FAQs

How can I prevent the annoying wind down one side of my patio?

All outdoor areas will suffer from a prevailing cooler wind in the evenings and there are a few ways to tackle this. When you are sitting outside in the Spring, Summer or Autumn, there is a good chance you will always have a cooler wind that begins as the sun goes down unless your garden or patio area is already completely enclosed by Markilux pull out side screen 790high walls, trees or bushes.

Many times we install a fixed or retractable patio roof system and then have to return to install another product to prevent the cool breeze in the early evening. The easiest system to install if you are directly next to a building is a pull out side screen awning. The simple principle is a spring loaded cassette manufactured for aluminium with a retractable fabric screen inside that can be pulled out and secured to a bracket affixed to a post or another wall. The pull out screen is usually available up to 4000mm wide and available in various heights up to 2500mm high.

The screen is very effective for deflecting a reasonable wind from one side and this system is often an additional product purchased with our Piazza or Pergola type systems,specifically used for spending more time outdoors most of the year round.  Other options depend on the cover system already installed and whether it has sufficient strength to take additional items being fixed to the framework and of course in the case of a retractable awning there is nothing to fix to so this does mean that additional protection to the sides and front can only be added to awning systems with their own fixed frameworks.

We offer various systems with fixed side channels and support posts at the front and specified correct you will require a square or oblong open space to the side with a top section strong enough to take the cassette for a drop down blind. The amount of drop down blinds for external use now is amazing with the use of ‘zip’ technology in the side channels you also get a bling coming down with no gaps around the sides increasing protection from wind and rain but also making the fabric for the cover stronger being held on all 4 sides when opened. For even stronger systems sliding or folding frameless glass doors can also be used to maintain the open feel whilst stopping rain and wind. These systems are great and used on many applications in controlling weather, on balconies in apartments, glass room systems, open areas between timber pergolas and many other uses too. It is important to realise when their will be a potential annoyance from a prevailing wind on your terrace and patio area because when specifying a roof cover system the sides and front need to be thought of for now or in the future.