Three Big Considerations When Choosing a Retractable Awning Company

Three Big Considerations when choosing a Retractable Awning Company
A retractable awning is a cost-effective way to improve the appearance of your home, commercial building or trailer in a way that’s both graceful and striking. But high quality retractable awnings are also a significant purchase, just like home furnishings or landscaping, and it is important to get the best value for your investment. It is possible to find the perfect awning while staying on budget by making a good choice up-front. The most important features a retractable awning company offers are service, selection, and quality.

The Meaning of Service
In price-driven retail, one of the first things that gets sacrificed is service. When buying a retractable awning online service makes a critical difference in getting an awning you will be pleased with.

Service means more than just having a support number, and there are three quick areas to look for that indicate the level of service the company offers:
• Warranties and guarantees. Look for a minimum six year frame warranty, even for budget models. A good retractable awning company stands behind its merchandise.
• Installation support. A good retractable awning company makes the install process painless. Check their websites for measuring and installation instructions and, for the handyman-challenged, contractor information. This is an asset for online companies, which can post instructions and FAQs for fast reference.
• Selection assistance. There are options even for budget retractable awnings, from automatic sensors to hundreds of fabric styles. A customer-focused company will take the time to offer advice and answer questions.

Find What You Want
Even on a budget, standard size retractable awnings offer choices, mainly in accessories. Traditional lateral-arm retractable awnings (simple awnings that extend from the building or home using two arms) are less expensive than custom designs, and are a very popular style for budget lines. Where the individuality comes in is with all of the different options, like motors, sensors, lots of fabric colors, pitch (slope) adjustment, even valance styles and trim (binding/piping) colors.

For example, a good company will have more than 150 fabric options even for their budget lines, more than a dozen rainbows’ worth of colors and stripes. On top of that, there can be a half dozen styles for the valance, the fabric which hangs at the front edge of the awning. Customers should also be able to choose the valance trim (piping/binding) color which is located at the bottom edge of the valance. Even with a traditional lateral-arm design, those three options make it possible to craft an awning that specifically fits your house. And then add in motors and sensors to automatically retract the awning, which make the awning easier to move and last longer by protecting it from damaging weather.

If the company has good service and great 3D rendering technology, they can even help identify better colors or prints, valance styles, and accessories that will suit the style of your home and landscape and will help you use your awning more effectively.

Quality Is Key
Quality comes down to the kind of materials that the retractable awnings are made of. The materials impact how strong the awning is, how long it lasts, and how well it retains its appearance. The highest quality awnings will last for 25 years or more, good quality awnings for six to ten years, but cheaply-made awnings for two to five years or less. Reputable awning companies offer products which emphasize quality construction. Balance saving money and getting great quality by looking at the awning materials:
• Aluminum frames. Aluminum is strong, lightweight, and rustproof. Look for powder-coating, which doesn’t peel or flake, unlike painted or enameled frames.
• Stainless steel (non-rusting) hardware. Plain steel can bleed on the awning fabric and rust, harming the action of the arm movement.
• Breathable solution-dyed acrylic fabric. Vinyl, another cheap option, doesn’t breathe, so it will mildew after rain and crack in the sun. Solution-dyed acrylic is a woven fabric which is cooler, dries quickly, and doesn’t fade and will not rot or mildew for at least five years under warranty.

Conclusion: Reputation Matters
Customers will find out through experience whether a retractable awning company treats them right. A good company has 70% or 80% of their business from return customers or referrals. That’s the kind of company which provides the kind of products, quality, and service their customers expect. Service, selection, and quality materials all amount to the same thing: A great retractable awning company is focused on serving its customers.