Folding-arm awning fabric: full-cassette or semi-cassette?
Beautify your terrace or balcony with a folding-arm awning
The folding-arm awning is the most commonly used solution to provide shade and shelter from the heat on a terrace or balcony. Thanks to its frame and arms (foldable or telescopic), you can deploy or retract the awning, through a system that may be manual or motorised.
Where to install your folding-arm awning?
Whether you live in a flat or a house, in the city or in the country, a folding-arm awning can protect you from the sun and bad weather. If you want it for your terrace, it will be installed on the façade of your home, while if it is for a balcony, it will be fixed to the roof.
Which folding-arm awning to choose?
There are three main types of folding-arm awning. Each offers a different degree of protection for the fabric:
Basically, there are 3 types of awning
- Full-cassette folding-arm awning: The fabric and the arms fold away inside a cassette. That way, they are totally protected from the weather when you are not using your awning.
- Semi-cassette folding-arm awning: On this type, the cassette only protects the fabric (though any valance will be uncovered).
- Monobloc folding-arm awning: On this kind of awning, the fabric is not protected. It should therefore be installed under the eaves of a roof or a balcony or protected by a hood.
Full-cassette awning
Semi-cassette awning
Monobloc awning or cassette
The components of a folding-arm awning
1. Valence
2.Bottom rail
3. Arm
4. Roller tube
The dimensions of a folding-arm awning
1. Awning width
2. Awning projection
3. Awning angle
4. Valance height
5. Installation height
Tips for your folding-arm awning
The full-cassette awning is the best solution if you want to protect both the fabric and frame of your awning. It will blend right in with your façade, as the customisation options are endless.
Make sure you take the time to measure the area you want to cover, as this will determine the dimensions of your awning.
It is also important to think about what you want in terms of solar protection, because both the fabric and the colour affect how the awning meets this need. If you want to prevent glare, you will choose a different colour to someone who wants all the natural light they can get.
For your folding-arm awning, we recommend the Orchestra awning fabric collection: the widest range on the market, with 173 fabrics, 113 which are solid colours.