How long does an awning last? Today's fabrics are generally warranted for five years. With proper maintenance and care, they should last much longer. The exposure of your awning and care will greatly determine their life. Our aluminum frames are guaranteed for a lifetime. What colors are available? Today's fabrics come in more than 500 solid and striped colors! Visit the TECH INFO page of our website for more information. How do I keep my awning clean? Regular maintenance generally means a once-a-year cleaning, with additional care if stains or soilage appears. Also, remember that your awning is an exterior product. In the same way you wouldn't leave your automobile outside without washing it for very long, you'll also need to clean your canvas awning to preserve and extend its good looks and service life. Click here for cleaning instructions. Does the fabric color I choose affect how hot it is under my awning? Or, for that matter, how dark it will be shaded underneath?

Of course, the darker the color chosen, the darker the shade effect underneath will be. There are exceptions, however. Certain fabrics have a lighter-colored underneath side than the top-side color, which gives a more pleasing shading effect. As for the temperature, while color choice has some slight impact, the type of fabric chosen and the overall ventilation of the installation will have a greater effect.Can I stay out under my awning in inclement weather?best leather care audi Generally speaking, awning fabrics are water-repellent, not waterproof. carpet cleaning companies dallas texasThere are exceptions, though, which may be practical in certain environments. best product to clean rv roof

The fabrics' water-repellent characteristics allow you to fully enjoy the space shaded by the awning during any weather conditions that aren't severe. In other words, if the weather is nice enough for you to be outside, then it is good enough for you to be out underneath your awning What are the support frames made from? How durable are they? Our metal support frames are made from aluminum and will last a lifetime! Regular maintenance on a frame requires an annual inspection of fasteners, connections and metal condition. best carpet steam vacuum cleaner 2013Frames are also available with a painted finish for additional protection and attractiveness.best air duct cleaning los angeles Are there any other weather conditions I should be concerned about for my retractable awning?how much does whole house air duct cleaning cost

Retractable awnings primarily are designed to provide protection from the sun's rays and not from rain. However, it can be used in drizzle or misting rains with proper unit pitch. In heavy or driving rains, the unit must be retracted to keep water from "pooling" on the fabric and causing damage or irreversible fabric stretching. What does an average-sized retractable awning cost? Because most retractable awnings are customized for each residence, prices cannot be given without verified measurements and on-site inspection. Your awning supplier typically can meet with you for a free, in-home consultation to design an awning that's right for you. What kind of wind loads can a retractable awning handle? Retractable awnings primarily are for sun protection and should not be left out in windy conditions. However, wind is a very unpredictable force, with a tendency to change direction and speed very quickly. In a wind-tunnel test, which is a very controlled environment, a retractable awning withstood straight-on wind forces at over 35 m.p.h.

In "real-life" applications, the general rule of thumb is: If you are comfortable sitting outdoors dining or reading the paper, then it is probably safe to operate your awning. The concern with wind is the uplifting effect on the awning rather than the downward force; therefore the greater the pitch, the more wind-resistant the unit is. Will my awning give me water and weather protection? Generally, however, today's awning fabrics are considered water-repellent, not waterproof. Water-repellent awning and patio canopies will allow you to enjoy your deck or patio during most weather conditions that it is safe to be outside. How can I find out if my product or idea can be made? That's simple: Just fax.e-mail or send a drawing or sketch to us and one of our design coordinators will contact you and help you pull the concept or product together along with costing. Does United States Awning Co. produce products for National Accounts? The answer is YES! We provide awnings, backlit awnings, sewn products across the nation.

We welcome inquires of all types, just Contact Us. Killing Algae and Mold A Word Of Caution! The Best Vinyl Siding Cleaning Article! I bet you won't find a better article online about cleaning vinyl siding! Feel free to use the table of contents to skip to the section you are most interested in or scroll down and start learning everything there is to know about how to clean vinyl siding. *BTW - This took us 1 week to write & we interviewed multiple professional pressure washers! Are You Using A Pressure Washer? If yes, you will need the following supplies 1. A pressure washer 2. A low pressure nozzle 3. The correct cleaning solution *Yes you can use a power washer. The Vinyl Siding Institute of America recommends it. Are You Washing By Hand? 1. A Brush With Tough Bristles You’ve got some choices when it comes to cleaning solutions. First, let us tell you a bit about using bleach on vinyl siding. Bleach is used to kill mold spores.

If you just use soap and water, you would need to clean your vinyl siding twice a year. It is recommended that you use one quart of bleach to every 5 gallons of cleaning solution. If you use bleach, you’ll go from cleaning your home every 6 months to cleaning every 9-12 months! There are various solutions you can use to clean your vinyl siding. Here are some other recipes you can try.The most effective bleach to cleaner ratio is 1 quart bleach : 5 gallons cleaner Diy Power Washing SolutionsThese solutions are best effective when scrubbing the siding by hand. If using a pressure washer, verify on the user manual of your machine that you can use a DIY vinyl siding cleaning solution. ⅓ cup powdered laundry detergent ⅔ cup powdered household cleaner 1 qt liquid laundry bleach The recipe listed above is a powerful solution that will kill most filthy vinyl walls. The recipe above is an effective choice which is more eco friendly. 1 cup powdered oxygen bleach

