Rain Protection Awnings in the UK
Rain Protection Awnings in the UK
This is Great Britain, and if you have lived here long enough you are well aware of our obsession with the weather. Why is this? One reason may be because we can often have 4 seasons of weather in one day… A nightmare for outdoor activities and frustrating when you have plans for an outdoor social gathering at your home. Sunny one minute and then raining the next and a constant waiting game for the sun to return again. We get asked about rain protection with awnings every day and a common misconception is asking if there is a difference between a sun awning and a rain awning. ‘Waterproof’ is used a lot in queries too…
''Are your awnings waterproof?''
''Well they can be, but they definitely shouldn’t be holding rainwater on the fabric canopy as the weight will break the awning eventually. The key is to get the rainwater off the awning as fast as possible''.
So, what is a rain awning? In basic concept, any normal folding arm awning, which is set with a 15 degree or more pitch on the extended canopy will allow rainwater to drain off at sufficient rate to not be a problem, assuming the rainfall is light to medium rain AND the fabric cover is taught enough and not drooping. How to define light rainfall of course is impossible really, so some ‘common sense’? A full blown, heavy downpour of rain tests everything outside, with the sudden rush of heavy rainwater hitting surfaces, testing the strength and all drainage ability to disperse the water fast enough so it doesn’t back up and cause flooding.
So, a normal awning with a steep enough pitch is a ‘rain awning’? No, but it is part way there for sure. All the folding arm awnings Awnings Online provide use the highest quality fabrics and as standard they are all water resistant, with their deeper fabric weave and treatments for protection. We can offer totally waterproof fabrics, with a special backing on the fabric to provide 100% waterproofing. They are often also fire resistant too, a requirement for commercial applications in many cases.
Our Weinor fabric awning has passed a number of number of tests, including water repellent, dirt repellent and the ''honey test''
The other major factor for a rain awning is the fabric cover being flat and taught when extended. If the fabric is low quality, too lightweight, or the awning isn’t set up correctly, the fabric can drop in the middle and then it acts just like a rain catcher - the worst scenario… We have awnings which simply by their design have stronger folding arms, better tension mechanics in the arms and also a stronger overall build with factors like the bracket positions, a carry bar mechanism and stabilising components in the build.
If we are fully aware that the customer wants to use the awning in rain, then we can look to the awning models best suited to the size and site conditions for fixing. We have over 40 different awning models and they all have their own unique features although they are not often obvious at all…
Some our suggested products are Weinor Semina Life, Markilux MX3
If you want a folding arm retractable awning for some rainfall protection as well as sun shading then you need:
1. High quality build model with the most stable folding arms
2. A pitch on the extended awning of at least 15 degrees and ideally 20 or more
3. High quality fabrics with water resistant or water proof specification and a fabric which does not droop when in use.
4. The best bracket fixings and positioning possible for maximum stability.
If you want any awning for only using in the rain and maybe in a larger area, then we would strongly recommend you look at our wide range of Retractable Pergola Systems. These are designed with more tension in the fabric and the fabric held tight on all 4 sides, rather than just front to back on a normal folding arm awning. A retractable pergola unit will also have a higher wind rating than a self supporting awning with the use of side channels and front support posts.
If you still have any questions, feel free to contact our team today for more information.
