Frequently Asked Questions

Retractable arm awnings fold away to approximately 260 x 260mm and all you will see is part of the front rail and the valance of fabric at the front. If you choose to have a pelmet this will be seen above the awning and provide protection for the fabric, meaning it will last longer. We can also powder coat you pelmet to match your house paint colour. 

Click here for more information on pelmets.

The hardware and most fabrics have a minimum 5 year warranty and we expect them to last a lot longer than that. Topline awnings have a 7 year warranty.

We only recommend awnings and outdoor blinds to be out in moderate winds. Fixed frame awnings are manufactured and installed to withstand strong winds.

Click here to view the Trendline and Topline wind ratings.

The Trendline retractable awning is available in warm white and silver grey/natural anodised. The Topline and Hilines are available in warm white, silver grey/natural anodised and satin black. For the grey awnings – the imported components are powder coated, and the aluminium front rail and back bar are extruded in New Zealand and finished with a natural anodised treatment.

For the Rubix and Cocoon cassettes, as they are manufactured in Australia, they are available in all 120 Australian Dulux Duralloy colors.

All our fixed frame awnings and retractable roof systems are powder coated in NZ from the Dulux Duralloy colour range. 

https://duluxpowders.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Dulux-Powders-Colour-Selector-05-22.pdf 

There are many colours available in plains, tweeds, and stripes. New colour ranges are introduced regularly, so you should be able to find a colour to match your home. Remember, while darker colours hide the dirt better they also block more light, and while light colours let in the most light, they get dirty very quickly.

For our fixed awnings we offer translucent fabrics and block out fabrics. The translucent range will let through between 13 and 60% of light, meaning you can still get the winter sun into your home. Or if you want to block the light entirely we have a full range of waterproof blockout PVC fabrics.

Yes. Please view our page on choosing the best fabric type for your awning.

Choose your fabric under our products category. 

PLEASE BE AWARE: not all fabrics may be available in New Zealand.

Depending on your product and the fabric you choose the fabrics range from mesh with holes (not waterproof!) to water resistant and fully waterproof.  Please view our page on choosing the best fabric type for your awning.

Acrylic canvas fabric is water resistant, and will withstand a large amount of water before it starts to drip through. Acrylic is only recommended for retractable awnings where the rolled in an out under tension. It will expand and contract over time going loose on fixed awnings. If you would like a canvas “look” for your fixed awning, we recommend the Weathermax polyester fabric, which is waterproof. 

PVC fabric is waterproof and recommended for fixed frame awnings as it won’t expand and contract with the weather. 

PVC is not recommended for lateral arm awnings as it is very heavy and will start to smell if rolled up damp. 

Acrylic canvas fabric can be cleaned using mild detergents and water. We recommend regular cleaning, approximately 6 monthly, of both the fabric and the hardware. Outdoor blinds should be cleaned using water and a mild detergent and soft brush every 3-4 months. More frequently in areas with high salt spray.

We can provide Vuplex cleaner which is specifically designed for cleaning outdoor blinds and plexiglass.

RETRACTABLE ARM AWNINGS LIMITATIONS OF USE

Retractable Arm awnings are designed for shade protection in moderate wind conditions only. Although generally waterproof, they are not designed for weather protection and must be retracted in windy conditions or if the awning collects water. Larger awnings should be motor operated and controlled by a wind sensor. There are too many variables to accurately predict the safe wind speed setting for a particular installation.

3D Motion/Wind sensor settings: we set your sensor at the mid point, and it can be adjusted if it is believed the awning can handle slightly more wind or down if the wind is too strong.

Arm angle setting: Our manufacturer specifies 15 degree pitch. The pitch must be sufficient to shed water. If it does not, the fabric will become permanently stretched and will need to be replaced. If water does collect, please retract the awning immediately so that we can adjust the angle.

The watershed angle can be checked with a hose. Also check our angle measurement diagram. 

OUTDOOR BLIND LIMITATIONS OF USE

Outdoor blinds are not wind rated and should not be left down in strong winds.

