable, these offer full protection and reliability. The cassette however does limit the sizes possible due to the need to fit the arms into the cassette. If your property is exposed to the elements, a full cassette awning is definitely the best option.
Semi cassette awnings are a little more diverse than full cassette awnings, and are a little cheaper too due to the lack of a full casing. Whilst this has benefits beyond price and adaptability, it should be noted that you do not have full protection for the fabric and mechanisms, and this can be an issue in adverse weather conditions. The lack of a full cassette also means that these can have extended arm sizes, meaning these are an excellent option for properties needing to cover larger spaces with only a little cover for the awning.
Open cassette awnings, such as the Markilux 1700, are completely unprotected, with no casing at all for the fabric and mechanism. This of course means these awnings suit drier climates or properties with alcoves and overhands to protect them from the weather. The benefits of these however are the ability to cover greater projections than the width due to lack of casing, as well as being noticeably less expensive. These are fantastic for enclosed spaces or large open areas with an alcove or overhang.
Essential Winter Accessories
Winter has fully arrived, and with it we have harsher weather that makes spending time outside more difficult. Earlier sunsets and darker nights are combined with much lower temperatures and wet and windy weather, which can be a nightmare combination.
Luckily companies such as Markilux, Vortex and Weinor are one step ahead and have a number of different accessories that can be used in conjunction with their products to help you still enjoy your time outdoors, at low energy costs.
Wind Protection
For wind protection, both Markilux and Weinor provide side screens, helping you to enjoy your outside space without being buffetted by the winds, whilst Erhardt Markisen, Gibus and Weinor all provide glass panels and doors for their veranda and 90° pergola systems.
The Markulux 790 and Weinor Paravento are fabric horizontal blinds that extend from vertical aluminium cases, allowing them to be neatly tucked away when not needed. The main benefit of these products is that as well as protecting from rain or wind, they also provide shading and privacy.
Erhardt Markisen, Gibus and Weinor all provide high quality glass elements, that can both slide and fold open, or fixed elements that provide 24/7 protection. These of course don’t provide shading, however certain Gibus systems can also offer blinds to provide the best of both worlds.
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| Weinor Zenara with Integrated LED Lights | Veito 2000 Infrared Heater |
Heating
If heating is the main issue, then a whole host of different companies offer solutions to accompany their systems, as well as third party options that offer excellent performance.
Vortex, the makers of large commercial umbrellas, offer infrared heaters, designed to be ideal for use in the catering or hospitality industry, when outside space is at a premium and the systems themselves are more likely to be used at different times of the year.
Infrared technology saves a lot of energy as opposed to conventional heaters, and due to it’s ability to transfer heat directly to surfaces rather than air, it also requires almost no heat up time at all, proving instant comfort whilst saving money.
For this reason, Markilux and Weinor also offer similar heaters for their systems. The Markilux heaters are designed to work with any awning, and can even be combined with lighting in the shape of the Markilux Hotspot. Weinor, meanwhile, provide the Tempura. the Tempura is available in two different models with varying design styles.
Gibus also provide a 4000W bar heater, whilst Erhardt Markisen offer both infrared heaters and a unique item called the Erhardt Heatscope Vision. The Heatscope Vision is a panel that provides as much heat as possible whilst providing minimal light intrusion, ideal for creating an atmosphere.
Finally, third party company Veito also provide heaters, with an impressive range to suit every application. In business for roughly 40 years, Veito and Samson Awnings work together to supply six different models with different strengths and uses. for instance the Veito Blade S2500 is a beautifully designed wall and ceiling mounted heater mounted by brackets that is ideal for use under awnings or verandas, whilst the Veito CH1800RE is a self supporting vertical heater ideal for use in glass rooms.
Lighting
When it comes to Lighting, there are a range of LED options from companies such as Erhardt, Gibus, Markilux, Vortex, Weinor. LED lighting is useful because it conserves energy as opposed to normal lighting options and is also much brighter.
Erhardt’s Light Bar attaches to the wall and provides light without looking out of place due to it’s modern design, whilst LED spot lights can be incorporated into the roof of any Erhardt veranda. Weinor also offer the Lux system which combines different LED systems, and many of their awnings come with LED lights integrated as standard.
Markilux offer the spotline bar with integrated spotlights, as well as the Hotspot system, which is a bar containing both LED spotlights and infrared heaters. Gibus also offer bar lights and spot lights, but as well as Weinor, they also offer RGB led strip lighting that runs around the inside perimeter of the system, providing stunning visuals that can be changed at the touch of a button.
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| Gibus RGB Strip Lighting | Weinor RGB Strip Lighting |
Introducing Erhardt Markisen
Coming soon to Samson Awnings is a range of products by German manufacturer Erhardt Markisen. Amongst the products are a range of high quality retractable awnings and a glass roof terrace system.
Founded in 1980, Erhardt Markisen started as a one man operation. Over the last 38 years the company has grown exponentially, and for the past 10 years they have been designing and manufacturing terrace roofs and glazing solutions at their Burtenbach site in the German region of Bavaria.
Focused on high quality products and innovative ideas, Erhardt are a well known and respected name within the industry. They pride themselves on having fast and reliable deliveries and knowledgeable staff.
All fabrics undergo strict testing, both in the sewing room and the weaving plant. The current range of materials spans to over 250 different fabric designs across seven collections.
