As you would with any other room in your house or business, it’s important to upkeep your shade canopy for proper functioning and to maintain comfortable outdoor living spaces. When you make an investment in a shade canopy, you want to avoid compromising the functionality or aesthetics of your canopy by failing to clean and maintain it regularly.
Why It’s Important to Maintain Your Shade Canopy
Keeping up on cleaning and care for your shade canopy will ensure your outdoor spaces remain beautiful: free of mildew, mold, debris buildup, and fading as a result of sun exposure. Not only will your canopy continue to enhance your layout, but you’ll also save money by maintaining your canopy for years to come. Maintaining a shade canopy does not necessarily require professionals to clean or check frame components; however, it’s best to spend some time before the season changes to carefully look over your canopy.
How to Clean Your Shade Canopy
Although professional canopy cleaners are available to hire, you can clean your canopy using DIY solutions. Before cleaning your canopy, clear your workspace below your canopy and remove tripping hazards like furniture or rugs. Start by removing your canopy from the structure (which is easy to do – unscrew the top locks and roll the canopy out the back of the track). Hose down with soft water pressure, extend your canopy out, and use an elongated soft brush and bleach-free soap, then wipe down the canopy fabric. A hose with a spray attachment is ideal for spraying down your canopy, and a stable ladder may be needed to reach all areas of the canopy. If your canopy is filled with leaves or other debris, make sure you clean up the material that has fallen from the canopy before finishing your cleaning session.
Maintaining Your Shade Canopy’s Functionality in Tough Weather
While shade canopies are built to last through the elements, it’s wise to protect your canopy from major weather events such as high winds over 30 miles per hour or excessive snowfall or rain that could permanently damage the canopy fabric or your frame. If you are aware of extreme weather conditions before they happen, it’s suggested that you retract your canopy or remove the panels.
After a severe weather event, inspect your canopy fabric for tears, holes, or debris piling that could weigh your canopy down. Finding any damage sooner rather than later to order replacement fabric will keep your canopy in commission with minimal downtime for when you need your canopy the most.
ShadeTree Makes It Easy to Own, Maintain, and Enjoy a Shade Canopy
ShadeTree knows canopies can take a beating from the natural – and sometimes unnatural – elements. That’s why we offer our shade canopies with fabric featuring marine-grade durability for all weather and any aesthetic. With hundreds of fabrics to choose from two popular mills, our canopies commonly last 13+ years. When it is time to replace your canopies, the process is as simple as selecting your new fabric, and we can do the rest.
In addition to weather-resistant fabrics, our canopies are also installed using a retractable mechanism within a unique track on the canopy frame. This allows each canopy track to extend or retract independently for customizable shade. The canopies can be removed easily in the winter months to prolong the lifespan of your canopy, and our patented top locks are equipped to automatically unlock in high winds, releasing the canopies and reducing any potential wind damage. ShadeTree makes it easy to own, maintain, and enjoy a high-quality shade canopy for over a decade. Check out all of our products here and reach out to our expert designers to find the perfect shade canopy for your space, needs, and easy maintenance.
