Living in Australia means you get many days filled with sunshine and good weather. The blue skies and perfect breeze encourages people to spend most of their time outdoors, enjoying the sun as much as they can.

However, keep in mind that getting too much sun could be detrimental to your health due to the harmful ultraviolet rays it produces. If you’re staying at home, one way to protect yourself is to install awnings to block the sun’s rays and provide the shade you need to remain cool.

Over time, your awnings can start to depreciate because of numerous reasons like changing weather, too much direct sunlight, and various animals finding shelter on them. You can prevent all those problems and more if you strive to maintain your awnings regularly. Keep reading below to find out ways to take care of your awnings and extend their lifespan.

Retract Your Awning When it Isn’t in Use

The primary purpose of patio awnings is to provide you and your family adequate shade and protection against the direct rays of the sun. Unfortunately, they cannot offer long-term benefits for you if your concerns are heavy storms and other relentless climate conditions.

When it’s raining, you should retract or wind your awning so that it won’t be blown away by strong winds or experience damage during bad weather. If you leave your awning open or it doesn’t have a retractable feature, exposure to too much water could result in fading.

Its fabrics can also stretch and stain because you fail to take good care of your awning. When you and your family aren’t using it, you should avoid leaving your awning out, especially during bad weather situations. It’s best to use it only when the sky is clear.

Clean Your Awning Often to Keep its Good Quality

An excellent method of maintaining your door awnings is to guarantee you make time to clean them thoroughly to keep them in good condition. Dirt, debris, dust, and other particles can build up on your awnings because of the different weather situations, so it’s your responsibility to wash them off your awnings to keep them free from rubble.

If you own a retractable awning, you’re aware of its various gears, motors, and other mechanical parts that are supposed to work without issues every time you use it. Every time you wash your awning, you should hose down those parts too to prevent clogging.

When you strive to dedicate some of your time to maintain your house each week, you should never forget about your awning. Regular cleaning can prevent stains and markings from appearing on it, and instead, your awning will keep its fantastic quality over the years.

Learn to Manage Your Awning Correctly

Operating your awning should involve a careful set of hands because if you don’t know how to open and close your awning, there’s a big chance its mechanical parts could malfunction. Other than that, you have to watch out for its fabric, or it will experience damage.

Before you roll up your awning, you must double-check if the coast is clear and there is no debris building up in your awning that could cause wear and tear. An awning cannot work properly if any of its parts break down.

If you forget to close your awning and it rains, you should wait for your awning to dry up entirely first before working on putting it away. Avoid placing too much pressure on its motor parts. If you notice something unusual with your awning that wasn’t there before, don’t force it to open or close and wait for a professional to come over and inspect your awning.

Conclusion

Awnings come in an array of colours, designs, styles, and materials. You can find many options to match your home perfectly and meet your needs. No matter what kind of awning you select, don’t forget to manage it to prolong its lifespan. Remember to retract it when you aren’t using it, clean it often to keep its good quality and maintain it correctly.

Are you looking for awning companies near you on the Sunshine Coast? Excelfit is a design and construction company specialising in awnings, carports, pergolas, glass and screen enclosures, sheds, and garages. Get in touch with us today to request a quote!