How to make your awning last longer
The only sacrifice you have to make is a couple of minutes of reading now, and a couple of hours of maintenance once a year.
It pays to look after your poles and the canvas. Various studies and tests conducted by the Isabella factory over the last few years have clearly shown that proper maintenance can add years to the life of your awning. Campers who spend a lot of time at campsites by the sea or in wooded areas are most likely to experience problems with their awnings.
Maintain impregnation by washing your awning frequently
The problems usually involve leaks, which in many cases are caused by improper or inadequate maintenance. Wind carrying salt (sea spray) blows off the sea, depositing salt on your canvas. Salt binds the moisture in the air. Then slowly but surely, this process breaks down your awning’s impregnation. Air pollution, pollen and excrement from insects and birds can also degrade the impregnation if left to settle on the canvas. That’s why it’s very important to make sure you keep your awning clean by washing it frequently.
Don’t use spray cans inside the awning
Propellant gas from aerosols (spray cans) is as harmful to your awning’s impregnation as it is to the ozone layer. Both break down over time. So stop for a moment and reconsider when buying hairspray, deodorant, anti-mosquito spray and so on – the latter in particular is something that many people have probably tried to apply at the entrance to their awnings.
Prevent creases in your window film
Window film is a high-tech product that has to be easy to pack away while also remaining transparent. Isabella uses top-quality window film from the world’s leading manufacturer. We now use barium/zinc to replace the plasticiser barium/cadmium, which contains a heavy metal and is now prohibited for environmental reasons. Unfortunately, this alters the structure of our film so you may find that “opacity” occurs and creases appear more clearly than they used to. A a kind of tiny “wound” occurs in the film in some of these double folds. This is impossible to avoid at the moment, but Isabella guarantees use of a film that meets our durability requirements in general, is UV-resistant and is able to withstand temperatures between -25 and +60°C.
Creases and folds can be prevented by hanging up your window sections in a warm place (above a radiator – but without touching it) for a couple of days before using your awning for the first time after storing it folded up for any length of time. If you have an awning type with a reversible curtain system, it’s important to remove the small curtain holders before packing the awning away so as to prevent damage to your windows.
If you have any more questions, please get in touch with the Isabella Service Centre.