Order awnings online?
Order awnings online
Anyone who wants to order awnings online is often spoiled for choice. Because it is precisely the prices that make consumers sit up and take notice. The discounters in particular are engaged in a veritable price battle in which specialist retailers are clearly left out. However, it is not the price alone that makes it so. Because the consumer should be aware of one thing – cheap prices often mean poor quality. The price has to be saved somewhere. Above all, it is also the case that the consumer values longevity. In addition, the awning should protect against the sun and be reasonably stable even in windy conditions. All of this is rarely the case with the particularly inexpensive awnings. If you want to enjoy your awning for a long time, you should pay attention to a few things. We would like to explain here what these are.
Awnings from specialist shops
You can get awnings from well-known brands such as Warema, Weinor or Markilux and many more in specialist shops. These have stood for high quality and the best workmanship for decades. In addition, you can usually look at the shading systems in showrooms and know exactly what the awning looks like and what advantages it has.
Another plus point at the local specialist dealer is that the assembly is carried out professionally. The fitter knows exactly which awning attachment he needs to use for which facade to ensure safety. Because it is particularly important for the awning installation that everything is installed professionally. In addition, only approved fastening material may be used. This starts with the screws, which must be made of stainless steel. Galvanized screws and dowels are not permitted and are therefore not permitted. The awning retailer knows that exactly. Intermediaries who offer assembly should also know, but unfortunately use cheaper fastening material. This means that safety is no longer guaranteed and, in the worst case, the awning can fall dangerously.
Specialized trade is not the same as specialized trade
There are also big differences between specialist dealers. Basically, every shop that sells awnings can call itself a “specialist shop for sun protection”. However, this does not mean that the dealer has a professional qualification. Unfortunately, some sun protection retailers are simple hobby craftsmen who have become self-employed and sell awnings incl. offer assembly. Even if the shading systems are often of good quality because the dealer buys them from well-known manufacturers, the awning installation often leaves a lot to be desired. This is due to the fact that there is simply a lack of professional qualifications and there is also a lack of training and seminars, such as those regularly carried out by the right specialist dealer. For this reason, when buying an awning, you should always pay attention to whether it is a specialist dealer with production or just an intermediary. You are always on the safe side when you go to a specialist dealer with production, even if it costs a little more. But safety is guaranteed and that should be the most important aspect when buying an awning.
A good specialist shop is also characterized by the advice it provides. As a rule, you will not be given advice in discount stores or on the Internet. You buy a pig in a poke and often don’t know what you’re getting. Is the awning tailored to your outdoor area or did you perhaps only shade part of the outdoor area? We will show you what is important when it comes to sun protection and, of course, we will help you to find the perfect awning for your garden or balcony. Of course, your individual wishes and needs are also taken into account, so that you can set up a dreamlike oasis of well-being.
At Görres Metallbau GmbH, on the other hand, you get everything from a single source. Not only can you have your awning made individually by us, we can also deliver it to you and install it right away. This gives you the highest quality and safety and you can fully rely on our decades of experience as an awning manufacturer.
Awnings from the discounter
In recent years, the discounters have also gotten a taste for it and offer awnings for self-assembly every spring. But there are some differences to the specialist dealers. On the one hand they are very cheap and on the other hand you have to assemble them yourself. But let’s start with price and quality.
The awning price at the discounter
Of course, many consumers have to look at the price. But as the saying goes: if you buy cheap, you buy twice. And unfortunately that is very often the case. The awnings from discounters may be really cheap, but somewhere you have to save that the sun protection is available at a low price. So material is used on the cloth, on the rods and also in the processing, which is not so durable. This is the only way discounters can offer such a bargain.
The awning size from the discounter
Another major disadvantage of sun protection from discounters is that there are usually only folding arm awnings – and only in one or two different sizes. As a rule, the folding arm awnings from the discounter have a width of 3 or 4 meters. Unfortunately, other sizes are not available. However, if you have a terrace that is 3.50 meters wide, you have a total of 50 cm that is not shaded. On the one hand you cannot use the entire terrace and on the other hand it doesn’t look nice if there are still 25 cm left on both sides. At a specialist retailer, on the other hand, you can have a tailor-made awning made that is perfectly tailored to your patio.
