If you have invested in an awning for your home or business, it has likely become a much-loved feature that you never want to live without. Despite this, we all know life happens. Businesses grow and change, trees fall, weather conditions keep coming whether we want them to or not, and time marches on. Thus, no matter how well you maintain your awning, sooner or later it will either wear out, need its logos updated, or become damaged by no fault of your own. If this sounds familiar, don’t despair, there is an affordable solution that can get your awning back up and running in no time at all: awning fabric replacement.
Understanding the Why Behind Fabric Replacement
Awnings provide a plethora of wonderful benefits to homes and businesses all across the U.S. They provide curb appeal, signage/advertisement, significant reductions in energy costs, and practical benefits like shade and extra livable/useable space. Once you get used to enjoying an awning, the last thing you want to do is give it up, but maybe a total awning replacement simply isn’t in the budget.
The good news is metal frames often far outlast the lifetime of the fabric. Since, awnings are comprised of different pieces, small repairs can often be made to an otherwise stable and functional frame. Thus, this allows for you to merely replace the fabric, while keeping the original frame. This can significantly reduce the cost of updating your awning, even if your budget is small. Fabric replacement opens a whole new avenue of options to help ensure you don’t go another day without a functional awning.
Determining If Your Awning Is Eligible for Fabric Replacement
First of all, you need to take an honest look at your frame. Is their severe damage that makes it unfunctional, or has it merely suffered cosmetic deterioration like rust and scratches? If the damage is minimal, you can most likely salvage the frame. As always, the best way to make a reliable determination is to allow a professional awning company to come out and take a look at your current frame. They can help determine if your frame is still useable/repairable. Often, they will suggest replacing hardware components that might have seen their better days, so you can continue to enjoy a functional frame without total replacement.
Once you have determined that your frame qualifies for fabric replacement, the power is in your hands. You can change the fabric type, style, and color to completely transform the aesthetic of your home or business. The best part is this can be accomplished for a fraction of the cost of replacing the entire awning.
How to Recognize When Fabric Replacement Is Necessary
Much like the evaluation of the frame’s condition, you should also look over the condition of your awning’s fabric. When you notice obvious issues like severe mold/mildew, worn-out/faded fabric, holes in the fabric, separation of the fabric from the frame, or a lack of water resistance, it is safe to assume replacement may be needed. If your awning meets some or all of these replacement criteria, your next call should be to a reputable awning company. The experts can help you choose the right fabric for your next awning and ensure it is installed correctly and promptly.
Choosing the Right Replacement
The fabric and color choices available for awnings continue to expand. Therefore, the most powerful questions to ask yourself are what needs do I have and what are my likes? It will be important for you to consider your own personal style, color, and architectural preferences, as well as the functional features that will best suit your lifestyle and purposes for the awning. Even small changes like updating your business name and/or logo should not be taken lightly. After all, awnings used in business applications represent your company. Thus, it is important to carefully consider the different fabric options, as well as their unique benefits before making a quick decision.
What Fabric Types Are Available?
There are roughly five popular fabric options available to consumers today. These include acrylic coated polyester, woven polyester coated with PVC, acrylic fabric, cotton canvas, and vinyl laminated polyester.
Acrylic coated polyester is a great choice if your climate is known for heavy precipitation. This is because the fabric won’t stretch when assaulted by the elements. Moreover, it is a weatherproof fabric making it even hardier in high moisture conditions. Although, if you live in a climate that receives a lot of hot, sunny days, this fabric could be a poor choice since it is prone to fading.
Woven polyester coated with PVC is another fantastic option if your climate is known for an abundance of inclement weather and humidity. This is because the fabric can be easily wiped off when dirt or mildew begin to form. Additionally, this fabric boasts of being waterproof due to its PVC coating.
Acrylic fabric is the most popular material used in the United States and abroad today. The manufacturing process of acrylic fabric is unique in that the color is added, the yarn is formed, and then the product is woven into material. This ensures the color is consistent throughout the product and it will never fade due to age. Another reason why this fabric is so popular is its fantastic 10-year warranty and resistance to rotting and mildew.
Cotton canvas options were once the preferred fabric; however, they present some serious issues like a propensity for the development of mold/mildew, fading, and deterioration. They are a poor choice for areas that receive high amounts of precipitation or high winds as the fabric can be easily torn. Despite these downfalls, this fabric is beautiful and the most eco-friendly fabric currently on the market. Henceforth, some people will choose this option and simply be more diligent with maintenance and retraction during inclement weather conditions and the winter season.
Vinyl laminated polyester is the best of both worlds, it offers extreme protection from heat and UV rays, while offering a mildew/mold proof option for those who live in climates with high levels of humidity. These awnings are great at protecting skin, furniture, and other belongings from the harsh impact of the sun.
After considering the many great fabric choices and the criteria for fabric replacement, what are you waiting for? Is this the year you finally upgrade that dated, worn awning?