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  • Fitting an Awning When There Are Downpipes in the Way

    Happy New Year! With new year year so quickly upon us, it is now the season to start considering any products you require for your patio or garden. Retractable Awnings are a hugely popular product for sun shading, however you may have avoided installing one due to the downpipes on your home. However, don’t let these stop you from living a life of luxury and convenience – you are still able to enjoy a Retractable Awning – just read on to find out how! How Do You Fit an Awning When There Are Downpipes in the Way? The easiest solution to fitting a retractable fabric awning onto a wall where there are downpipes in the way is by installing the awning brackets away from the wall with what are called most obviously ‘pipe brackets’. The simple idea is to extend the main bracket out from the wall to have a gap behind the awning cassette, and therefore missing the pipework. If the gap isn’t too large then, as you can see in the images below, there is an aluminium cover then fitted to cloak the gap between the wall and awning cassette. This is not only for aesthetics, but also to prevent rainwater dripping down the back of the cassette. The plate for the wall is either the same size or larger, than the bracket for the cassette support, and can be manufactured to be almost any size when required. Retractable awning with awning brackets for downpipes Pipe brackets generally are made large enough to deal with most domestic downpipes and other obstructions and provide a simple solution to the problem. If there are more pipes or obstructions than can be dealt with using this method, then it is possible to look at a goalpost frame. These can be either fitted to the wall in other places, or made to be self-supporting and bolted or concreted into the ground. This method is popular with older buildings where there may be restrictions on drilling into the walls or where the walls themselves are too rough or unstable. The right fixing brackets are very important to all size awnings. These methods can ensure the awning cover is able to be most effective in the right place, providing optimum sun protection as well as maximum stability. Need Assistance? No matter what your issue or question may be, just give our expert team a call on 01933 448844 or click here to complete the Contact Form > We will be more than happy to help.

  • The Best Time to Buy Is Now!

    Did you find yourself wishing for additional shading during the summer? Was the setting sun particularly bothersome in your garden? If you think your future summers could be enhanced with one of our shading solutions, the absolute best time to buy is now! Not only are prices at their best for summer products at this time of year, but it means your garden or patio will be ready and kitted out in time for spring and summer 2020. So, why not take a browse of our fantastic range of Retractable Awnings and other shading solutions to see how you could enhance your summer living? Take a look at a snippet of what we have to offer below, browse the helpful information featured on our website and come along to our Northamptonshire showroom to see and try out our products for yourself. Retractable Awnings Our range of Retractable Awnings are exclusively sourced from the world’s very best manufacturers that offer the highest quality products. Each of our model’s is manufactured from aluminium, with robust features and components to ensure seamless and reliable operation. Modern Retractable Awnings Installed by Samson Awnings The variety of fabric choice we offer is nothing but impressive; from muted, modern shades to traditional patterns, you can choose the perfect design for your outdoor living space. Plus, extra comfort can be created from our range of heaters and lighting, meaning your time spent outdoors can be extended after the sun has gone down and into the evening. Drop Down Valances & Side Screen Blinds Where additional shading is required, we also have a range of products to complement the use your Retractable Awning. If you find the low-lying sun a puncture in your enjoyment during summer evenings, such options may be the solution for you. Retractable Awning with Drop Down Valance and Side Screen Awning Additional Outdoor Living Products If you’re looking for products that offer convenient usage throughout different times of the year, we also offer a range of Car Ports (perfect to avoid getting caught in the rain when leaving your car!), Glass and Polycarbonate Awnings, Garden Glass Rooms and more. Come along to our extensive Northamptonshire showroom to see our fantastic products, where our specialists will be more than happy to guide you.

  • New Samson G6 Installed at Showroom

    Samson G6 Installed at our Showroom Just in time for Summer, we have had a brand new glass veranda installed at our Northamptonshire showroom, and it is ready for you to come and take a look for yourself! This particular model is the Samson G6, a quality glass veranda that is manufactured to your bespoke specifications and your property’s requirements. We specified each side of the veranda to showcase alternate styles; one side featuring Victorian features, whilst the other shows off a more minimal yet modern design. Here, you can see how small variations in style can make a significant difference of the veranda’s overall appearance, enabling you to determine the perfect aesthetic for your garden. Samson G6 Installation at Samson Showroom Victorian Detailing on Samson G6 We are currently showing off the veranda as a car port, but of course it also makes for perfect cover for your garden’s patio and BBQ area! Plus, the veranda is a low maintenance addition to your space and works to shelter any outdoor furniture during bad bouts of weather. Specifications The G6 can be manufactured in projections up to 3.3 metres, however it can be made to any width at all. The system’s post supports require concrete pads, whilst the posts act as drain pipes to allow the flow of water from the front profile’s guttering. Samson G6 Installation at Samson Showroom Visit our Showroom! Like what you see? Come along to our Northamptonshire showroom, based in Wellingborough, where our expert staff will be more than happy to talk you through the G6’s features, as well as any additional outdoor living products you may be interested in. Click here to find us > Find out more about the Samson G6 >Comtact Samson Awnings

