FAQs

What awning system is best for sun and rain protection on my patio?

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Samson

This question has become a lot easier to answer in the last few years with the arrival of several patio and terrace cover products specifically developed for dealing with rain and higher winds which unfortunately we have to live with in the UK.
Traditional retractable patio awnings supported only from the wall of a building can really only ever deal with relatively low wind speeds and light rain unless the cover is pitched at a very steep angle and even then careful management is required, particularly on much larger awning sizes. The fixings to the wall itself are also very important as the stresses can be extreme when the awning is pitching around in the wind. In the rain imagine an awning cover 6 metres wide and 4 metre in projection and the potential extra weight put onto the awning cover with a sudden cloud burst of rain. All these factors need considering if your awning is to be particularly large and used in light rain. However the real solution to provide cover that can be used most of the year round is to look at our range of front supported and side tracked retractable awnings. These retractable roof awnings use all the same high quality fabrics but have side channels and front leg supports to enable much larger projection sizes with the added benefits of the fabric being able to be supported at the sides as well by a ‘zip’ feature.

Take a look at the Markilux Pergola or the Weinor Plaza as well as the even stronger Pergotex or Gibus Med systems.
All these products provide all year round potential use with fully retractable roof covers to enable the entire roof to retract when required or project as little or as much as you want.

The Pergola and the Plaza are similar systems and provide a high quality fabric retractable roof up to 6 metres in projection and up to 7 metres wide in one section and wider using coupled units.
The Pergotex and Gibus Med systems offer far higher ratings with a roof cover made from a vinyl coated fabric with aluminium support struts creating a very strong roof once fully extended. A roof with a tested snow loading capability! Both these systems can incorporate rainwater guttering in a front profile section and there are options  to infill the sides and the front with a multitude of optional products including drop down blinds and sliding doors to name a couple.

All these retractable roof systems are electric operated mainly due to the size and the power required to extend the fabric as the fabric is under such tension in order to provide the tightest and flattest of covers when extended.

All the systems are made to order with a choice of framework colours and hundreds of fabric colours.

If you are looking to truly invest some effort and money into creating an outdoor area for you and your family and friends to spend quality time, whatever the weather, speak to us first about the product options over and above a basic patio awning. Better still come in and see us or send via email some basic dimensions and a photograph of the area you want to cover and we can advice the best options.
Call now on 0800 3286250 or email enquiries@samsonawnings.co.uk

Posted in General Faqs, Rain Protection, Wind Solutions | Tagged All Year Round, Rain Protection, Recommendations, retractable roof solutions, Terrace Covers | No comment