Mapes awnings are made of metal. They aren’t suitable for residential use or for situations where you only need temporary or seasonal coverage, but they could be ideal for your new business. Mapes awnings are primarily used for large commercial or retail buildings, to create oversize façade signage, canopies along exterior walls, covered walkways in between buildings, etc.
They’re an excellent choice for porticoes at medical centers, hotels, large apartment or office buildings – anywhere you need a well-defined entrance and weather protection for arriving vehicles and guests or your valet and doorman.
Mapes awnings are particularly useful for covering open-air parking structures or entrances to parking garages, or protecting indoor-outdoor working environments such as loading docks. You can also use them to construct free-standing, post-supported canopies up to 20 feet long – great to cover a row of parking spaces or other space where you want minimal visual or physical obstruction underneath.
While Mapes awnings are appropriate for either new construction or retrofit installation, you’ll want to be sure they fit within your local building and zoning regulations.
Nothing beats metal for toughness.
All-metal Mapes awnings are extra-sturdy, to withstand the toughest weather and environmental conditions. They’re made of heavy-duty aluminum, so they’re surprisingly lightweight for their size — just one-third the weight of equal-strength steel. Aluminum cannot rust, and it won’t corrode because Mapes awnings are treated at the factory with a special anodized coating that protects the metal’s surface and keeps the colors looking their best for years.
All-metal doesn’t mean ho-hum.
Mapes awnings offer plenty of diversity. They can be attached to the façade of your building or attached with hanger rods so they protrude at a 90-degree angle to create a canopy-style overhang. Façade signage can be mounted flush to the wall or be offset for added dimension.
You can choose standard sizes and shapes, or custom-design your Mapes awnings with eye-catching arched or bowed shapes. Think large geometrics rather than intricate filigree. You’ll get superior long-distance visibility such as across a parking lot or from a busier street.
More than other awning styles, Mapes awnings look substantial. Solid. They can provide an industrial look, if that’s appropriate for your business, or an “industrial chic” appearance for more upscale retail centers or business office complexes.
Because they’re made of metal, they aren’t suitable for fancy detail work or unusual three-dimensional shapes. So use them to dress up basic architecture, but not for historic buildings or those with built-in architectural detailing that won’t look right with the more stark presentation of Mapes awnings.
If you need to make a big, bold statement about who you are, with signage no one will miss, Mapes awnings are for you. You can decorate Mapes awnings with your name or logo and address number, in your official corporate colors.
You can enhance the performance and appearance of your Mapes awnings by adding louvered decking that shades your interior from the heat and glare of direct sunlight without occluding the natural light. Or add translucent panels that filter daylight in a different way and appear luminous at night.
So the questions is: what is your new business all about?
Mapes awnings may be overwhelming, if your new shop is small. On the other hand, maybe your place is very large, or you’re an architect or a contemporary art gallery – or you’re simply looking for something that offers a surprising contrast to “the expected” for your type of business. For you, Mapes awnings could be just the ticket.
You can order online, but you’ll be happier if you enlist help from a commercial awning professional who works with Mapes awnings. That way you’ll be sure that Mapes is the right way to go, that you order properly and that – and this is essential – you get professional installation when your Mapes awning components arrive at your business location.
