Yes, our awnings can be fitted with weather sensors. A wind sensor retracts the awning automatically when it gusts, a rain sensor does the same in a shower, and a sun sensor runs it out as the light comes round..

An awning is a fabric structure on folding arms, so the weather it needs protecting from most is wind. Our Prestige models are rated to withstand almost 50km/h, but no awning should be left extended in a storm.

Introducing the wind sensor

This is the sensor we would fit first. Mounted on the front bar or the wall, it reads movement in the awning itself and signals the motor to retract when the wind picks up beyond a set threshold. It takes seconds, and it happens whether you are in the garden, at work or away for the weekend.

The value is not really in the convenience. Wind damage is the single most common way an awning comes to grief: strained arms, a stretched or torn cover, or fixings pulled at the wall. A sensor that retracts the awning before any of that starts is the cheapest insurance on the whole installation.

Introducing the rain sensor

The fantastic benefit of opting for a rain sensor is that you do not even need to reach for the remote. The sensor picks up the first rainfall on its pad and tells the awning to retract, so you can carry on with your activity uninterrupted and your garden furniture is under cover if a shower arrives while you are out.

It is worth being clear about what the awning does here, because it is the opposite of a louvred roof. A pergola closes its roof against rain; an awning takes itself out of the weather instead. Light rain will run off a well pitched cover, but standing water pools in fabric, and that weight is what strains the arms and marks the cover. Retracting is the right response, and it is what keeps the mechanism and the fabric sound for years.

Introducing the sun sensor

A sun sensor works the other way round. It reads light levels and extends the awning as the sun comes onto the patio, then brings it back in as the light drops. On a south or west facing terrace that means the shade is already there when you come outside, and the furniture, decking and doors behind it get far less fading over a summer.

Fitted alongside a wind sensor, it gives you an awning that manages itself: out when it is wanted, away when it is not.

Weather sensors are just one of the optional extras

We love the fact that our customers can create an awning that is customised to their own requirements, and sensors are just the start. Whether it is LED lighting in the front profile, infra-red heating, a drop valance for low evening sun, or a wide choice of frame colours and cover fabrics, a Broadview awning is your chance to create your perfect outside space.

Ask our team which sensors suit your awning, your aspect and how exposed your patio is. For more information, or to discuss your dream awning, don’t hesitate to call 01202 679012 or book your free, no-obligation design consultation.