R&R Final PDF's November '17 cc

Building Envelope
Selecting the right door canopy
Space is a key factor in all refurbishments and retrofits, which is why maximising it, both
indoors and out, is key to delivering the best possible results.
Jason Eastwood
The Princess door canopy
The Royale door canopy
Door canopy installation
While they may only form a small
element of a refurb or retrofit, door
canopies can play a huge part in
the end result. Not only can they finish off a
project perfectly, they can instantly add a
touch of individuality and aesthetic appeal
too.
Jason Eastwood, Managing Director of
Canopies UK, the country’s leading designer,
manufacturer and installer of high quality
canopies, shares some best practice advice on
selecting the right door canopy for the project
at hand.
Door canopies might make up a small
proportion of an overall building, but that
doesn’t mean that they should be overlooked
or treated as an afterthought.
Get them right and door canopies can help
give properties that professional, high quality
finish. However, get them wrong, and they can
look out of place and compromise the overall
look and feel.
But there’s no reason why door canopies
should be classed as the latter, not if you take
the time to do your research and ask yourself
these key questions beforehand:
‘What are they made from?’
As obvious as it may sound, not all door
canopies are made from the same materials.
Some are made from concrete or timber,
which involve long-term maintenance costs.
Others, on the other hand, are manufactured
using GRP, which is highly durable and
maintenance-free.
It’s all very well your project looking good the
moment you’ve finished it, but how’s it going
to look five years down the line?
Unfortunately, all buildings do age and the
fewer features it happens to, the better,
entrance or porch canopy included, especially
as they’re one of the first features people see.
‘How are they manufactured?’
We’re not saying that you need to know about
the precise ins and outs of your
manufacturer’s processes, but it is extremely
useful for you to have some knowledge of the
standards that they work to.
Do their canopies conform to BS6399-3 and
European Standard EN1991-1-3:2003? And do
they use the highest quality gel coats and
moulds and durable paint?
Yes, they may seem like minor details, but it’s
this type of detail that will help ensure that the
canopies you choose a) conform with industry
regulations and b) are built to last. In turn, this
will help your project look the part for many
years to come.
‘What are the design options available
to you?’
Door canopies are available in a whole host of
different sizes and designs. Take our range, for
instance, we offer nine different styles, ranging
from flat roof and apex, to hipped roof and
bespoke. They can come with curved legs,
straight legs and in finishes, such as slate, too,
as well as match a particular garden/home.
If you truly want your door canopy to give
your project that extra edge, then you need to
spend time on carefully choosing which
design you’re going to go for. The type of roof
on the property you’re working with can be a
key influencer. For example, if it’s hipped then
you might want to complement it with a
canopy that’s hipped, but if you want
something different, then you might want to
go for a flat roof instead.
‘What about installation?’
So, you’ve shopped around, done your
research and found the door canopy that’s
going to complement your project perfectly.
That’s the hard work over, right?
Wrong. How it’s installed can also impact the
end result. Door canopies need to be properly
installed, anything less could wind up with
them looking unprofessional and involve ongoing
maintenance and problems.
Where possible, your door canopy supplier
should make installation as quick and easy for
you as possible. That’s why we make sure that
our canopies are delivered fully assembled
with full fixing kits and we offer an installation
service too, which can be useful if you’ve got a
shortage of skilled site workers.
Both refurb and retrofit projects can be made
to look and feel far more appealing, not to
mention inviting, with the addition of a door
canopy. However, with all key features, it’s
important you select the right options, which
is where the questions above can help you.
They are by no means exhaustive, but do
provide you with some best practice pointers
on how to make sure you get your door
canopy decision right, every time.
www.canopiesuk.co.uk
20 Refurb retrofit
magazine
November 2017 R6