5 gallons warm water This solution is mainly used to clean vinyl siding that is plagued with algae. This solution needs to be left on the siding for 10 minutes, then you can scrub it off with a brush, then rinse it with your hose. This is a simple solution that you can make quickly! The bleach adds more power to kill the mold spores ***You may also consider purchasing cleaner! Here are some cleaners we recommend for pressure washing. Try them out and let us know what you think! Sontouch 659 is an industrial strength cleaner that can be used on your vinyl siding! This cleaner is versatile and can be used to clean cars, floors, and driveways! It is recommended for power washing because it doesn’t damage grasses or plants. It’s strong enough to get your home clean, yet gentle enough to be safe to use around your home. Cleansol BC is a safe cleaner for professional contract cleaners. This product can be used for jobs including molding, siding, decks, gutters, concrete and awnings.

This cleaner is best for professionals who need to remove oxidized paint from metal siding and removing black streaks from exteriors Alan from a Pressure Cleaning Company in Orlando told us why else it is important to keep your siding clean. "Mold, if left there too long can actually leave permanent stains on your vinyl siding! These stains make it look grimy and lead most home owners to painting their home. Also, insects feel comfortable making their nests near mold covered vinyl siding. When you clean your vinyl siding regularly, you’ll save on future painting and pest control expenses." Get to know our professional contributors more by visiting our Resources section for this article. So you’ve been putting it off for a while, right? If your vinyl siding has had mold and algae on it for 3-6 years or beyond with no attention, you might need to adjust your cleaning strategy. And no, that doesn’t mean just start pouring straight bleach on your wall. A 1 time bleach job before you clean will do the trick and kill the mold spores, but make sure you dilute the bleach solution.

A small concentration is required to kill the mold spore, such as 1-2 cups in a 5 gallon bucket of water. That will still give you the killing power but it will be diluted enough so it doesn’t hurt the parts on the pressure washer, the siding, or the plants. You’ll need a dilution rate that will do the job that it’s designed to do, and not kill anything else. Also, if you’ve neglected the exterior of your home, you may need this how to guide for cleaning gutters! Education is key in anything, and knowing what you’re doing will help in the long run when it comes to cleaning your home! According to Ben at Beasley Metal Roofing, the mold and mildew won’t really damage the siding, it just needs to be cleaned off so it looks good. Other types of siding, such as wood siding and hardie board are more affected by mold because they are not waterproof. Vinyl siding is waterproof, but it shows mold more. There is a big dispute about this topic in the industry. No doubt, common notion says that hand washing is easier on the siding, but is that really true?

We’ll explain preparation and execution of both ways just to help you make the decision. Hand Washing or Power Cleaning. In order to hand wash, you’ll need to purchase the correct brush. You’ll need to get a brush with tougher bristles so they can get every part of the siding clean. You’ll need to wet the wall, then scrub it with some elbow grease to get the stains out, let the solution sit, then rinse it off. In order to power clean, you’ll need the proper equipment, including the proper knowledge of how much pressure to use on the type of siding you have on your home. Don’t just trust what you see on youtube. Ask the power washing experts! We’ve gotten some expert opinions from experts in the industry. See what they said below! If you’re interested in keeping algae off your roof, click here! While I have about 10 nozzles I use regularly, I find that it's the soft brush that cleans the painted surfaces best. Not all of every job needs brushing, but it's the brush that gets off the last bit of dirt & oxidation.

Plus there's no temptation to move the nozzle "just that bit closer" to get rid of that last bit of dirt/oxidation and accidently damage the paint/siding or push lots of water inside. The way we clean is with a solution that removes moss, mildew, and organic stain. We apply 45-65 psi to the vinyl siding. The chemical is what does all the work, and then we just rinse it out. It is definitely not recommended to use pressure because you could leave marks that are not easy to fix. You could actually put a hole through the siding! We don’t use a brush. You won’t need a brush if you are using the correct chemicals. You apply the chemicals and it just disappears. The solution that we use leaves the windows nice and shiny and the screen gets clean. Never put too much pressure on vinyl siding because it will ruin it. Get to know our professional contributors more by visiting our Resources section for this article.Check out these before and after photos of vinyl siding! We thank the professionals who have supplied these photos.

If you’d like to show off your own projects, let us know! These photos were provided by Robert with Absher Pressure Washing Located in Wake Forest North Carolina. Do all you can to allow sunlight to hit the siding. Allow cleaning solution to sit on siding for 10 minutes Pressure clean from the bottom up to avoid streaking Rinse from the top down Remove shrubbery around the home trimmed Use oxygen bleach, not chlorine bleachBefore starting on the whole job, try the chemicals on a small part of your siding to see how it works. If you’re making any type of solution to put on your vinyl siding, make sure that the solution will not harm your siding or the paint (if you’ve painted) Most solutions won’t harm the siding on your home, but just take caution. Also, if you’re going to pressure wash your vinyl siding, be sure you know what pressure to use, the angle at which to use it, and the solution that you can use in your pressure washer. The expert pressure washers know just how to do the job in a way that will not harm your walls, if you’re going to do it yourself, make sure you get advice from the experts!