All Patio Awnings Are NOT Created Equal
While all manufacturers’ products perform the same basic functions and look similar, the qualities range from economy mail order “do it yourself” installations up to deluxe turnkey systems. When choosing a patio awning, there are five things to consider.
- Durability of Material: Mail-order or home-center awnings typically use vinyl for the canopy, which will stretch, fade or even crack over time. Our awnings are made from time-tested materials with built-in rain diversion to reduce streaking of your valance.
- Durability of Hardware: Low end awnings often use galvanized nuts, bolts and cables which do not hold up to UV rays, salt air, or atmospheric pollutants as well as superior products. We only use awning hardware that is triple-powder coated with a heavy duty commercial finish and utilizestainless steel fasteners and hardware to prevent against corrosion. Our heavy duty mounting brackets are not brittle cast metal like the cheaper awnings use, but extruded steel and are fastened with heavier duty lag bolts into the structure of your home.
- Retractability: Some awnings retract; some don’t. Some retract manually; others retract by motor. Our motor and controls are manufactured by Somfy, the leading tubular motor maker in the world, and each motor is rated at 100,000 cycles of use and carries a five year full replacement warranty. All motorized Patio Systems awnings come with a back-up manual crank override should the power fail.
- Available Styles and Colors: Mail-order or home-center awnings typically are available in limited sizes, styles, and colors. We offer over 200 different styles and colors and can provide awnings from as small as a few feet to any practical size you will need.
- Stability of Company: Good luck getting anyone on the phone if you have a problem with your mail-order or home-center awning. With little or no customer support, what you think you save in the initial investment is often offset by long term aggravation and costs of maintenance or replacement. At Patio Systems, we will be here for you for the life of your home.
You may choose from one of four products
The Manor: The Manor is a full cassette awning which completely encloses the awning hardware when retracted. The oversize front bar serves as extra shade protection when extended and becomes the front of the housing when retracted. The Manor can be as wide as 23′ with a projection up to 13′ 1″. For widths over 18′ and certain 13′ 1″ projections, a roller support “tray” is included, which is contoured to the curvature of the roller tube for even continuous support. For Manor awnings over 20′ wide a motor is mandatory. The frame is available in white or sandstone colors.
The Estate: The Estate is our most popular patio awning. This model has an optional semi-cassette, wrap around hood/tray for excellent protection of the fabric, an extremely slim profile, and can have a back for roof mount applications. The Estate model can be made any size in width from 7′ to 40′ wide and up to 13′ 1″ projection. The frame is available in white or sandstone.
The Estate Slim-fit: The Estate Slim-fit awning is designed to be mounted in tight areas where other models will not work because they must be about 18″ wider than the selected projection. While the basic mechanism is the same, one arm drops lower than the other and can cross underneath on a lower plane. The Slim-fit awning can be made as narrow as 5′ and can achieve the maximum 13′ 1″ projection at only 9′ wide. This model can have a hood but cannot be made with a tray or back.
The Eko: The Eko awning is a lighter duty design than the Estate, however it still offers many of the same features and benefits, including an identical warranty. This model has an optional wrap around hood/tray (semi-cassette) for excellent protection of the fabric, an extremely slim profile, and for roof mount applications no back is needed. With the optional hood/tray a remote control torque sensing motor is standard. This model can be made up to 23′ wide and up to 10′ 2″ projection. The frame is only available in white.
