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High quality standard and bespoke outdoor living products designed to create additional beautiful outdoor space protected from the often great, but extremely variable British weather.
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With Us TodaySamson Awnings offer a vast range of fixed or Retractable Awnings, commercial Retractable Canopies, Glassrooms, Parasols, External Vertical Blinds and Freestanding Structures to protect from the UK weather and extend the use of your outdoor space all year round.
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Drop Arm Awnings
Drop arm awnings are a very traditional type of sun shade and rain protection awning for both home and business alike. You will see literally thousands of them around London on shops and restaurants and they tend to be open and in use all day and night regardless of the weather.
A standard drop arm awning will be open with the fabric canopy at a dead 45 degree angle, so rainwater runs off very fast and because they don’t project too far out they also are very resistant to windy conditions.
Drop arm awnings have an adjustable angle which can be adapted to offer exactly the right level of shade and protection every time it is used. Excellent technology and highly durable materials transform what should be a standard awning into a home improvement fashion accessory.
They can be manufactured to fit any window meaning each window on a building can have one. This is ideal for office blocks who suffer from the heat and blinding light of an early morning or late evening sun. As the operation is mainly carried out by the side arms, the square or round fully cassetted housings are very small and discreet and they are ideal for multi window installations or where headroom is tight – such as above many shop fronts. Office and workplace windows do not lose their outside view but are still shaded from the intense sunlight during the early morning and late afternoon. This still allows for a natural source of light which creates a positive atmosphere.
Main Function
The drop arm awning is an excellent solution to keep rooms cooler by providing sun shade, whilst allowing natural light and external vision from the room looking out. They can protect windows and rooms alike with sizes up to 7m in width. They are not used for any sort of outdoor living space creation, purely for shading and protecting windows, doors and the rooms behind them from UV, light and solar heat gain. For commercial premises they are often signwritten to promote the company with logos and wording.
Drop Arm Awning Operation
A drop arm awning is a simple design, using straight, but hinged straight side arms, which lower the canopy fabric out from a cassette at the top, to then sit at 45 degrees. However, we now offer variations on this, with a full drop possible to almost 180 degrees to act like a vertical blind would. This allows full control of shading from the sun as it moves and lowers in the sky.
Another model allows an adjustable section of the awning to behave like a vertical blind with the fabric held in a chosen position with the lower section still projecting out to provide light, some vision and air flow. These work well in conjunction with vertical blinds on a building.
In the upper area, the fabric runs vertically then at the bottom, the light amount can be flexibly determined by the drop arms and their position. The height of the vertical area to be shaded is adjustable and fulfills your individual wishes for maximum shading and optimal view to the outside. It is effectively a vertical blind and a drop arm awning in one product.
The best example for this principle of drop arm awning is with the Markilux 740.
Simplicity and Style
A drop arm awning is a simple design, using straight, but hinged straight side arms, which lower the canopy fabric out from a cassette at the top, to then sit at 45 degrees. However, we now offer variations on this, with a full drop possible to almost 180 degrees to act like a vertical blind would. This allows full control of shading from the sun as it moves and lowers in the sky.
Another model allows an adjustable section of the awning to behave like a vertical blind with the fabric held in a chosen position with the lower section still projecting out to provide light, some vision and air flow. These work well in conjunction with vertical blinds on a building.
Used for domestic and commercial applications this awning offers the best sun shading for windows, especially when high or hard to reach. With the fabric outside the window, the sun’s rays and solar heat gain is prevented, but you also maintain levels of vision and natural light bleeding through the wonderful awning fabrics available. You can of course also block the light if required using black or very dark fabrics.
Need help deciding on the right awning for your needs or require more information?
Modern drop arm awnings are available with manual crank operation or integrated electric motors, allowing push button or remote control adjustment from inside the property. Electric operation is particularly convenient for higher level windows, larger units or commercial frontages where regular adjustments are needed throughout the day.
Using a smart hub alongside Somfy IO smart motors you can also have the awnings extend and retract dependant on certain weather conditions and temperatures if required
Samson Awnings manufacture drop arm awnings to measure, tailoring the cassette shape and style, width, arm projection and fabric specification to suit each window or façade.
Made to measure production ensures a neat fit, reliable performance and consistent branding or colour matching for both domestic and commercial installations.
Yes, drop arm awnings are designed primarily for solar shading and are highly effective at reducing glare and direct sunlight through the glass. By shielding the window externally, they help keep rooms cooler, cut down on excessive heat gain and can reduce the need for artificial cooling use in the summer.
The steep angled fabric canopy blocks harmful UV rays, protecting furnishings, flooring and displays from fading while still allowing a comfortable level of natural light and outward vision. For UK homes and businesses with strong sun exposure at certain times of day, a correctly sized, made to measure drop arm awning offers targeted sun shade exactly where it’s needed.
They are also far less prone to wind and rain issues over a self supporting folding arm awning.
A drop arm awning is a compact, retractable window canopy that pivots down into position from fixed side arms to create adjustable shade over glazing, doors or shopfronts. The fabric rolls out from a cassette above the opening and the arms either side swing downwards, allowing the canopy to sit at different angles to control light, glare and privacy.
The angle when is use is typically very steep and around 45 degrees, so combined with the stability from the side arms these are usable in wind and rain generally.
Across the UK, drop arm awnings are widely used on town centre retail façades, cafés, hotels and restaurants, as well as on domestic properties for sun facing windows, balconies, conservatories and smaller patio areas. Their traditional look makes them especially popular on period properties and listed buildings where solar control is needed without overpowering the architecture. They are very discreet when closed up and not in use.
Having such a steep angle when in use, the drop arm awning is also a great way to promote your business with logos and signwriting on the fabric cover presenting very well.
Sizing and Colours
The wide range of drop arm awning we can provide are all made to measure to the millimetre in the width, with variable projections in set sizes to consider. The fabrics are generally the same ranges as the other awnings and based on the brand chosen. There are well over 400 fabric choices across 3 ranges ranging from a black out fabric with no light penetration to bright variations of white to let through a lot of natural light, but acting as a diffuser for glare and heat.
The various styles of cassette and side arms will always be in a choice of finished powder coated colours to match your home decor. Over 50 standard frame colour choices plus special colours on request.
Manual or Electric
A lot of the drop arm awnings are available as manual or electric operation. Electric operation obviously gives you far easier control of the angles and use during the daytime and using smart technology you could even set the awnings up to operate themselves based on weather sensors or thermostats. Like a lot of unattended awnings we would recommend you use a wind sensor if leaving the awning unattended so they will close if the wind speed gets too high and is likely to cause some damage.
Specifying the awning with a Somfy IO motor and setting up with the Somfy Tahoma Switch will enable control via a smartphone app and provide feedback too. This will also open up a world of other possibilities for Somfy motor driven products all controlled via your smartphone.
Manual operation is using a steel winding handle from the outside, but they can be installed and operated from the inside too, if the wall structure allows..
Our View
The drop arm awning is so often overlooked as a very good option when your main issue is solar heat gain in a room. Think of the drop arm awning as somewhere between a vertical blind and a folding arm awning in functionality but they are also great value for money and a very simple mechanism, avoiding any longer term maintenance issues.
Investigate the drop arm awnings available and you will see they are very adaptable and with models able to extend and drop nearly 180 degrees they can actually act just like a vertical blind when required.
A great sun shade solution for both domestic and commercial buildings with models to suit both in design and colour options.
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