When to choose a breathable or waterproof awning? We take you out of doubts

Esta entrada también está disponible en: Spanish

A good awning can be extremely useful for any type of business, and help improve the habitability of outdoor areas such as terraces or patios. But that will only work if the awning we choose is really the best for our needs, and that includes choosing between breathable or waterproof tarpaulins. Here’s how.

Breathable or waterproof?

Breathable tarpaulins are those that allow air and water to pass through them. Waterproof tarpaulins are those that prevent the passage of water. In the latter case, awnings usually include a polyurethane layer.

Obviously, the great advantage of tarpaulins is that, if it rains, and no matter how much it rains, not a drop of water is going to get under the awning. That is why they are much more useful than breathable tarpaulins in areas where it rains a lot, such as the north of Spain.

However, this also has two drawbacks:

• You have to make sure that the awning is very well anchored, tense and with the right inclination, because if it is not, bags of water can form on top of the canvas and that can be dangerous.
• The polyurethane layer (or layers) prevent the air from passing through the canvas, and when there is a lot of sunshine a kind of greenhouse effect is created: under the awning the environment is heated and can become unpleasant for potential customers.

For this reason, in areas with a lot of sun (both in radiation level and number of sunny days) the most suitable option is the breathable canvas, which allows the area under the awning to be aired and creates a shaded and cool space.

Also, the breathable fabric, being micro-perforated, is more wind resistant, and is a better choice for awnings not anchored to the wall, for example, pergolas and arbors that are in sunny areas or are only used in summer.