Having an awning during the summer months can be the difference between loving and hating spending time outside. An awning can add great shade and coverage to a home that allows you to spend more time outside without feeling uncomfortable. Despite all the benefits of having an awning, they are still a part of your home that needs to be cared for.
Why Do I Need to Take Care of My Awning
Many people own awnings and have never considered the importance of cleaning them. While they don’t need to be spotless to work well, maintaining your awning is just as important as making sure anything else in your home is working well.
If you neglect to care for your awning when you first get it and as you use it, the consequences can be unpleasant. From stains caused by debris to potential holes and tears, an awning that is not taken care of will require repairs and other maintenance that could have been avoided with proper care earlier on.
Tips to Properly Care for Your Awning
Wash the Awning
The most common and effective way to keep your awning looking and working its best is to simply wash it. Depending on the fabric used and the design of your awning, the way you clean it may just be with a sponge and some water or may be with a power hose.
Getting rid of things like leaves and smaller stains will allow the awning fabric to breath better and therefore last longer. Washing your awning a few times a season will go a long way to keeping it working and surviving for a much longer time.
Keep it Protected When Not In Use
Many people have made it a bad habit to keep their fabric awnings out all the time. While fixed awning options are designed to deal with everyday weather and elements, a fabric retractable awning is designed to retract so it can be kept safe when not in use.
Keeping your awning retracted when not in use will help it stay safe from a wide array of external harm. Not only can leaves and other debris damage the awning and cause stains, nut constant exposure to UV rays can cause awnings to lose their colors and eventually will make them less effective at providing shade.
Maintain the mechanisms
Mechanical and electric awnings are a great way to get shade when you need it, but they are still powered by gears and other mechanisms. Even if you just use them a few times a season, making sure that the mechanical components and especially the electrical components are safe is essential.
Just checking in on the moving parts of an awning is all it takes to know what state the entire system is in. Giving it oil as needed and making any necessary adjustments as instructed by the awning company will make sure your awning comes out when you need it to in the future.
