Guide To Choosing The Correct Canopy Solution For You

Selecting the correct canopy

Selecting the correct canopy solution for your School or Business can be a time consuming prospect with so many different options to choose, from the size and construction to the overall style and look. Other important factors to consider are the type of roofing you require, and colour of the canopy. That’s why Canopies by Acer have put this simple guide together to help you choose the correct canopy, and most importantly help make your life a little easier by giving you a helping hand with the decision, by putting all the information you need into this simple guide to help you to choose the right canopy for you.

Construction

All of our canopies are constructed from Steel, due to it being, strong and robust, it can also be galvanised for ultimate corrosion protection from all the elements. The steelwork can also be powder coated to a RAL colour of your choice enabling the structure to fit in with your school colours or building.

Roof Materials

Selecting the correct roofing option is just as important as the design of the frame work, as it affects the overall look and functionality of your canopy.

PET – Roof panels are the most popular choice for our canopies due to their UV properties and durability. The panels can be supplied in various thicknesses from 4mm up to 10mm; PET also has high impact resistance and can be cut to almost any shape and size. The panels are easily maintained and do not yellow over time, they can be supplied in various colours, Clear, Opaque, smoked and can also be supplied with a vinyl wrap.

Polycarbonate – Roof panels are a cost effective roofing solution for your canopy, they can be supplied in various thickness, but panels can only be cut to certain sizes, and only used on certain roof styles.

Glass – roof panels add a high quality finish to your canopy, and also bring a classic yet contemporary look. All of our panels are 10mm toughened glass, and can be supplied in a clear or smoked finish.

Roof style

The style of roof that you choose for your canopy is very important, as this is the stand out feature that people will notice about your canopy. Each roof style has its own unique features, some are designed to fit in with existing buildings, and others are a state of the art design to make your canopy stand out.  The overall design of your canopy can only be decided by yourself, and will be something that needs to be discussed with all decision makers before being confirmed.

Mono Pitched – is a popular choice, its simple design will fit in with almost any building or environment, its design gives a cost effective option and allows for easy maintenance.

Apex – Style canopies are suitable with all types of building and environments, but are best suited when used with older style buildings with an existing apex roof. The sloping panels are easily cleaned and are a cost effective roof design.

Curved – roofs are a more modern design, allowing for larger span canopies, domed canopies will be fit in in almost any environment. Whether your existing buildings have pitched or domed roofs the canopy will blend in.

Mono Curved – roof canopies stand out when installed with a contemporary building, they can help make any entrance stand out. Mono curved roofs are a cost effective solution that can be easily maintained.

Wave – The wave roof design is our most modern design for a canopy, the elegant sweeping roof will make any building stand out, the design of the roof ensure all rain water drains off correctly into the attached guttering and  the maintenance of the your canopy remains cost effective.

Canopy size & Design

Choosing the correct canopy design will be dictated by the size of the area available, the building you hope to compliment, and the purpose of the canopy, each style of canopy will be suited to different areas depending on the size.  We also offer a bespoke canopies service to fabricate a tailor made product to suit your needs, your canopy can be made to whatever shape and size you require, and our design team will work with you to design the correct solution for you.

Finishes

Choosing the correct finish for your canopy is an important decision, as it will affect the look and the longevity of your canopy, we always suggest that you have your canopy galvanised and then powder coated. Galvanising is an industrial finish that is a corrosion protective coating, which is ideal in coastal areas. The galvanising itself is a dull silver finish.  Having your canopy powder coated to suit your building or schools colours will complement the overall look of your canopy and building; we have a standard colour chart for the powder coating but can also offer a full range of BS & RAL colours.

Quality

The quality and value for money from your canopy is the most important aspect to take into account, always check what material the canopy will be made from, and the life expectancy. All of our products are fabricated from the highest specification material to suit your canopy design. All of our canopies, including our bespoke structures, are design to meet the required levels of wind and snow loadings specific to your area.

Ordering your canopy

Once you have decided on the design of your canopy, you have a few more steps to follow to ensure the purchase and installation of your canopy run as smoothly as possible.  Below is a simple guide of the steps we suggest you take before ordering your canopy.

• Site Survey – We always suggest that you get a site survey conducted before you make your decision on the canopy type and style of canopy that you want, the survey will allow you to see were the canopy will be installed and how it will look on site, it will also let you see any issues, for example positions of posts with doors or windows being blocked and we can advise on whether an underground services report will be required, Canopies by Acer offer a free site survey for all of our customers.
• Planning Permission – Before progressing your enquiry further, we suggest that you check with local council to see if you require planning permission for your canopy. Check with the council that there are no special requirements for the canopy, i.e. canopy can only be to a certain height and size.
• Quotation – Once you have had your site survey completed and your quotation sent to you,   you may like to request quotes from other suppliers so that you can compare costs and specifications each company is offering to supply.
• Placing your Order – Once you are happy with the cost and the design of your canopy, and are ready to order with us, all that we require from yourselves is a purchase order and we will then send over the required paper work to confirm your order. At this point we assign a dedicated project manager to keep you informed of every step of the process from start to finish.
• Drawing Approval – Once your order has been confirmed we will send over a technical drawing of your canopy for your approval, once we have received confirmation that the drawing has been approved we can then put your canopy into production. Now the canopy is in production, we can arrange the installation date and issue the relevant Risk Assessment & Method Statement.
• Installation – Your project manager will confirm the installation schedule and book the delivery of the canopy based on what suits you best as well as coordinate the site team.  We will ensure we cause the least disruption on site as possible, and always adhere to all Health & Safety guidelines whilst working on site.
• Completion – Once your installation has been completed, the site team will clear the area of all debris and ensure the canopy and surrounding area has been cleaned down. They will test the guttering and down pipes to ensure they work correctly, and then ask you to complete a sign off certificate for the installation.