Retractable Awning
Awnings come in various forms. There are canvas awnings, metal awnings retractable awning and awnings made of material suited for the out of doors. There are dome shaped awnings and spear shaped awnings. Also, euro shutters, umbrellas (the patio umbrellas, not the ones you carry) and canopies are known as a type of awning.
The retractable awning is very popular these days for a various reasons as it becomes the ideal awning for multiple purposes. If you take a minute to go through all the various awnings of this type it could take quite a long time to decide which is the best and even then, you wouldn’t be sure because there are that many different varieties of retractable awning.
When making a decision as to which type of retractable awning you require it is good to first decide on what is most suitable for the area where you plan to install the awning. After that is a matter of choosing the right colors and whether you would like the retractable awning to be motorized or hand-cranked.
Awnings have been dated back to ancient Egypt and Syria where the people had woven mats so they could shade their market stalls and homes. Fabric awnings have been used in ancient Rome to shelter the seating areas of amphitheatres and stadiums, and according to historians, even the Coliseum. In around 50 B.C, one of the great Roman poets actually the cracking sound the fabric awnings made when beaten by the wooden poles that held it aloft or the tapping of the wind on the awnings to thunder.
It was the 19th century when awnings started to make an appearance guarding storefronts in America. The awnings were not so sophisticated having been made of some basic hardware such as timber or cast iron posts affixed to the edge of the sidewalk and then connected by a cross bar in the front. However, larger installations cannot be supported simply in this way and therefore; angled rafters were connected to the front cross bar and to the front elevation of the building. The topmost end of the canvas was connected to the facade with grommets, nails and hooks, or by interlacing the canvas to a rod bolted to the head of the front portion. The other end of the canvas was either laced or draped over a front bar with the edge often left hanging down to create a valance.
There were also tastefully designed awnings where the metal posts were decorated with filigree and the tops of the awnings with spear ends, balls or other such embellishments. On sunny days when there seemed to be no threat of rain, the covering was often rolled up against the forefront of the building; and the awnings were removed and subjected to proper maintenance and fixing during the winter time. Photographs taken in the 1800’s show that the retractable awning was always retracted and that the covering was extended only when it was deemed necessary. Canvas duck was the most common item used in creating the retractable awning fabric.
