Awnings are great for two reasons:
- They offer shade from the sun and protection from the rain so that you can enjoy your backyard as much as possible.
- They provide a bright new-look to your backyard offering both aesthetic and practical use. Now, as great as an awning is for providing use and comfort to your backyard, there are times when they get in the way. Sometimes, it’s beneficial to be able to easily store away your canopy.
With a folding arm canopy, you won’t have to worry about taking the awning down from the deck and hiding it away in the garage only to bring it back out in a couple of days. You won’t be stuck with the awning providing shade 24/7, and you won’t have to worry about messy set-ups. Once the awning is up, it can stay attached to the wall of the house. It simply folds away and lets the sunshine down on your deck once more.
What is a folding arm canopy?
Folding arm canopies utilize a retractable joint in the folding mechanism that allows the canopy to collapse and fold in at one point. This allows for easy and compact storage of the canopy while it’s not in use. These awnings are most typically used to provide shade for decks and porches.
There are different types of folding arm canopies for residential and commercial use. We often think of using a canopy for our home’s backyard, but what about the patio of a restaurant? Certain folding canopies online can be used and installed for commercial use. The size of the canopy can be adjusted to what you need.
How do they work?
The arms of the folding canopy are typically located in a cross-section attached to the underside of the fabric. These arms are spring-loaded allowing for easy and steady opening and closing. The springs keep the arms from falling out of one another or from retracting while in use.
The arms and springs are connected to one another by a band that holds each object in place and prevents rapid retraction or from complete disassembly. Each of these parts should be guaranteed in quality by the awning provider. If any of them is compromised, the whole system could fall apart or fail to properly work.
What to know about your folding arm canopy
A quality folding arm canopy will allow the user to adjust the device mid-use. You won’t be stuck with the factory settings once you’ve installed the device. If you wish for your awning to only come down halfway of its fullest extension, a good folding arm canopy should allow this. The same can be said for retraction if you wish to keep it shading only a portion of the deck, this is possible.
Some folding arm awnings come with a wind sensor that allows it to fold up if it detects stronger wind than it can handle. If the winds are reaching above 20 mph, the wind sensor will automatically begin to retract the awning to prevent damage. Depending on the size of the awning, a folding arm canopy might cost you anywhere from $2,000-$12,000.