How To Clean And Maintain Your Porch Awning
Your porch awning, just like any outdoor furniture or accessory, can often be exposed to the sun, rain, moisture, harsh elements and strong winds especially during inclement weather conditions. Being so, it is necessary to observe proper care and maintenance for your awning. Without heeding proper care and maintenance, your porch or deck awning might not last long enough for you to enjoy its usefulness. Below are just a few simple tips which might prove very helpful in keeping your porch or patio awning in good shape for several years.
Washing Your Porch Awnings
Maintaining your awning usually involves cleaning or washing, hence:
- Do not allow dirt to build up on your awnings. Accumulated dirt tends to promote the formation of mold and mildew especially during the rainy days of the year.
- Do not allow debris to accumulate on your awning (i.e, leaves). Should you notice any debris or some dried leaves on top of your awning, you can always easily brush them off using a broom. Letting the debris accumulate will put the support frames under stress and might sag under those extra loads.
- On some occasions, your awning material might catch some droppings from passing birds thereby creating a stain. Remove those droppings using lukewarm water and mild soap as soon as possible. This could prevent the formation of ugly stains on it especially on canvas porch awnings. Stained canopies tend to look awful and neglected.
- Avoid using brushes with hard bristles when cleaning your awning. Use only those brushes with soft bristles to avoid scratching or damaging the awning material. When heavily scratched, they tend to look like something of very poor quality.
- Regularly douse some water to your awning to prevent the accumulation of dust. You could just easily use your garden hose for this.
Porch Awning Maintenance
- More often than not, the only thing needed to do to see if your awning is in tip-top shape is to conduct a keen visual inspection on its entire structure. Do not forget to include the awning frame, mounting screws and bolts during your checking especially with your caravan porch awnings. In most cases, visual inspection may be enough to detect some loose screws and formation of rust on the support frames. In cases of retractable awnings, do not forget to check up of the conditions of the winch system to see if the moving parts need some lubrication. Should you happen to observe portions or parts that need repair or replacement, jump into action and make the replacements of those simple parts immediately. Delaying the action might lead to bigger damage and costly repairs.
- There would be times of the year when you would have to keep your porch awning in stow such as during winter. For caravan awnings, they also need the same cleaning after every use at the camping grounds. Before stashing your awning, be sure that you have cleaned it thoroughly with lukewarm water and mild solution or soap before putting them on storage. Failing to do so will keep some dirt patches still sticking on it and might promote the growth of molds and mildew formation.
These very simple tips on cleaning and maintenance does not require much of effort and you can do it at least once a year. Developing a healthy habit to properly clean and care for your porch awnings for home will most likely lead to the longevity of their useful lifespan.
Filed Under Awning Maintenance | Leave a Comment
Sun Tent Basics
For most people, a tent is a common and familiar idea; however, a sun tent may not be the most familiar. Tents can have many functions like keeping you away from pesky insects, animals, and of course, harsh weather. Similarly, a sun tent functions to keep you away from the rays of the sun. They look similar to the camping tent but they are designed especially for use against the sun’s rays. They are also pretty inexpensive and can be found in many different colors, sizes, and designs.
The major differences between a sun tent canopy and a camping tent is that most of them are not design for long term and overnight use. Consequently, they do not protect against some of the things that camping tents protect against. Because they are designed specifically for protection against the harsh sun, they do not zip up and they often have a design that is open faced. Some of them don’t even have a bottom and only functions by staying propped up by a person’s head. Some models are designed big enough for two or more people and some that are also designed specifically for children. On average, most models are designed specifically for between one and two people and often times there are also varieties that can look extremely similar to camping tents that will accommodate eight people and can zip up their doors.
Prices for the sun tents can vary depending on the manufacturer and size you would prefer. The quality of the product and its construction is also an important consideration you should try and make! Smaller sun shade tents can be between 25 and 50 dollars. In contrast larger models can be between 80 and 100 dollars. Eddie Bower and other retailers like REI are well known for selling outdoor equipment like this one. Both of these retailers have very innovative designs like ALPS Mountaineering which has a tri-awning sun tent or otherwise called UV sun tent. It has a tripod design that can easily be set up and protect three people from the damaging sun rays.
The sun tents carried by Eddie Bower look like your traditional two person tents, but one corner of them are cut out to make it easier to enter the tent. The wall also has a pocket to help store items that you might need while being out in the sun like sunscreen. The flooring of the tent can be extended outward to give seating space for people during not so sunny days.It can also fold down so that you can conveniently carry the bag. The primary color choice is Mediterranean Blue.
Filed Under Other Awnings and Canopies | Leave a Comment
What Time of Year Should You Buy Roll Up Awnings?
Normally one would think that the best time to purchase roll up awnings would be during the summertime when it is hot and the sun is beating down however there might be benefits to purchasing an awning during times that would seem unconventional, especially during time periods that one would consider as being off-season.
One of the reasons to purchase your awning during an off-season would be deep discounts. Items not normally purchased during chilly fall or cold winter months are sometimes reduced in price. These reduced price items can be easily found at local hardware stores. In addition, major awning companies that produce their items on a year-by-year basis will discount their last year models, which will also increase ones savings.
People often fail to realize the excellent benefits of buying a roll up awning during the fall months. Outdoor awnings are great way to keep leaves and debris from falling on one’s back porch or deck area. This will reduce the time spent sweeping and cleaning the outdoor area. Also, another fact that people fail to remember is that the sun’s rays can be just as damaging, if not more damaging during the winter months and then in the summer months. This means that it is just as important to protect oneself from the sun during the winner as it is in the summer and awnings are great way to accomplish this.
However, it is common knowledge that if you are sitting out on your back porch in the hot blistering sun on a summer day it is just as good a time as any to purchase an outdoor awning. The protection from the sun’s harmful rays, the cool summer shade, and the clean debris free walking area is the greatest benefits of all in the main reasons that one should highly consider purchasing a roll up awning.
Filed Under Retractable Awning Types | Leave a Comment
« go back — keep looking »