Here are some tips to remember when getting an awning.
Look for one that's retractable if you want it to stand the test of time
If you don't want to replace this feature for many years, then you should take a look online for retractable awnings, as these tend to have longer lifespans than ones that cannot be retracted. The reason for this is that because you can retract the awning when you don't need to use it, it will take a lot longer for UV light to make it deteriorate. This means that it might take several years for the sun to make the fabric colours fade and to make the fabric itself thin out or weaken.
Likewise, if you keep it retracted when the leaves are falling off the trees around it and when it's snowing heavily in your neighbourhood, its upper surface won't get weighed down by leaves and snow or get coated in mildew as a result of long-term exposure to water. Finally, if you're able to retract this fabric when you're not using it, you'll find that it will require less cleaning as it won't get dust, airborne dirt and barbeque smoke on its surface as often. Because the removal of this dirt requires the use of abrasive cleaning products that can gradually damage the fabric, applying them less often will prolong the awning's life.
Get an awning with a patterned fabric if you want it to be a low-maintenance feature
As mentioned, getting a retractable awning will cut back on how often you have to clean it. However, it will not completely eliminate the need for cleaning, as whenever you leave the awning in its unrolled state for any length of time, it will get a bit dirty. If you want this feature to be low maintenance, then you should ensure that the fabric has an intricate pattern on it.
This type of design should hide much of the dust and small leaves that land on it, as well as any small food stains that get on the underside of it as a result of dining on the patio or lawn underneath it. Whilst you'll still need to occasionally clean the fabric, you should be able to get away with only doing this chore once or twice a year, rather than every few weeks (which could be the case if you chose a plain fabric).