  • The New Markilux MX-3 Cassette Awning

    New from German awning manufacturer Markilux is the MX-3, an awning that showcases the very best in modern awning design and technology in 2019. Markilux are renowned as one of the best awning manufacturers in the world, if not the very best. Based in Germany, all of their awnings are tested in the northern German climate, one that is similar to ours in Britain. Markilux manufacturer everything from the mechanisms to the fabrics, which are perhaps the best you will find on awnings anywhere in the world. This commitment to high quality products and innovative design has lead to Markilux being awarded multiple awards, including the iF Design Awards and Interior Innovation Awards. From their fantastic designs to their high standards of reliability and build quality, Markilux are rightfully one of the biggest and best awning manufacturers on the market.
    The MX-3 takes these elements and showcases them all in one retractable cassette awning. The design of the cassette itself is unique and unlike anything else you will see. The compact cassette is unobtrusive, and the awning design as a whole combines powerful clear lines with attractive curves to create a truly unique and breath taking appearance, whilst the huge customisation options for both the awning and cassette itself mean that the MX-3 can truly fit in on a number of properties. The MX-3 comes in a massive range of colours. Eight different colour designs are as standard, ranging from an eyecatching Sulphur Yellow or a spectacular Traffic Red, to a more subtle Pearl White or Agate Grey. These can however be changed for any RAL colour at all for maximum individuality. The Markilux Mx-3 cassette awning can have two different sorts of LED lighting, helping to keep your outdoor area illuminated and extending its usability. It can either have a recessed LED line or LED spotlights inside the cassette. For more information on the brand new Markilux MX-3 cassette awning, please visit our product page by clicking here, or call us and speak to one of our knowledgeable experts who will be able to answer your questions.

  • The New Weinor LED RGB Lighting Strips

    Now available from German awning and glass roof manufacturer Weinor is the brand new accessory for their verandas and glass rooms, LED RGB strip bars. These coloured LED bars aim to help you create the perfect ambience. There is a massive choice of 48 different colours, plus three different varients of white. This helps to create a variety of atmospheres, from a calming blue tone, or an energising red, to a more normal white colour. This allows you to create the perfect atmosphere for your mood or need. Meanwhile, the subtle and aesthetically pleasing framing itself can be any of 200 colours.
    Like all LED lights, the RGB strip lighting is extremely energy efficient, with 30% less energy being consumed when compared to more traditional lighting, helping you save on your electricity bills whilst creating a more stylish outside area. Operation of the LED lighting strips couldn’t be easier, with the BiEasy 15M Go! hand transmitter controlling all functions, allowing you to create the perfect lighting situation at the press of a button. These can be utilised in multiple ways, from being attached to a house wall, to various different Weinor products and can installed quickly, easily and flexibly. For more information, contact us, or view the PDF.

  • The Weinor Terrazza Pure – Coming Later in 2019

    The Terrazza Pure, an exciting new 90° glass roof system from Weinor, will now be coming to the UK and Samson Awnings later this year. A new free-standing roof system from Weinor, the Terrazza Pure is a brilliant sun and weather protection system from the innovators at Weinor. Usable as either a free standing or lean-to system, meaning it can either be constructed to attach onto an existing wall or structure, or be made to stand independently itself. It has a cubic design, with special lighting and decorative strips that ensure this system looks fantastic wherever it is erected, and with a large range of features, it can be customised to suit whatever needs you may have.
    The Terrazza Pure is based upon the already existing Terrazza. Weinor have took this model and converted it to a cubic design, allowing it to be a truly free standing system. The system uses a cubic design, whilst rainwater is drained via the guttering down the posts. LED strips are available to provide lighting, available in up to 48 colours and three different types or white. The colours can even be dimmed or adjusted via the Weinor transmitter. The sides can be filled in too, with the options for either vertical blinds, glass sliding doors or glazing, enabling you to fully close off the system and convert it into an outdoor room.

