Manual
This is the basic and most frequent kind of retractable awning available and requires your direct involvement to function. Basically, all manual retractable awnings have some type of cranking mechanism — whether vertically or horizontally oriented — which requires you to crank it in order for the awning to both extend and retract.
The downside to this type of mechanism should be obvious: annoyance. Aside from the fact that you need to devote the time and energy physically extending and retracting the canopy, the crank itself may be tricky to manage for users who aren’t quite as powerful as others — especially for elderly clients. On the plus side, a manual retractable awning is much less prone to mechanical failure than the electric type and are significantly easier to fix should something fail.
Electric
Rather than this manual retractable awning, the electric retractable awning is a thing of convenience. Rather than having to crank the mechanism to extend or retract the canopy of your awning, you just press a button and an electric motor is going to do all the work for you. In actuality, this can actually offer additional advantages that may even increase the lifespan of your retractable awning in the first place.
Specifically, some of the higher-end models of electrical retractable awnings come equipped with storm detectors. These sensors are able to find out the strength of the end in addition to the saturation of the canopy when a storm is blowing in and will retract the canopy automatically. This is especially helpful if you happen to forget to retract the canopy or is a sudden flash thunderstorm appears out of nowhere.
The principal downside of the electric retractable canopy is that more moving parts mean more possibilities for a mechanical failure. While this is bad enough on its own, the matter is further compounded by the fact that electrical retractable awnings are far more costly to repair than manual ones and are usually only cheaper to simply replace altogether.
Material
The material of a retractable awning generally indicates the canopy of the awning.
The material which the canopy is made out of will normally determine how well the canopy holds up under different atmospheric conditions in addition to its general durability. The overwhelming majority of materials used for retractable awnings are either fabric or plastic due to their combination of good tensile strength in addition to their flexibility.
Canvas
Canvas is seen as the”classic” material used for retractable awning canopies and is also the only naturally occurring fiber readily used. It is important to note that yarn is usually made from linen or cotton but will sometimes be made from hemp too — though that is far less common nowadays. Canvas is one of the more durable materials used for retractable awning canopies, but it is also more prone to suffer from environmental exposure and is among the more expensive materials used also.
In terms of durability, canvas gets the most tensile strength out of all of the substances used for awning canopies except for aluminum. However, canvas is a lot more flexible than aluminum, so it provides the overall most durable performance for an awning canopy. Having said that, as an organic material, canvas is also the most prone to suffer from climate-related degradation.
For instance, untreated canvas will create mildew quicker and more intensely than any of the other materials on our list. Additionally, it does not help that canvas is one of the least hydrophobic materials used for retractable awning canopies which means that not only will it hold water it’ll feed the mould even farther. Finally, canvas is definitely prone to UV deterioration, though not as much as PVC or polyester.
PVC
Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is the first of many synthetic materials used in the manufacturing of retractable awning canopies. Although this material definitely has some advantageous qualities to it, it is ultimately the least desired material for one reason and one reason alone: durability. With respect to its actual tensile strength, PVC is likely the lowest on the list and is a lot more prone to ripping or tearing than any of the others.
Having said that, it’s important to remember that PVC is actually a type of plastic, and therefore, it carries with it many of the best attributes of plastic as well. For one, this is the only substance that’s exceptionally flexible that is also waterproof. While many of the other substances are hydrophobic, if subjected to sufficient moisture, they will ultimately retain the water. As plastic, PVC is also naturally resistant to mildew and will not produce mildew without an organic pesticide onto it.
Polyester
Polyester is arguably one of the very versatile and common materials used in the production of retractable awning canopies. In certain respects, polyester can be seen as providing the best of all worlds, even though it is not without some potential flaws which are considered before accepting this substance as the selection of your retractable awning canopy.
First, polyester is by far among the least expensive materials used for retractable awning canopies. The only other substance which can legitimately challenge it in cost points is PVC that’s truly a far inferior material in many respects by comparison. That said, the financial advantages of polyester are just further increased by the structural advantages that this synthetic fiber presents. When taken together, this almost definitely makes gardening the better all-around value — although not always the best performing for all situations.
Secondly, polyester is naturally hydrophobic and will retain water less than canvas. That said, this is in fact one of the more water retaining substances used for retractable awning canopies. Still, it’s also among the most naturally mildew resistant materials used and by far the most resistant fibrous material used. In the end, polyester is reasonably effective at resisting UV radiation and can easily be treated to resist it even better.
