Patio Awnings from Markilux and Gaviota in Cornwall and Devon
choosing an awning
An awning puts shade exactly where you sit, then folds away when you want the sun back. We fit two makers: markilux, which builds its frames and fabrics in its own works in Germany, and Gaviota, a Spanish manufacturer making awnings since 1967. Between them they cover four jobs: shading a patio, cooling a conservatory roof, sheltering a larger area on posts, and screening big windows from low sun.
Cassette, open arm or clamp
For most patios the full cassette models, such as the markilux MX range, 6000 and 5010, are the ones to look at first. Wound in, the fabric and arms disappear into a closed aluminium case, out of the rain, salt and dirt, which is what keeps an awning on an exposed wall looking right for years. Gaviota's end-fix awnings do the same job with more built in, such as LED lighting in the arms, sun and wind sensors and app control. An open-arm awning like the markilux 1300 has no case and belongs under a deep eave that already shelters it. The markilux 900 clamps in place rather than drilling, which suits balconies and rented homes.
Wind, rain and the Cornish weather
Awnings are wind-tested to EN 13561, and markilux says its folding-arm awnings usually reach class 2, which it equates to wind force 5 (28 to 37 km/h). That is a fresh breeze, not a gale, so on a hilltop or seafront garden a wind sensor that winds the awning in by itself earns its keep. The fabric is water-repellent and copes with a short, light shower if the awning is pitched at 14 degrees or more. In steady rain wind it in, and run a wet cover back out afterwards to dry, or it can mark with mould.
Conservatories and glass roofs
A blind inside a conservatory roof cuts glare, but by then the heat is already in the room. The markilux 7800, 8800 and 8850 run on top of the glass, catching the sun before it gets through, and leave the full height of the room clear. The cover runs in side tracks, with markilux tracfix zipping the edges in so wind can't get under. The 8850 is built for hipped roofs.
Pergolas and vertical screens
For shade further from the house, or cover for a table on a showery evening, a pergola awning stands on its own posts with guide tracks either side. markilux rates its pergolas at wind class 3 and weatherproof when set at the correct pitch. Gaviota's CLIMATIKA has a roof of insulated aluminium slats that turn from open to fully closed. Vertical screens such as the markilux 620, 710 and 776 and the Gaviota NEXUS zip screen drop in front of west-facing bifolds and picture windows, cutting glare and heat while you still see out.
common questions
Can I leave my awning out in the rain?
Only in a light, passing shower, and only if it is pitched at 14 degrees or more so the water runs off. In proper rain, wind it in, then run it back out to dry once the rain stops. On a motorised awning, a rain sensor can wind it in for you.
Is a conservatory awning better than roof blinds inside?
For heat, yes. An awning on top of the glass stops the sun before it reaches the roof, so the heat never gets inside. Blinds under the glass cut glare but the warmth is already in the room. Internal blinds stay cleaner and cost less, so if glare is the only problem they may be enough.
Should I choose a manual or motorised awning?
A small awning on a sheltered patio is fine with a hand crank. On anything wide or exposed, a motor lets you add sun and wind sensors that wind the awning in when nobody is home, and that is the best protection an awning can have.
Why does my awning fabric have slight ripples?
markilux says slight waviness near the seams is normal on rolled awning fabric, because the seams are thicker than the rest of the cloth and the fabric tensions differently as it winds on and off the roller. It doesn't affect performance. Never clean the fabric with a pressure washer.