Samson Awnings plans to sell the following specially chosen products:
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| Erhardt BS-System
An awning system with three basic models, available with many extras and variations. |
Erhardt C
A classic cassette awning with flexible installation options to suit you. |
Erhardt J
A proven cassette awning that impresses right down to the smallest detail. |
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| Erhardt K
A small cassette awning with an installation height of just 13cm, excelling on balconies and terraces. |
Erhardt PM
An aluminium pergola awning that provides flexible protection for domestic or commercial settings. |
Erhardt Q
Modern Bauhaus design incorporating the best in technical advances and LED Lighting. |
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| Erhardt S
An open-cassette awning with a sleek design and modern fabric choices. |
Erhardt SD
A high-performance cassette awning with sophisticated technology & a low-profile design. |
Energy Saving Tips
As the summer winds down and we head into the Autumn, we face the possibility of another long and harsh Winter. Climate change has left many scientists warning that the previous 12 months of extreme weather could become the norm for these isles, and so the need to adapt whilst being energy efficient is one of the average household’s most pressing challenges.
So what can you do to save energy and how can we help you?
LED Lights
Led lights are a big energy saver, using up to 75% less energy than their comparable halogen equivalent, and need replacing less often. Many of our systems such as Markilux awnings, Weinor retractable roofs or Gibus Med Systems have LED lighting as an option, and this is something that could be extended through your home.
While LED lights save money and conserve energy, they are also very bright, and are even available in a variety of colours, with remote controls available for some LED lights which allow you to change colour, have them alternate or even set up patterns.
External Shading
External shades are an often overlooked way to save money in the long run in warmer climates. During hot summers like the one we have just experienced, it can be difficult to cool down a property when the sun in beating down on the windows, cooking the room on the other side.
External shades allow you to prevent the sun from reaching the glazing and therefor stop the room from being heated without the use of fans or air conditioning, saving money and conserving energy. This is something that is going to become more important in the UK as climate change takes effect, and therefore is something that more households will need to consider than ever before.
Similarly, retractable awnings do a similar job, whilst also offering a larger shaded area outside for you to relax.
Markilux are a world leader in awnings and blinds, and vertical blind products such as the 710/810 and 750/850 or awnings such as the 990 being perfect for this purpose.
Infrared Heating
Infrared heating has many strengths over standard heating. It requires almost no warm up time and provides instant heating, making it perfect for outdoor use.
Infrared heating uses electromagnetic radiation, however it is 100% safe (our bodies actually emit infrared radiation, which is how things such as night vision goggles work). It is a different heat to our usual heating systems, which heat the air which comes into contact with it. Infrared heat meanwhile, travels through the air until it hits a solid object, at which point the object absorbs the heat. In people, this gives a deep feeling of warmth.
Because of this targeted heating, they conserve a lot of energy compared to conventional heaters and this can help you save more money. Infrared heaters are available on numerous systems available from Samson Awnings.
May Introduce New Colour Options
German umbrella giant May have unveiled that they are widening their selection of LED bars, to include even more colours to brighten up your outdoor space.
Previously you had the option of RGB colours or warm white LED bars, however there is now the option to have both in the same bar, making the system even more diverse.
What’s more, these new RGB-ww bars are available at no extra cost. These new LED bars are even able to be controlled via an app. You can even combine different colours and even save various colours, patterns, combinations and brightness levels.
The free app for the transmitters (operated via Bluetooth) is available for download on the May website. The new RGB-www LED bars can be controlled by an app as well as a hand-held Bluetooth remote control sender. It is recommended to use the app however, as the Bluetooth sender limits it to controlling two parasols maximum.
The regular white LED bars are also still available.
For more information, please call us on 0800 328 6250.
Weinor VertiTex II
Weinor has recently launched the new VertiTex II.
A compact, vertical awning, the VertiTex II by Weinor is a fantastic option for shading from the sun. The unobtrusive design creates an elegant awning that can be applied in a number of applications, including patio roofs, windows, conservatories and more. Available in widths of up to 6 meters, the VertiTex is suitable for various requirements you may have – it can be fitted virtually anywhere!
The awning is manufactured with three different operational methods that you can choose from:
– Zip: The fabric is held tight on both sides, meaning that it is highly tensioned and therefore wind-resistant
– Rail: The fabric is guided in a rail, the standard, universal option.
– Rope: Guided by a rope, this is the light version, and the most aesthetically delicate.
Weinor’s extensive fabric colours, patterns and material designs, as well their offering of over 200 frame colours mean you are able to own the most ideal vertical awning that is perfect for your home’s façade.
May Umbrella Colour and Fabric Updates
May Umbrellas have adapted their range of colour and fabrics, aiming to update their products for the year of 2018.
May Umbrellas are premium parasols designed to fit in equally amongst the domestic and commercial markets, and look fantastic amongst any setting. With a range of designs that include side-supported and centre pole umbrellas, there are plenty of designs available to choose from.
Discontinued colours
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 008 ochre
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 019 terracotta
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 257 green/black
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 271 navy blue/black
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 344 multi color (Available at extra cost)
MayTex-PVC, 302 1496 mandarin (Available at extra cost)
MayTex-PVC, 302 1497 rust (Available at extra cost)
Changed from gloss finish to matt
MayTex-PVC, 302 1093 beige becomes 302 544 beige matt
MayTex-PVC, 302 1115 dark brown becomes 302 328 darkbrown matt
MayTex-PVC, 302 056 green becomes 302 814 green matt
MayTex-PVC, 302 390 grey becomes 302 331 grey matt
Additional colours
MayTex-Poly, M 9654 graphite grey
MayTex-Acryl, DA 7244 lime green
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 396 green/apple green, structured
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 007 pure red
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 397 magenta
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 143 mallow
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 851 vanilla
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 402 black/beige, structured
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 028 stone grey, mottled
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 030 light grey
MayTex-Acryl, SA 314 398 atlas grey
MayTex-PVC, 302 378 slate grey matt
MayTex-PVC, 302 165 beige grey matt
