According to the Professional Awnings Manufacturing Association (PAMA), a fabric awning is “an architectural fabric projection that provides weather protection, identity, or decoration and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached.” A lightweight frame structure, attached to the cover, supports the awning. A canopy differs from an awning in that it includes at least one or more stanchions that support the outer end.
There are two types of awnings, retractable and stationary, and both offer numerous benefits. Retractable awnings allow for easy changeability and versatility, corresponding with hourly changes in the sun’s direction. Options include manual or automatic and remote- or sensor-activated controls, which are armed with wind and sun sensors that retract or extend the awning in response to these climatic changes.
For custom designs, stationary awnings come with a fixed frame and are designed to match rounded entrances or special seating designs for restaurants and balconies. They require less maintenance than retractable awnings.
The range of commercial uses are expanding as fast as design options.
At restaurants, awnings can be used to create new seating areas on a patio or balcony. For stores and malls, they allow distinction from other venues when logos and graphics are applied.
Meanwhile office buildings turn to awnings for both energy savings and branding, whereas hospitals and other healthcare facilities might use them to spruce up the entrances and cover some of the landscape. And hotels and spas are working with awnings for both entrance and side coverage, as well as branding.
Consistent among all of these uses is energy savings, a well known selling point for awnings. According to PAMA, on a hot day, more energy comes through one square foot of glass than through an entire insulated wall. They also note that solar radiation through glass is responsible for approximately 20 percent of the load on an air conditioner.
Though window films and tinted glass can reduce heat gain and glare, awnings may save additional energy. In fact, studies by the American Society of Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers demonstrate that during direct southern exposure, a fabric awning reduces heat gain by 55 to 65 percent. For western exposure, the reduction in heat gain is 72 to 77 percent.
A 2012 study supported by PAMA examined the energy savings generated by awnings. Though focusing on home structures, the results can be inferred for commercial awnings. Covering 50 cities, the study factored in differences in weather and energy costs, and included a number of variables, including shade designs and fabrics.
According to PAMA’s Web site, the amount of cooling energy saved varies depending on the number of windows, type of glass in the windows, window orientation, and regional climate.
In Pittsburgh, for example, the study showed that awnings on a home with single or double glazed windows can reduce cooling energy 46 to 50 percent in a hot year compared to the same house without awnings. Correlating cost savings can range from $81 to $102. In a hot city like Phoenix, the net savings was $193 in a typical year.
One company that offers awnings as part of their portfolio is Suntec Industries. Founded in 1976 (and under the present ownership since 1986), the company operates out of a 25,000-square foot manufacturing and staging facility in Dallas, Texas, working on everything from custom signs to a full range of awnings.
In launching a new awning design, the company works closely with architects, general contractors, landlords, business owners, and building tenants. Typically project needs vary from cosmetic to advertising and branding to shade requirements that conform to city codes and LEED requirements.
“The combination of fabric awnings, projecting canopies, and standing seam awnings have become almost standard on new commercial construction for shopping centers,” says David Tobias, vice president of Sales at Suntec and a twenty-year industry veteran. “We work with a range of architectural colors and design schemes to enhance the appearance.”
Speaking of designs, there are many ways to add graphics to awnings: silkscreening, handpainting (according to PAMA, the “most traditional and most economical method”), cut-out lettering, heat color-transfer (which uses a vacuum applicator to adhere color to the fabric), pressure-sensitive graphics, direct digital printing, dye sublimation, and eradication (usually employed for illuminated awnings).
However Suntec has recently seen a decrease in the demand for backlit awnings.
“The focus is now more on architectural design elements and features with a significant shift from neon to LED lighting for signage. Also with the current wave of new construction, there has been an increase in demand for fabric and metal awnings,” says Tobias.
His feeling overall is that an awning serves a dual purpose for clients.
“Generally speaking, you get more bang for your buck when you utilize an awning,” he says. “The awning potentially changes the entire façade, whereas a sign is limited to identifying the name of the company.”
The nuts and bolts of manufacturing an awning boils down to the following: frame building; fabric cutting and sewing; application of graphics (if applicable); attaching fabric to the frame; and finally, installation.
Suntec offers its users the complete package. “We have the ability to fabricate the awning 100 percent and then knock it down into a kit and either ship or transport it to a job site,” says Tobias. “Last year, we completed a project in Renton, Washington that involved 153 awnings, which were fabricated in our facility, knocked down into kits, and transported by our own installation crews in a single trip from Dallas, with no subcontractors hired in the process.”
When it comes to materias, Tobias says that their many years of learning from product failures have taught them to avoid inferior products that may be cheaper but will cost them business in the long run. In Texas, he notes, many awning competitors use a polyester cotton blended thread, which when exposed to the elements disintegrates within two to three years.
“[We] only uses Gortex thread, which is warranted for the life of the fabric,” he says. “Often when driving around town, you will see awnings in excellent condition flapping in the wind, which is a result of seams failing as a result of using inferior thread.”
By Lori Shridhare
All photos: Suntec Industries.
