Tips for maintaining your folding arm awnings

With the summer season on its way out, new challenges arise as the cold seasons ease in.  The early morning frost and the chilling winds can be especially harmful to your folding arm awnings.  Here’s a few tips to help you ensure that your awning outlasts the autumn and winter seasons and is in prime condition for the spring.

Have regular check-ups on your awning

It is important that you regularly check your awnings for tears and damage to any components, to snuff out any issues whilst they’re still in the bud.   When inspecting your awning, first make sure that all the components are secured and accounted for, and are still rigid when folded out.  You should also take a close look at the fabric for any worn spots and tears, and take immediate action no matter the size of the tear.  Also look at the edges of the fabric to check for any stitches starting to become undone.  Lastly, if your folding arm awnings include a valence check, make sure that it is still in good condition.

Get your awning fixed as fast as possible

Catching any issues early on is the best way to ensure that your folding arm awnings serve you well for years and years to come.  If you delay or postpone the necessary repairs, your awning can suffer tremendously as small issues can easily become big ones given time.  Tiny tears in the fabric which you may have just brushed off as negligible can become large holes that will prevent you from enjoying your awning to its fullest.  Not only that but these tears can also lead to the stitches unravelling completely and totally destroy your awning.  Mending or patching up a tear is fairly quick and easy, and quite inexpensive considering the uses you get out of it.  However, should you fail to properly maintain your folding arm awnings, you may even have to get it completely replaced.

Make sure your awning is properly washed and dried

The longer that your awning is exposed, the more likely dirt and grime has accumulated on it.  The winds are constantly blowing an array of substances around, including dust, dirt and pollen.  It is inevitable that much of these get caught atop of your awning.  Furthermore, the autumn and winter rain will also be acting as one-way express down your roof, carrying even more dirt and leaves onto your awning.  So to keep your folding arm awnings looking clean and presentable, is imperative that it is properly washed and dried.

When washing your awning, it is best to not overdo it.  A soft microfibre cloth dipped in a bucket of soapy water will be more than enough to get your folding arm awnings back into tip-top condition.  Harsh cleaners and scrubbers with an abrasive or rough face can damage the fabric instead of cleaning it.  And when drying your folding arm awnings, don’t make the mistake of having the sun and wind do it for you.  Doing that just gives dirt and other substances a prime target to stick to whilst your awning is nice and moist.  Make sure to hand dry your awning as much as possible before leaving it out to air dry.  Having it dried thoroughly is a sure way to help prevent mould and mildew from forming on the fabric of your awning.

Fold up your awning when not in use

Much of the beauty of having a folding arm awning is that you can have it out when you need it and put it away when you’re not using it.  So, if you know you’re not gonna be using it for an extended period of time, it’s best to tuck it away inside its case.  If you’re extra cautious, you can even invest in a winter cover for your folding arm awning to provide and extra layer of protection against the winter cold.