There is no reason why you shouldn’t get an awning for your house. Whether it’s to provide shade for your patio or your deck or to protect your house’s furnishing, awnings are great add-ons to any household.
However, there is one consideration that many household owners would think about before calling an awning company Maryland to have an awning installed: its lifespan. Specifically, how long does the fabric of an awning last? What is its average lifespan? Is this even something you need to consider before buying an awning?
Types of awnings
There are basically two common types of materials used for the awning’s canopy of shade sheet: vinyl and canvas. Vinyl is made of polyester fiber mesh with a coating for polyvinyl chloride. Canvas, meanwhile, is made of acrylic fiber or polypropylene. There is a third type, the fiberglass, which is used in stationary awnings. However, this isn’t as common as the first two.
In general, awning fabrics last from five to 10 years, although it depends on the material. Canvas can last for eight to 10 years, while vinyl lasts from five to seven years. Obviously, the canvas is more durable than vinyl. It is strong against UV exposure and is generally easy to maintain. Vinyl is also durable, but you will need to put extra care when cleaning and maintaining it.
Nonetheless, this shouldn’t be a reason why you wouldn’t call your awining company Maryland. Generally, if your awning is well-maintained and taken care of properly, it can last longer than its prescribed average lifespan.
How to maintain
So how do you maintain your awning, thus making sure that it can have a longer than average lifespan?
First, the most basic is cleaning regularly. Dirt and grime—generally the result of not cleaning the awning regularly—can damage your awning, hence reducing its lifespan. An awning company in Maryland will know how to clean and maintain it properly, or provide you with the service once it is installed in your household.
Another way of prolonging the lifespan of your awning is by buying a retractable one. This way, you can retract the canopy of your awning when there are extreme weather conditions in your area such as heavy rain, heavy snowfall, and strong winds. These conditions can damage your awning and, obviously, can reduce its lifespan considerably. This is also the reason why you should consider getting motorized retractable awnings over stationary ones, since the latter, due to its immobile nature, is more prone to wear and tear by weather conditions.
It should be noted, of course, that awnings also receive natural wear and tear just from being outdoors. Sunlight, winds, water due to rain—all of these will slowly deteriorate the lifespan of your awning. But this is natural; the best way to prevent this is to use the right type of awning for your specific needs. Contact your awning company Maryland to see which one will fit your needs best so you can maximize its use.
KCCS Construction is a reputable awining company Maryland that supplies top-quality retractable awnings for homes and businesses. Check out our website or contact us today for more information.
