Over the years, canopy fabric technology has improved dramatically, and although in most cases our pre-designed canopies or bespoke systems will still be doing their job, a revitalised setup with a new, more technologically advanced fabric coating can bring a fresher look, improved security and safety and a longer lifespan to your building.
In this blog post, we’ll be looking at some reasons to replace old fabric canopies, and suggest some creative and inventive ways to avoid landfill and reuse the old ones.
In many cases, increased lifespans have improved canopy guarantees and warranties over the years. This adds peace of mind for the consumer, and a greater confidence that newer, more advanced canopies will improve on your old ones. As always, don’t hesitate to contact us if you want to know more about specific products we work with.
Improves the look and feel
There’s no getting away from the fact that old canopies, after years of winter seasons and protecting buildings against the elements, start to look tired. Good cleaning and canopy maintenance can significantly help increase the lifespan of a canopy, but after a while a new one is the way to go – especially if you’re twinning this with other building or site improvements.
We can design fabric cladding systems like we did at Sainsburys in Crayford to change the look of a site and provide an updated look as well as provide greater protection against the elements.
Avoid landfill
When you take an old canopy down, you’ll inevitably then be faced with the question of what to do with it now. Reusing old canopies for festivals and events is popular, and we’ve worked with many clients over the years to ensure old canopies avoid landfill and get used in an environmentally conscious and attractive way. We have also helped turn take down fabric into ground mats, weather proofing and many other functions.
Protects users against poor weather
Over time, the efficiency of a fabric canopy can diminish – damage can be mitigated by a good maintenance schedule – but essentially after a while canopies that are in poor shape won’t provide the protection required. This is where replacement canopies come in – and we can recycle and reuse old canopies to ensure they don’t end up in landfill, too.
Add additional outdoor space
Replacing an older structure at the end of its life means you have a good opportunity to redesign your canopy and replace it with something that better suits your needs – perhaps you want to expand your outdoor seating area or provide greater shelter for customers entering
To make a statement
When we replaced the stand canopy at Lord Cricket Ground, it not only increased the lifespan of the building and the stand, but added a new aesthetic to the building which future proofed it. We were also finalists in the 2006 Building Sustainability Awards for this project, as we partnered with a PVC recycler in France to ensure all the original fabric we removed was put to good use.
To encorporate new technology
Sometimes, time and technology has moved on since a client replaced their fabric roof, so it’s worth getting a new one to ensure that the latest technology and safety requirements are met. We did this at Portobello Market in London – working with our client to replace an ageing roof system that would provide shelter for shoppers and market traders alike.
When it comes to replacing and reusing a canopy, we can advise on the best course of action for you. We will ensure that, where possible, older canopies don’t get send directly to landfill – making use of them in other ways such as repurposing for festivals and art installations. A replacement canopy can also transform a space and allow you to redesign areas of your outdoor environment. Contact us today for a friendly chat to see how we can help.
in Bristol