The Best Canvas Deck Awning Material

Canvas

• Items made from canvas are heavy-duty and made to outlast other fabrics. Canvas products often include sewn-in, reinforced seams and grommets, waterproof coatings and UV resistance. Stiffer, less pliable canvas, is typically used for awnings, while more flexible canvas is used for outdoor furniture coverings. Some are environmentally friendly, being fully recyclable and requiring no dyeing that produces wastewater.

Awnings

• A deck awning allows you to enjoy the outdoors, while being shielded from the sun's direct rays. It also blocks the sunshine in warmer months from shining through windows, helping to lower your energy usage. According to the Sunbrella website, The American Society of Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers confirms that an awning can reduce heat gain by 72 to 77 percent on western exposures and 55 to 65 percent on southern-facing windows.

Sunbrella

• Sunbrella has been the leader in performance fabrics since 1961 according to its website. The canvas fabric developed for use in awnings is highly water resistant and durable, featuring a 10-year limited warranty. The fabrics are also fade-resistant, with color pigments penetrating all the way to the fiber's core, ensuring years of fresh color and lasting performance. Earning the "Seal of Recommendation" by the Skin Cancer Foundation, Sunbrella fabrics have undergone rigorous testing, which have proven them to provide 98 percent protection from the sun's harmful effects.

Sun Setter

• Sun Setter's website claims to be America's top awning seller. Awning fabric is constructed in three layers. The middle woven layer is sandwiched between a protective top and bottom layer. The fabrics are available in assorted colors and stripes, are water repellent and undergo a solution-dyeing process to maintain color fastness. The awning fabrics block 99 percent of harmful UVA and UVB rays, and are approved by the Skin Cancer Foundation. Fabrics come with a five-year manufacturer's warranty.