ARE PATIO AWNINGS WATERPROOF?
Posted on 21 April 2023 by Phil Coleman
Are patio awnings waterproof? The simple answer is yes….but be careful.
The reason I say be careful is that patio awnings are designed for sun protection. They will give you a valuable space in your garden without suffering from the effects of the sun. They will also keep your rooms cooler.
ARE PATIO AWNINGS WATERPROOF? THE FABRICS
Most good quality awnings have fabrics with a teflon coating which works well should your awning be out when it is raining.
Some of the less expensive awnings will absorb more water which is not ideal and could cause damage to your awning over time.
ARE PATIO AWNINGS WATERPROOF? THE INSTALLATION
This part is really important if you want to be able to use your awning when it is raining.
Your awning needs to be fitted so the fabric is on a slope. The bigger the slope the better as the water runs off quicker.
A professionally installed awning will have a minimum slope of 300 mm (12 inches) per metre of projection.
The front of your awning when out will be 2 metres from the floor to allow people to walk under without hitting their heads.
So if you want your awning to come out 2 metres from your home the awning will be fixed at a minimum height of 2.6 metres. 3 metre projection then fixing height would be 2.9 metres.
If your awning is installed with less of a slope than that your awning fabric could collect water because it can’t run off and if it is out long enough in the rain the weight of the water collecting in the cover could either snap the awning support arms or pull your awning off the wall.
More than 300 mm slope per metre gives the water even better runoff.
ARE PATIO AWNINGS WATERPROOF? THE FRAMEWORK.
Again fairly important. The more robust the awning framework the better for the reasons listed above. An awning out in the rain will add extra weight to the fabric so the stronger the support arms the better.
One of our awning suppliers has a gutter system built into the front rail so rather than the water running off in various places it only runs off in the corners.
An addition you can add to one of our awnings for better weather protection is a drop-down valance.
Most awnings have a fixed valance at a set size of around 150 mm.
The drop-down valance is built into the rail and can be rolled up and down to the ideal position even down to the floor.
A great option for sun protection but also works well when the weather is not so good.
The next question is what can I expect to pay. Well we have answered that as well https://www.barlowblinds.com/how-much-are-patio-awnings
I hope that helps and if you are in Leicestershire and would like a home visit please call 0116 2769771 or fill in our contact form and we will call you back https://www.barlowblinds.com/contact.