  • External Shading for Doors and Windows

    When it comes to preventing excessive heat and glare from the sun on South and West facing windows and doors there are several options available, some of which you may not have considered. The trick with preventing solar heat gain is to prevent the sunlight hitting the glass of your windows, doors or bi-folding doors. Internal blinds of various types only stop sun glare and do not stop the heat entering the building. Using various fabric and solid metal blinds and awnings externally can provide the perfect solution and provide some vision where required to the outside. Samson Awnings offer a wide range of purpose made products which are generally suitable for commercial or domestic use on any property covering very large doors and windows if required.

    Option 1 

    External Zip or Wire guided Fabric Vertical Blind. Yes, that’s right an external fitted fabric blind to provide proper protection from the heat and glare of the sun but also provide protection from wind and rain if necessary. The very latest ranges of external blinds offer by Samson are designed to be other gravity fed or cable and motor power driven with a zip channel system to the sides to ensure the greatest tension in the fabric itself when closed. The choice of fabrics is huge and there are also perforated options to provide some vision and ventilation even when closed but still able to provide protection from driving rain and diffuse the sunlight too. For true weather protection and controlling sunlight and heat gain look to fitting blinds externally and benefitting far more in all round control of sunlight, wind and rain ingress. If you have sliding or inward opening windows then you can have the windows open and the blinds down to act as the weather protection, especially in the hotter months of the year.

    Option 2

    External Retractable Fabric Awning A retractable awning can be used for either providing protection for an area underneath but also for protecting doors and windows from sunlight, especially those facing West and South which can suffer from low lying sun in the Autumn months. Our awning range is huge, and all the awnings are made to measure with sizes up to 14m wide and 4m projection with a fully adjustable angle for the fabric cover to ensure the best protection when extended out. Whether manual or electric operation, a good quality awning will provide shade for your doors and windows but also can provide a prefect space underneath to help define an outdoor area for your patio, garden or terrace to entertain family and friends.

    Option 3

    Drop Arm Awning A traditional method for window shading this simple awning will drop down and provide a fabric protection cover at a 45-degree angle with a small protective cassette for the fabric and roll mechanism. The side arms provide the stability when opened and some models will allow the fabric to drop almost all the way down to 180 degrees acting like a normal blind to protect the whole window or door. Drop arm awnings are a great solution as they are lightweight and don’t require the fixings like a self-supporting retractable awning does. The cassette is small containing the fabric and the system is stable in wind because of the mechanics.

  • Should I Replace My Shop’s Awning

    With Christmas over and the January sales winding down, this is perhaps the first time this year that you have had to take a step back and look at your shop. One question you may be wondering is if it is worth getting an awning or replacing your current one. Here, we will outline the benefits or doing just that, and how they improve more than just the aesthetics of your business.

    Revive Your Aesthetic

    Over time, older awnings may have gotten worn, faded or damaged. This is of course a natural problem with most older awnings, whilst most modern awnings are capable of dealing with the effects of harsher weather. Faded and worn signs often put people off from entering a shop, as we naturally judge a shop from the outside before we enter it. A new awning can completely change the appearance of your shop, making it immediately more inviting to potential customers, enticing passing trade.  

    Brand Awareness

    One of the strong points of an awning from Samson Awnings is the ability to personalise it with your shops own branding. With most awnings it is possible to have any RAL colour, and branding is also possible. This means you can have your logo and colours on the awning, extending your presence on the high street and making yourself more visible, as well as further the cohesion and strength of your brand.

    Provide Protection

    With the weather becoming more extreme over time, as Winters become colder and wetter and summers becoming warmer, awnings and other forms of protection could become more important. Whilst we are now in late January, Summer will arrive before we know it, and it is important to prepare accordingly. An awning will not just protect you in wet weather, but will also stop your premises from becoming unbearably hot during the summer. Extending an awning in warm weather can stop the burning summer sun from warming up the glass in the windows of your shop, therefor keeping the whole building cooler, and encouraging shoppers or visitors to stay longer.

