Choosing The Right Hospital Awning For Durability

One thing about doing business in the Northeast – anything on the exterior of your building needs to be highly durable. That’s true for a hospital awning as well as awnings and canopies for any other type of business. And when you have facilities as large as most hospitals, you have a lot of awnings to consider. Choosing appropriate materials as well as good design will bring the greatest return on your investment.

Special conditions often exist.

The New York area can be difficult no matter where you are, but some areas experience even windier conditions or exposure to salt near the beach. Other environmental factors can affect hospital awning durability, too – things like pollution or gritty dirt or sand. And while everyone knows an awning can provide shade from the hot sun, did you know that same hot sun can affect the durability of your hospital awning?

How much the awning will be exposed during the hottest parts of the day – on the west or south side of your buildings – is a consideration. But the angle of your awning also determines how directly the sun shines on it. It’s all about engineering, which is one reason it’s so important to work with a full-service awning company that has the technical skill and experience to advise you intelligently about behind-the-scenes durability issues.

Your awning experts can also provide wind barriers with transparent panels. These reliably sturdy additions won’t interrupt visibility, helping ensure safety around high-traffic entrance areas.

Hospital awning durability requires robust materials.

Your particular circumstances might dictate awning fabrication using heavy-duty steel framing instead of aluminum. And sometimes the supreme durability of all-metal is the best choice, in which case you’ll want to investigate Mapes hospital awning options. Healthcare facilities often have wide sidewalks, so canopies that cover the entire area may need additional supporting posts along the outside to ensure maximum durability.

Heavier-weight fabrics are important, too. Your hospital awning professional can explain  which sealing or stitching options are best-suited for your fabric choice, because these details, including the type of thread used to stitch your hospital awning, can affect your awning’s life expectancy. Even printing inks vary in longevity, and some are more vulnerable to environmental factors. The graphics on your hospital awning have to last as long as the awning itself.

Insisting on installation performed by experienced, OSHA-certified professionals will ensure your hospital awning is mounted securely for the long haul so it stays safely in place.

Consider ease of cleaning, too. The more time and money you have to invest in maintenance, the more your total cost of ownership increases. But lack of maintenance can seriously shorten the lifespan of a hospital awning. You’ll want to strike a balance.

Not every hospital awning has to be ultra-tough.

Retractable awnings are by nature not as durable, but they can be constructed to retract fully into a weather-proof casing. They’ll be protected out-of-season, ready to emerge when the time is right. Along that same line, your other seasonal hospital awning products – umbrellas or free-standing tent canopies – also don’t have to withstand the same year-round conditions as permanently-installed awnings. For them, quality is still important, but you won’t need to over-spend on materials that are beyond what you need.

Hospitals have to be bottom-line conscious.

As a business you have to watch your budget. Tempting as it may seem to choose cheaper fabrics or other materials for constructing your hospital awning, these choices usually cost more in the long run. A lower price usually reflects lower quality, and that means your awning won’t last as long as you want, causing maintenance and repair headaches and ruining your ROI.

The tougher the conditions, the harder your hospital awning has to work to keep your façades looking professional and attractive over many years. With the right durability choices, they’ll be up to the job.

Commercial Awnings