Awnings from discounters have to be assembled by yourself
Another major disadvantage of sun protection from discounters is that there are usually only folding arm awnings – and only in one or two different sizes. As a rule, the folding arm awnings from the discounter have a width of 3 or 4 meters. Unfortunately, other sizes are not available. However, if you have a terrace that is 3.50 meters wide, you have a total of 50 cm that is not shaded. On the one hand you cannot use the entire terrace and on the other hand it doesn’t look nice if there are still 25 cm left on both sides. At a specialist retailer, on the other hand, you can have a tailor-made awning made that is perfectly tailored to your patio.
Awnings from discounters have to be assembled by yourself
Another point is self-assembly. While some offerings come with the mounting hardware, there are also shading systems available that completely lack it and require the consumer to purchase the hardware. Since every facade is different, the fastening material for the sun protection is often wrong. This means that safety is not guaranteed – especially not if you install the sun protection yourself. If the fastening material for the awning still has to be bought, unfortunately the cheaper version is often used here too. This can have fatal consequences. Because the right screws and dowels should be used for every facade. A sandstone wall requires different fixings than a clinker wall.
The third point is the assembly itself. Hobby craftsmen usually do not have any professional qualifications, which makes awning assembly more difficult and also jeopardizes safety. If you now have the discounter awning installed by a specialist, you will of course pay a corresponding surcharge, since the sun protection was not bought from the specialist dealer. Again, these are additional costs. If you then add the fastening material and installation by a specialist retailer, the awning is no longer as cheap as it seems.
This is also shown by a test of the Aldi awnings in 2020 – one can only say a disaster. Starting with processing, security and certificates, which do not exist.
Awnings on Ebay, Amazon & Co.
Ebay, Amazon & Co. are also similar to discounters. You may still have the opportunity to buy the awnings used here. But above all, they buy one thing from these providers – a pig in a poke. At least if you buy your sun protection from private sellers. Of course, you have the option of returning new products. However, this is usually associated with high shipping costs, which means that you cannot call an awning your own, but are about 100 euros poorer.
Furthermore, you must buy the sun protection as seen. Without feeling the fabric or looking at the finish, you are actually buying a pig in a poke, not really knowing what to expect when the shading system arrives in your home. Then the awakening is usually big, but at least the sun protection was cheap.
Some sellers on Ebay, Amazon & Co. have even created certificates and test seals that don’t even exist. This means that you are being fraudulently deceived here. But how is a layman supposed to get through when you see again and again that many seals of approval are worth nothing. But even the great photos that can be found with the products say nothing. They usually deviate significantly from reality.
How some online retailers trick
If you want to buy a high-quality and really good awning, you will of course start researching it on the Internet. On the one hand, local specialist dealers are sought, but on the other hand there are also cheap models. Of course, there is also the problem that a layman finds it really difficult to distinguish between a high-quality folding arm awning and an inferior one. It is therefore particularly important to look at the awnings on site so that you can get a feel for the fabric and the workmanship.
Because one thing should be clear to you. The online retailers that rank at the top of Google don’t have to be the best. Because the majority of Internet retailers deal with search engine marketing just so that you are listed at the top of the search page on Google. In order to explain this further, we would have to go very far. In short, there are legal tricks that ensure that a retailer appears in the first 10 search results on Google. Not because he’s that good, but simply because he’s hired companies that make sure he appears in the top 10 search engines.
The same applies to reviews of online retailers. Unfortunately, good ratings are increasingly being bought. For example, if you look at customer reviews, someone with a good grasp of the internet can quickly tell whether the reviews have been purchased or not. A layman, on the other hand, only sees very good customer reviews and believes them. A little tip on the side. Check out all the reviews. So how many good and how many bad reviews are there? Then they read a few of the bad reviews and can roughly estimate where the dealer’s problems lie. Overall, the good reviews should always outperform the bad reviews. Only then can you be reasonably sure that it is really good quality. There are even retailers that have a note in the package that says the customer will get a 50% refund if they leave a 5 star review. Therefore, you should also exercise caution with reviews.
