Awning fabric comes down to two families. Solution dyed acrylic canvas, which blocks the sun and sheds water, and PVC coated mesh, which filters the sun and lets you keep looking through it.
Acrylic canvas, and why solution dyed matters
Solution dyed means the colour goes into the fibre while it is still liquid, so it runs right through the yarn. Piece dyed and printed fabrics have the colour sitting on the outside of a finished cloth instead.
That difference shows up after a few Sydney summers. A solution dyed acrylic fades slowly and evenly. A surface dyed fabric goes patchy on the face taking the sun, usually the north or the west side of the house.
Acrylic canvas also breathes a little, so the air under the awning does not get stuffy, and it carries a water repellent finish that lets a light shower run off rather than soak through.
PVC mesh, and when you want to see through it
Mesh is a polyester base yarn coated in PVC and woven with deliberate gaps. Those gaps keep your view, and they let hot air escape instead of sitting trapped under the fabric.
Mesh is made in a range of weave densities. A tighter weave cuts more sun and more of the view, and an opener weave keeps the outlook while taking the glare down.
It is the usual pick for outdoor blinds and straight drop awnings on a patio or balcony, where you sit behind the fabric looking out. It also hoses down easily, which suits anywhere collecting dust or leaf litter.
Canvas or mesh, depending on the awning
Folding arm awnings are nearly always canvas. You look out underneath them rather than through them, so blocking the sun properly is the point, and canvas handles water better on a low pitch.
Straight drop awnings and outdoor blinds are where mesh earns its place. You are looking through that fabric all evening, and a canvas in the same spot walls the space in.
Plenty of jobs use both. Canvas overhead for shade, mesh down the open side to deal with the late afternoon sun. The awning range covers both, and outdoor roller blinds are the mesh side of the same idea.
Salt air, gum trees and which way it faces
Near the water, salt does the damage. The fabric itself copes reasonably well, and it is the hardware, the frame and the fixings that need to be specified for it.
Give it a wash with fresh water now and then if you are close to the beach. Rinsing the salt off the fabric and the frame does more for the life of an awning near the water than any upgrade in cloth.
Under gum trees, expect sap and leaf litter through the year. A smoother surface like a PVC mesh or a coated canvas sheds that better than an open textured fabric, and it washes off instead of staining in.
North and west walls take the most UV in Sydney, and that is exactly where fabric quality shows itself. If you are going to be fussy about one awning on the house, be fussy about the one facing the afternoon sun.
Colour, weight and how it looks in five years
Stripes and mid tones hide dust and water marks better than a plain cream. A very light fabric keeps the space under it brighter, and it shows every single mark.
Think about the room behind the awning as well. Canvas over a window throws its colour into that room on a bright day, so a strong green or red overhead ends up reading on the walls inside.
Thread matters as much as cloth. Seams need a UV stable thread, because on an older awning it is often the stitching that lets go while the fabric is still perfectly good.
Heavier is not automatically better. A heavy fabric on a wide awning adds load to the arms and to the motor, so the cloth and the frame have to be matched to each other.
Keeping it right
Hose the fabric down every so often, and use a mild soap and a soft brush on marks. Leave harsh cleaners and pressure washers out of it, because both will strip the water repellent finish off the surface.
Let it dry before you roll it up. Rolling away a wet awning is the main reason fabric goes mouldy along the fold lines, and that mark never really comes out.
Fabric choice is easier with the samples in front of you and the wall in question behind you. Book a free measure and quote and we will bring the range out and match it to the way that side of the house sits.
Common questions
What is the best fabric for an awning in Australia?
Solution dyed acrylic canvas for overhead shade, because the colour runs through the fibre and holds up under UV. PVC coated mesh where you want to keep the view and let heat escape, which is why it suits outdoor blinds and straight drops.
How long does awning fabric last?
It depends on which way it faces and how it is treated. A north or west facing awning takes the most UV, and fabric that is rolled away wet or left out in wind ages far faster. Drying it before rolling and retracting it in wind does most of the work.
Can I clean awning fabric myself?
Yes. Hose it down, then use a mild soap and a soft brush on any marks and rinse it off. Avoid harsh cleaners and pressure washers, which strip the water repellent finish, and let the fabric dry fully before you roll it up.