Protect Your Shading System While Remodeling

As you decide on this year’s remodeling needs, you realize that the one thing that looks as good as it did ten years ago are your Eclipse retractable awnings. Complement the stylish awnings with new house paint and some upgrades in your landscaping. While new changes are being made to enhance your backyard oasis make sure to protect your Eclipse Shading Systems® awnings. The acrylic awning fabric is made from sturdy fibers, but they can still stain or be affected by the sanding elements used to prepare the house for painting and the flying debris involved in landscaping can cause mold and mildew to set in quickly.

At the end of the day, hose off the awning fabric. Use only cool water. This will give the awning material the opportunity to dry overnight before more work is done the next day. If the awning fabric is still damp when dirt and debris start to fly around again, be extra careful to avoid having this stick to your retractable awning. If your retractable awning is rolled up during these outdoor projects, take extra care to open it every day or so and hose it off. Don’t forget to rinse the underside of your awning. Keep an eye out for small tears in the awning fabric, as these tend to get larger if ignored. Bird droppings require a little more attention. Just brush the area with a mild soap and warm water, and then rinse away all traces of soap residue so that more dirt is not attracted to that area.

When planning the landscape design, strive to keep large shrubbery and small trees away from the retractable awning system. You can prolong the life of your awning by keeping your gutters clear and cleaning the frame to avoid rust. If you use insect spray, keep it away from the fabric so that you don’t get stains. Once the painting and landscaping are complete, give your Eclipse retractable awnings a final cool water shower, let them dry, and talk to your Eclipse dealer about using stain guard to protect your awning system for another season.

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