Awning in Orkney Islands

An awning usually attaches to an exterior wall of your home, business or outbuilding, or to the outside of a boat, campervan or caravan. It acts as an extra piece of roof or covering to shelter people from sun, rain or wind when they’re outside.

Lots of awnings are retractable, with either a manual or automatic folding mechanism. You also get static awnings that are up permanently. You often find awnings fixed over the top of doors or windows.

A canopy is similar to an awning, but is typically bigger and freestanding. This makes them more versatile than awnings, as you can move them around to suit your needs. However, they’re not always as structurally robust as most awnings.

If you have an older canopy or have experienced a significant amount of rain recently, you might notice water pooling on your canopy. This is probably because there is some slack in your canopy, which allows water to collect instead of draining it off. See if there are places on your canopy frame where you can tighten it to keep it taught, and this should solve the problem.

A retractable awning can be a great addition to the outside of your home or business. They fold or roll neatly into a cassette, so they don’t take up space when you don’t need them. Some have articulated arms, while others have telescopic arms.

When you get an awning, you can choose between a manual and an automatic one. Manual ones have a handle or crank that you wind to fold it in and out, while automatic ones have a motor.