  • How An Awning Can Greatly Benefit Your Business

    Standing out as a business is getting more important by the day, as competition has never been fiercer. So what can you do to get the edge on your neighbouring businesses? Products such as awnings are a fantastic way to do this, and have numerous benefits which can help to save you money, bring in new customers and please your

    Brand Awareness

    One of the biggest benefits an awning has is that is can be personalised or branded. This allows you to extend your presence on the high street and stand out compared to your peers. Physically standing out from your competitors provides a massive boost and is more likely to attract new customers and visitors. A branded awning can be a very impressive addition to your property. When done well, it can provide a massive boost to your businesses aesthetics.

    Utilising Space

    With space at a premium in busy city centres or high streets, maximising your space has never been so important. Because of this, a lot of different businesses are looking for ways to make the most of their outdoor areas to maximise revenue. Awnings help to allow use of your outdoor spaces even in trickier weather conditions by protecting your customers or visitors from rain. Alongside this, combined with LED lights or infrared heaters you can extend the usability of your outside space further into the night time and even during the colder months. This allows for more space for customers and the chance to maximise revenues at all times for a relatively small amount of money.

    Weather Protection

    Of course, one of the biggest benefits of an awning is simply the weather protection it will provide to those both inside and outside the property. Keeping those underneath dry and protected is a massive benefit, allowing for additional seating, as well as keeping the pavement or path underneath it dry and less slippy. Not only this, but awnings have been shown to have a positive effect on passing trade, with customers more likely to stop outside under an awning and look in the window of the shop. One of the effects often forgot about is actually the effect awnings can have in warmer summer weather, where they stop the hot sun from warming up the glass and making the room inside unbearable. From shops to offices, this can have a massive benefit for both visitors and members of staff, helping increase productivity by relieving uncomfortable weather conditions.

  • The Benefits of Full, Semi and Open Cassette Awnings

    How to Choose the Perfect Awning

    With a wide variety of possibilities, it can be daunting to purchase a new awning for those unfamiliar with the product itself. From different styles, makes, models and more, it can understandably seem like an overload of information. We are commonly asked what the difference between an open, semi and full cassette awnings are, and what their different uses can be. In this short piece, we hope to make the difference between the three styles clear and examine the different uses for them in both domestic and commercial settings.

    What are the Differences?

    The cassette itself is the casing which houses the fabric, mechanism and arms, and provide protection against the elements. A full cassette provides complete protection when the awning is fully retracted and this makes it perfect for shops, cafes and more, as well as being the ideal cassette type for the notoriously changeable British weather. This is the ultimate protection for the awning and whilst this is certainly reflected in the prices, the safety and reliability of these, as well as the impressive aesthetics, make them extremely popular. An open cassette meanwhile provides no external casing to protect from the elements for the arms or fabric, however a protective top cover can sometimes be added. The lack of casing means these are best suited to areas involving an overhang, however the lack of casing means these can often span far greater areas than cassette awnings, and are also usually less expensive too. A semi cassette awning contains a top that is protected by casing that will protect from a certain amount of weather damage. They can also have additional guards added to enhance protection. These are useful as a mid point between the full and open cassette awnings. As a general rule, all of these awnings are suitable for both commercial and domestic applications, but they have specific strengths and ensuring you have the right awning for your needs and property is crucial.

    How Can They Benefit You?

    With such stark differences between the three kind of awnings, they are understandably useful for various purposes. A full cassette awnings like the Markilux 990, are without a doubt the best awning for an all year round protection system, and they look fantastic, with a range of designs aimed to ensure there is always an awning that will suit your property. With the British weather notoriously changeable, these offer full protection and reliability. The cassette however does limit the sizes possible due to the need to fit the arms into the cassette. If your property is exposed to the elements, a full cassette awning is definitely the best option. Semi cassette awnings are a little more diverse than full cassette awnings, and are a little cheaper too due to the lack of a full casing. Whilst this has benefits beyond price and adaptability, it should be noted that you do not have full protection for the fabric and mechanisms, and this can be an issue in adverse weather conditions. The lack of a full cassette also means that these can have extended arm sizes, meaning these are an excellent option for properties needing to cover larger spaces with only a little cover for the awning. Open cassette awnings, such as the Markilux 1700, are completely unprotected, with no casing at all for the fabric and mechanism. This of course means these awnings suit drier climates or properties with alcoves and overhands to protect them from the weather. The benefits of these however are the ability to cover greater projections than the width due to lack of casing, as well as being noticeably less expensive. These are fantastic for enclosed spaces or large open areas with an alcove or overhang.