Conservatory Awnings - Great for external shading

For the odd few days of great clear blue sky sunshine in the UK, installing external conservatory awnings are a great idea for extending the conservatory living space out into the garden. They are also great for creating shade into the conservatory to reduce over heating.

However, they can create a lot of cantilever forces upon the conservatory structure itself and as most conservatories are of a framework design rather than solid masonry walls, the conservatory awning should be built in as part of the initial conservatory design to ensure that the leverage forces created by the conservatory awning can be retained.

The design of a conservatory eaves is usually combined with the guttering an finding suitable fixing points for a conservatory awning can be problematic. Therefore many conservatory awnings are in fact supported by post and rail framework rather than the cantilever type design of awning.

Consideration should also be given to the material of the awning cover itself. Many are simple cloth that can have a limited life span due to UV attack and weathering in general. Many end up being eaten away by moss and mould if not cared for properly. Consider a waterproof material for those summer showers that will stop the panic attack of clearing away outdoor dining paraphernalia when it does rain.