Another indication of a cheap Chinese awning is the size. If the shop only offers you standard sizes, you can be sure that they do not produce them themselves. As a rule, you get the awnings with a width of 3 or 4 meters. You should also be careful with a projection that is around 1 meter less than the width. High-quality awnings usually have a projection that is only 50 cm shorter than the width of the awning. However, the maximum failure must also be considered. With articulated arm awnings, this is usually 4 meters, even if the awning has a width of 6 meters. The main concern here is safety, which is why a major failure is not possible.
How do you recognize a high-quality awning?
If you also have to buy an awning for your comfort area in the garden or for the balcony, you should pay attention to a few things so that you can enjoy the sun protection for a long time. Above all, it is important that you thoroughly examine the price-performance ratio. Because even very expensive awnings do not always have to be the best! With Asian imports, on the other hand, you will get a cheap awning, but the joy will not last long, as experience has shown.
Basically, you should make sure that the parts that are subject to heavy use, such as wall brackets and articulated arms, are made of very stable material. But the quality of the awning fabric and the workmanship are also essential quality features of a high-quality awning.
Awning checklist for high-quality sun protection
Of course it depends on your personal needs and requirements. You should therefore write down what is important to you when using the awning. In addition to the size of the awning or the area that the awning should cover, make a note of what rain properties the sun protection should have. There are now coatings with Teflon or Scotchgard that can withstand short rains well. You also get special fabrics that are waterproof up to a water column of up to 800 mm. Another point is the drive of the awning. Should the shading system be operated by hand and crank or do you prefer the convenience of an electric motor? Furthermore, it is also possible to control the awning by remote control or by app while on the go.
Quality features for high-quality awnings
High-quality awnings are characterized by various quality features.
- Solid articulated arms: The articulated arms of the articulated arm awning not only stretch the awning fabric, they also hold it. So they have an important role. Very high stability and abrasion resistance are therefore important. For this reason, the articulated arms of the articulated arm awning should be made of extruded aluminum. They withstand wind without any problems and do not bend like cheap materials. In addition, the rod-pressed BUG aluminum profiles have a long service life.
- Cable or chain model: The so-called leaf chain or the built-in steel cables are responsible for tensioning the springs in the articulated arms. You push the extension model outwards and can thus tighten the awning fabric perfectly. However, they are also exposed to constant pressure and rubbing, which is why they have to be of particularly high quality.
- Solid wall bracket: The wall bracket is particularly important, as this is the only way to ensure the safety of the awning. If you use the wrong wall bracket, the worst that can happen is that the awning falls off the facade and possibly seriously injures someone. In the case of cheap awnings in particular, the wall bracket is not matched to the facade. If you buy the awning from a specialist retailer, they will usually ask you what material the facade is made of. So he can choose the appropriate wall brackets for the awning.
The quality of the awning fabric
There are many differences in the awning fabric that should not be underestimated. On the one hand, it is not just the cloth itself that is important here, but also the processing. Basically, it also depends on what wishes and needs you have in order to find the right towel for you. At specialist dealers you usually have a choice of different cloths. At the discounter, on the other hand, you have to take what you can get.
The quality and processing of the awning fabric is decisive for the service life. As a rule, you will receive solution-dyed acrylic fabrics that are already colored during the production process. Not only do they have bright colors, they are also extremely light and have a permanent light and weather resistance and dry very quickly. In addition, they are very resistant, which means that moisture, UV radiation and wind cannot harm the awning fabric. Furthermore, these awning fabrics also offer UV protection 50+ under the awning. Discounter awnings rarely have UV protection 50+ – if they have one at all.
Opt for awnings from Metallbau Görres GmbH
We at Metallbau Görres GmbH combine everything you need for a high-quality awning. Our decades of experience in awning production, constant further training, the innovation of the latest materials as well as individual customer requests make us an awning specialist dealer. You will find everything your heart desires with us.
We are not only a specialist retailer, but also a manufacturer of awnings and an online retailer with our own online shop. Of course you can also visit us in the Eifel and take a look at the high-quality awnings in our showroom. Do you need advice? Then don’t hesitate to contact us. We can be reached by email or phone and will be happy to help you choose the awning that is tailored to your needs.