Pergola Awning | Retractable Patio Awnings

Archive for June, 2010

Pergolas are a fantastic addition to any garden or landscape because they draw the eye upward and add visual interest.   Pergolas also provide an excellent support structure for climbing plants, and when paired with a flowering vine, they allow your garden to literally climb to new heights.   There are as many different pergola designs as there are ideas; your imagination is the limit, especially if you are going to build the structure yourself.   In this article, we’ll discuss some popular pergola designs and how you can choose one that’s right for your garden.

Pergolas are a unique structure because they can vary a lot in size.   Unlike arbors, which are typically no deeper than 3 feet and no taller than 7 feet, a pergola could be large enough to cover an entire deck or patio.   Pergolas can also be designed in a variety of ways, depending on your needs.   For example, if you are looking for something to provide shade or shelter in a particular area, you might want to use canvas or another material to stretch over the top part of your pergola.   Allowing foliage to grow up a pergola is also quite common, and grape vines can be an excellent choice for covering the top of a large pergola because of their tendency to grow horizontally and span a large area.   Remember that grapes and some other fruit bearing and flowering vines will attract bees and other insects, so if this isn’t what you want, you may want to steer toward a vine that doesn’t produce fruit or flowers.

Smaller pergolas are very similar to garden arbors, except that their tops are flat instead of arched.   Small pergolas are also very commonly used in gardens and landscape designs and are great for marking an entry or exit from one place into another.   For example, you could use a pergola with a gate along the line of a fence to mark the entry into a side yard or back yard.   These structures are often designed with latticed sides, making it easy for climbing vines and other plants to catch hold and grow up the structure.

Another unique type of pergola design is one that incorporates a garden bench or seat underneath.   Any pergola that has two sides extending down to the ground can be used to support a bench.   Simply add some horizontal pieces of wood (or whatever material you’re using) to form a bench seat and back, and you’ll instantly have a cozy nook for reading or relaxing in your garden.

In addition to using pergolas as a support structure for climbing plants, they can also be used for suspending hanging flower baskets or various types of garden art, such as pinwheels or other wind-powered mobiles.   Garden art such as sun dials, metal stars, or even decorative thermometers can also be mounted to the sides or front of the pergola.   Other ways of making a pergola more visually interesting might include painting or staining it a vibrant color, or even painting a design onto the wood.

The sky is the limit when it comes to ways you can design your pergola.   Regardless of what you choose, you want to be sure that the end structure reflects your personal tastes and compliments the overall style of your home.   A really unique and interesting pergola does more than just provide shade or a place to sit: it enhances your overall landscaping plan and improves your home’s curb appeal.   With a little time and effort, you’ll end up with a pergola you can enjoy for many years to come.

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Retractable awnings are getting attention. From green initiatives to historical renovations to downtown retail centers, property owners are hearing that retractable awnings are a terrific, inexpensive method to save money on energy and create a striking exterior feature.

 

The rise in popularity for retractable awnings in the US means that there is a flood of new retractable awning options available, both in new styles and in new companies. It’s tempting to look for the best deal alone, but there is such a variance in quality that customers can end up losing much more with short-lived and poor-performing awnings than they save upfront. It is possible to ascertain the quality of a retractable awning in a surprisingly succinct way: find out where it was made.

 

The Different Levels of Retractable Awnings

Retractable awning companies usually draw distinctions between the different levels of quality which they sell. The highest quality level is for commercial grade retractable awnings. Commercial lines have high-grade manufacturing and use extremely durable, heavy duty materials to increase their lifetimes. The other common designation is residential awning, which are usually less expensive to produce. The less expensive, lower grade materials mean many residential awnings have shorter life spans.

 

One important thing to recognize: The difference between commercial and residential awnings is not because of different styles, sizes, or options. There’s nothing special about a commercial awning that makes it too grand for homes. The difference that sets apart commercial awnings is their superior quality of workmanship and materials.

 

Usuaally, then, when a company advertises a “residential awning,” they’re signaling that this is a budget line, while “commercial grade awnings” represent high-end lines.

 

Manufacturing Regions and Differences in Quality

There are three important manufacturing regions for retractable awnings: Europe, North America, and Asia (mainly China). Each of these manufacturing regions corresponds almost directly to the awning quality: The highest quality retractable awnings are manufactured in Europe, midrange awnings in America, and budget lower quality awnings in China. Most awning companies in the USA sell either commercial awnings from Europe or budget lines from China.

 

European lines have the highest quality, partly because awnings have been used in Europe for thousands of years and are tightly integrated with building design concepts. This long history has led to the best designed and manufactured awnings available:

·        Tight manufacturing standards

·        Internationalized, rigorous QA testing standards

·        Certification processes for materials

·        Durable material quality for frames, fabrics, and threads

·        Continuously evolving styles, features, and development

 

On the other hand, most budget (residential) retractable awnings tend to be made in China, an area plagued by consistent complaints about poor quality control, poor materials, and poor labor. With budget lines, product quality, sometimes even product materials, varies significantly between lots.

·        Lower quality materials

·        Lack of testing or certifications

·        Limited styles

·        Inconsistent manufacturing quality

 

Specifically for retractable awnings, most Asian-produced lines are imitative rather than original, meaning they use standard designs done on the cheap without any engineering design or engineering drawings. In addition, almost all Asian vendors lacks TÜV or Eurolab certifications.

 

That’s not to say that every budget line is bad. Obviously, price is a factor (though it becomes less of a factor when the usable life of a budget awning is about a quarter of a commercial/high-end awning). Also, a few companies focusing on residential lines put the effort in meeting with Asian manufacturers at trade shows, even touring their facilities. Even with budget lines, the quality of the company is reflected in their service agreements, return policies, and customer service.

