Technical Information

USA Canvas Shoppe is committed to unmatched levels of quality and reliability by using advanced turnkey manufacturing techniques and materials. Our in-house custom processes use:

  • Welded frames that will not sag or slip
  • Powder-coated frames to guarantee permanent finish
  • Heat-welded seams guaranteed to outlive the life of the fabric
  • Tenara thread by W.L. Gore, which includes a life time warranty
  • Customized, professionally engineered designs for any application

Benefits of Awnings and Canopies:

In proper design and application, awnings and canopies can provide protection from the sun, rain, snow, wind and hail. A well-designed awning or canopy can enhance the appearance of any building or site. Use of the business name or logo can provide identification and increased traffic volume.

Creative designers and architects can develop useful and intriguing designs for modern awnings and canopy systems that incorporate shape, light, color, texture, graphics and structure, at modest cost. With custom methods of metal fabrication, almost any shape and size can be attained and covered with awning fabric.

Fabrics

Modern awning fabrics come in roll widths that range from approximately 30 inches to 84 inches and weigh from 9 ounces to 22 ounces per square yard.

Popular fabric types are:

  • 100% woven acrylic (Sunbrella, Dickson)
  • Vinyl laminated or coated polyester (Signmaster, Cool Glo, Eridi-Lite)
  • Vinyl laminated or coated mesh (Phifertex)
  • Vinyl laminated polyester (Cooley, Nite-Lite, Weblon Coastline Plus)
  • Acrylic, vinyl or resin-coated polyester or polyester cotton (Main Street)
  • Vinyl-coated, polyester or polyester/cotton (Calabana)
  • Acrylic-painted cotton or polyester/cotton (PeeGee)

Some of these fabrics are heat sealable, which results in a watertight joint (assuming that the fabric itself is watertight).

Other properties of interest to the designer are:

  • Colors
  • Light transmittance
  • Warranty
  • UV resistance
  • Water repellency
  • Frame resistance
  • Wick resistance
  • Graphics acceptance

Framing

  • Steel Pipe – This material can be characterized as a relatively thick, round section of mild steel with manufactured foot lengths of up to 24’0’. It is easily welded, bolted and threaded, and is adaptable to many shop environments. It is heavy and functional, but not necessarily highly aesthetic.
  • Steel Tubing – Steel tubing is similar to steel pipe but is available in a range of wall thicknesses and shapes, including round, square and rectangular. It is easily welded or bolted, and can be obtained in higher strengths than steel pipe.
  • High-Strength Steel Tubing – This is a cold-worked, thin-wall steel tubing that is available in round, square and rectangular shapes. Popular sizes are less than two inches. High-strength steel tubing normally is furnished with corrosion-inhibiting surface treatments. It is also easily bent to designer shapes, relatively lightweight and easily welded.
  • Aluminum Pipe – Manufactured with the same dimensions as steel pipe, it weights only one third as much. On the other hand, it is only one third as stiff as steel pipe. Temper is lost at welded joints, which reduces its strength.
  • Aluminum Tubing – This is available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and tempers, with an array of advantages and disadvantages in comparison to steel.
  • Staple-On Extrusions – Aluminum tubing is extruded into cross sections that are used to connect fabric panels to the face of the tubing. Connections are made by stapling the fabric inside a groove that is filed with a pressure-installed weather strip/trim piece.