The main factor for the canvas for your awning, it\'s to choose to do in PVC, because will be light and malleable. 

Between their advantages we have the following ones: 

- It\'s resistant to the UV rays 

- Allows any color 

- They possess some protection coatings, as the following: 

--- Not to allow the fire propagation 

--- With blockade against UV rays (with great resistance against the effects of the ultraviolet rays that discolour along the time) 

--- Fungicides (addictive that avoid the formation of mould and stains) 

--- Non oxidizer, to avoid the appearance of iron stains

--- Addictive to avoid negative effects to the aesthetics and the brightness, that could damage the coating and to reduce the useful life of the canvas) 

--- A varnish layer or lacquer in the coating (the varnish is not only designated for protection of the canvas from the UV rays, but also improves the self-cleaning characteristics; one of the used material for that is the Tedlar). 

If you choose the canvas of your awning taking the above suggestions, certainly you will have an awning with excellent useful life, allowing the change of the canvas to be in a much larger period than the standard one. 

To improve the useful life of the canvas of your awning, we suggested that the canvas cleaning to be in every 3 or 4 weeks and using a neutral detergent. 

Those two decisions - A good choice of the canvas type - Cleaning of the awning at each 3 or 4 weeks will give you a very larger useful life for your awning. 

About the Author: 

Carlos Mello is the Director of Arquitetoldos, an awnings manufacturing company. See the sites http://www.amx.com.br/toldos and  http://toldos-toldo-coberturas-aluguel-dias-rio-de-janeiro-recreio.us .