Aluminum
Aluminum is by far a special material used for canopies on our listing. For one, it’s the only material on our list that is not either woven into a fiber or welded as a plastic. Moreover, aluminum is by far the least flexible material on our list which generally reduces its effectiveness as a canopy material for retractable awnings. Still, there are some commercial and industrial awnings which either use aluminum shingles or just retract the whole awning.
That said, aluminum is definitely the most durable material used for retractable awning canopies. It’s naturally rust resistant and can actually be treated so it’s even more so. It has by far the best tensile strength of any material used and is more likely to be pulled from its scaffolding than it is to tear. In the end, aluminum is also naturally resistant to both mildew and UV radiation without any additional treatment — but it can fade from sunlight without some kind of protective coating.
Acrylic
Acrylic isn’t always actually a substance used for retractable awning canopies in its own right and is often better known as one of many possible protective coverings applied to a different base material. That said, there are literal acrylic fibers, and they also are often used as the base material for a canopy. We realize that is somewhat confusing, but the gap between the two is important.
Most oil coated canopies are now made out of canvas that has then had a coating of acrylic paint put on top of it to make it more durable and resistant to inclement climates. Acrylic fibers, on the other hand, function far differently and are more akin to polyester than the cotton fibers of heavy canvas.
Though acrylic fibers are wool-like in character and may be utilised in clothing for body heat retention, their use in retractable awning canopies generally doesn’t have the same effect. In actuality, acrylic is among the more UV-resistant materials that are either welded or woven into fabrics. Better still, acrylic fibers are naturally hydrophobic like polyester and PVC, which means you won’t have to worry about the canopy retaining water.
Durability
With any product that you purchase, its durability is going to be a key consideration. However, that is never truer than when the product in question is expected to withstand even mild exposure to the elements. In this example, it always helps if the constituent elements of the product are strengthened by one or more choices that will further boost the lifespan of the item. This is especially true for retractable awnings since it’s often not worth the money to try and repair a failed component and is rather simply a better idea to replace the entire awning altogether.
UV
Anything exposed to the sun over a long period of time will eventually begin to deteriorate under the barrage of its ultraviolet radiation. Some materials handle this better than others, but all of them are ultimately susceptible — especially when the exposure extends for many years at a time. With retractable awnings, this effect shows itself most prominently in the canopy.
While there may be some particular exceptions — especially if the canopy is not made from any type of cloth or plastic — most retractable awning canopies are prone to suffer from sun damage. This may actually take a few of forms, one of which will lead to the ultimate failure of your retractable awning while the other will simply make it less attractive and reduce any extra value it may provide the property it’s attached to.
The first type of sun damage involves the UV rays literally degrading the structural integrity of the duplex’s substance. In this instance, the sunlight will either melt or fray the fibers or sheet respectively until such point in time that they become prone to tearing. In fairness, this is a lot more likely to happen with plastic canopies than fabric ones, but both are prone to this issue.
The second issue with sunlight damage is a little more benign but can still ultimately reduce the value of the awning. Specifically, the canopy’s colors will fade over time as the UV rays bleach it. In fairness, this is actually the intent of retractable awnings used to cover windows, but it’s still an issue nonetheless. Thankfully, the solution for both problems is to simply buy a retractable awning that is made from a naturally durable material and is protected with one or more coatings that will block or reflect UV rays.
Mildew
Once again, the most delicate part of a retractable awning is the canopy — although this is logical since the other components are generally made out of either plastic or metal. No matter mildew will present a few risks to both you and your property should it grow on the canopy of your retractable awning that’s why it’s vital you make it a point to protect yourself from it.
To be clear, not all of canopy materials are equivalent in this regard either, even though they have a propensity to follow the inverse rule for sun damage. In this instance, canopies which are made from fabric are a lot more vulnerable to develop mildew than canopies that are made from plastic. Of course, metal canopies are rarely troubled by this circumstance .
Regardless, there are a couple ways that canopies can be protected against the growth of mildew. One of the more popular methods is to use some type of coating — similar to with UV protection — though this generally will not last as long. The other system of mold prevention entails treating the canopy before it’s ever woven or welded so that it stays protected inside and out.
Conclusion
As we can see, there is not any single product which is going to be the best option for all customers. If you are interested in convenience, you will probably want to opt for an electric retractable awning. But if overall value is more important, then a manual retractable awning should suit you perfectly.
We suggest scheduling a free consultation with our sales team. We can help installing an electric or a manual retractable awning depending upon your preference.