Clear PVC will expand and contract with changes to the ambient temperature. This will effect how it sits within the coloured PVC border framework, and if the curtain is overstretched it will remember and the coloured border will be wavy and stretched when the clear contracts again. Treat gently.

Click here for the Ziptrak care and maintenance guide.

EASY SHADE AWNING LIMITATIONS OF USE

Easy Shade awnings are a SHADE ONLY product and should not be left out in all weather. They are designed to provide shade while you are there and should be rolled away when not in use.

Our standard turnaround times are 3-6 weeks from the receipt of your deposit to the completion of your installation in most cases. These extend out as we get closer to Christmas.

If special brackets or galvanising and powder coating is required there may be a slightly longer time scale.

Tension canopy awning standard turnaround is 6-8 weeks from receipt of deposit. During October through to December due to the high level of work requests, this usually increases to 6-12 weeks.

We cannot guarantee installation prior to Christmas for any orders placed after 14th October.

We produce our awnings in a chronological order, so the sooner you place your order the sooner you will receive your awning.

Rubix and Cocoon cassettes are produced in Australia and delivery is generally 10-14 weeks, and up to 18 weeks around December/January.

Yes, hand rolled style blinds can have zips added on either side and within the blind to create a door on your outdoor blinds forming a complete room. Blinds with zipped can only be hand rolled.

We have five different styles of outdoor blinds – spring loaded (Ziptrak style), channelled sides, crank operated, hand rolled, and zipped. These are on display in our showroom at36 Olive Rd, Penrose.

Our installers work to the NZ building standards for attaching to wood, concrete and plaster houses. We can give specific attachment details on request.

For retractable arm awnings – we hold stock for lateral arm awnings extending out from 1.5metres to 4 metres, and we can arrange for supply of 4.5m arms on request. To achieve the manufacturers recommended 15 degree fall, there are minimum mounting heights for each arm length, to give 2m clearance at the front of the awning.

MINIMUM recommended mounting heights:

Arm Extension – Total Height
1.5m – 2350mm
2.0m – 2450mm
2.5m – 2600mm
3.0m – 2900mm
3.5m – 3250mm
4.0m – 3600mm

Fixed frame awnings generally half the extension down the wall to ensure adequate fixings.

We can and have produced awnings up to 20m long.

Yes, we have been making and installing shade sails since 2011.

We design and manufacture the sails in our factory in Penrose.

We can also supply a range of made to order sails quickly for self install. Check our “Made to Order” shade sails page. 

Our fixed awnings, flat panels and tension canopies are made from waterproof fabric and the seams are welded to ensure a waterproof finish. The frame is silicone sealed to the wall. We cannot guarantee a 100% waterproof area under the frame, but we do try.

Outdoor blinds are dependant on the style and type of fabric used. A crank operated curtain has a gap at the top and each side. Hand rolled curtains are not sealed on three sides and zipped curtains can leak through the zips. Outdoor blinds are not considered waterproof.

Retractable arm awnings can be made using Weathermax acrylic coated polyester fabric which is sealed on the seams and can be made as waterproof as possible. Retractable arm awnings are designed as a shade product, and the arms are set at 15 degree to allow for light rain run off.

We cannot guarantee a 100% waterproof area under the awning, but we do try.

We can produce fixed frames in three main shapes. The most popular is the wedge which is triangular in shape. The next most popular is the vertical hoop, where the curve comes from the top down to the bottom. We also do the Spanish hoop, where the curve goes from side to side. As we design and manufacture all our awnings in our factory in Penrose, we are flexible and will custom make your awning to fit your needs and your home.

As everything we produce is custom made, we need measurements to be able to provide an accurate price for the product you are looking for. Please feel free to contact us for a no obligation, free measure and quote.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Eftpos, cash, cheque, Q Card, GEM Visa, American Express and internet banking. We can complete credit card transactions over the phone, so please call us to get your job underway ASAP.

All awnings are fully guaranteed against faulty materials or workmanship, please click HERE to read more.

Our outdoor blinds warranty does NOT cover storm damage, so please treat your blinds with care.

Please contact us for a current list of factory seconds.

We have a small selection of top quality awnings and outdoor blinds available to day for a fraction of the price of brand new.