 

Consider whether the additional cost for a high end retractable awning is worth the additional quality. The functional distinctions between high and low quality retractable awnings are significant:

·        Commercial (high quality) awnings have non-prorated frame warranties of 25 years and fabric lifetimes as long as 12-15 years, while residential (budget) lines have frame warranties and fabric lifetimes of five years or less.

·        Commercial grade retractable awnings come in custom sizes, down to an inch measurement, while many residential lines have only a few standard sizes.

·        Commercial retractable awnings have hundreds of fabrics available, while budget lines usually have much fewer color and pattern options. Additionally, high quality awnings use a woven fabric called solution-dyed acrylic which resists fading, mildew, and rot, while budget awnings use cheap materials such as canvas (which fades quickly) or vinyl (which absorbs the heat and does not breathe).

·        Although any retractable awning style is used on homes, most budget lines are limited to a single design. High quality awning lines can offer a half dozen styles or more.

·        High quality lines offer support for years for parts, even for additional options. Budget lines, particularly at big-box chains, only offer add-ons for a single season and service can lapse within a year, if it’s even available.

 

When buying budget, the quality of the company becomes much more important.

 

There are some dependable budget retractable awning manufacturers and retailers out there, with solid support, good products, and attractive awning styles. You just have to look.

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If you have read and considered the first part of this article then you should have an idea of the type of awning you would like to purchase.   There are however, still several additional points you may want to consider before spending your hard earned money.

A major factor in determining the cost of an awning is the method of operation.   Manually operated awnings which make use of a winding arm are considerably cheaper than electric awnings which run off a motor.   Deciding on which method is best for you is largely a matter of price against practicality.   The extra money spent on an electric awning will be time and effort saved when you do not need to wind your awning manually.

A nice accompaniment for an electric awning, should you choose to invest in one, is a remote control kit.   Whilst there are wall switches, available for both indoor and outdoor operation, to operate the motor in an electric awning, a remote control kit makes retraction and projection even easier.   Remote controls are not particularly expensive yet are a practical and effective addition to an awning purchase.

You may also wish to consider an awning cover to provide greater protection for the cassette and/or material, especially during the winter months.   Relatively cheap and very easy to use, an awning cover is a good way of maintaining your awning without having to take it off the wall when the weather turns.

If money is no object then a wind, rain and sun sensor kit is the ideal product to optimise use of your awning.   The sensor will automatically retract the awning when wind or rain levels reach a certain specified level and will project the awning when it is particularly sunny.   The amount of wind, rain and sun required to automatically operate the awning motor can be fully customised to your desired level.

Hopefully this has provided a helpful guide to the many varieties of awning and awning accessory available.   Armed with this information, you should be able to make a clear and informed decision on which type of awning is best for you.

Gazebos are an integral part of the American patio. An open and airy gazebo can create the perfect summer oasis and gathering point for friends and family. Thanks to the purchasing power of Big Box stores like Target, Wal-Mart, and Lowe’s, thousands of homeowners have been able to purchase and setup 10’x10’ steel gazebos often for less than $200. 00. These quick setup gazebos are decorative and functional, providing protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays while creating the perfect home for outdoor dining sets. The problem? The durable steel frames of these 10’x10’ gazebos almost always outlast the life of the canopy tops that cover them. Within months, sometimes even weeks, the canopies of these gazebos fade, wear, rip and, tear. All too often, homeowners are left with an unattractive patio eye sore.

Why do the canopy tops fail so often? In a nutshell, the canopy tops that come standard with 10’x10’ steel gazebos are tailored from very low grade poly-vinyl fabric. Gazebo manufacturers steer away from high grade UV resistant fabrics (i. e. Sunbrella™), to keep the price point on these gazebos attractively low. Unfortunately, these low grade canopy tops are subject a vast range of extreme weather: snow, ice, rain, UV sun rays, freezing temperatures, and heat. In a matter of just weeks, a combination of these weather conditions can weaken and make brittle the canopy tops on these gazebos. Water that is trapped from inadequate grommet drainage causes the canopy to sage and stretch. Discoloration and fading immediately follows. The final death nail? Wind. Wind will rip and tear the canopy into shreds.

Here is what usually happens next. The unsuspecting gazebo owner heads to the store to buy a replacement canopy for the gazebo. He becomes quite dismayed to find out that the retailer does not carry a replacement top. Without much avail, the retailer tells the gazebo owner to call the manufacturer. The problem? The retailer or owner often does not know the name of the manufacturer because the box or manual has been trashed, or the retailer purchased it from some unknown distributor with no paper trail. The owner is left stranded in a search for a product that is hard to find and a gazebo that is need of desperate repair for the party next weekend. What now?

Garden Winds, a renowned internet retailer of outdoor décor products, has invested much time and resources to help gazebo owners with this common problem. After years of listening to customers and investing in research and development, Garden Winds now designs and manufactures a replacement gazebo canopy top that will fix the problem. The biggest difficulty in the replacement design is crafting a replacement canopy top that fits a majority of the 10’x10 steel gazebos on the market today. There is at least 20-30 manufactures of these steel gazebos, each producing gazebos of varying dimensions, roof pitches, tiered roof systems, etc. More often than not, gazebo owners often purchase replacement tops that do not fit. No worries! Garden Winds has designed canopy tops that fit 90% of gazebos on the market. Using higher grade UV resistant fabrics in the manufacturing process, Garden Winds is able to provide a product that fits, and a product that lasts.

If you happen to be a homeowner frustrated with a ripped canopy top on your gazebo, call Garden Winds today toll free (877) 479-4637, visit their website GardenWinds. com, or email them at customerservice@gardenwinds. com The demand for their canopy tops is often greater than their supply, especially during March – August. Call them today to make sure you’re ready for your next party.

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