Premium Acrylic Fabrics
Dickson Orchestra woven acrylic is the canopy fabric on our folding arm and pivot arm awnings: a soft canvas look, colour that lasts in strong sun, and a finish that sheds a passing shower.
Why we use acrylic on awnings
An awning canopy lives a harder life than a vertical blind. It faces the sky all day, it's stretched tight across the arms, and it gets rained on. We make our folding arm and pivot arm awnings from Dickson Orchestra, a woven acrylic canvas that handles that job well.
Because the fibres are solution-dyed, the colour is part of the fibre itself, which is why these fabrics keep their colour so much longer than printed canvas. The weave also breathes, so heat doesn't build up under the awning the way it can under a solid sheet, and it has a soft, matte finish that suits both modern and older homes.
Choosing a colour for Noosa light
Light colours bounce more heat away and make the area underneath feel bright, but they show dirt and the odd mould spot sooner. Darker colours give deeper shade and hide marks well, though they soften slightly over the years on a hard western exposure.
Style matters too. Classic stripes look right on a Tewantin Queenslander or a heritage cottage in Cooroy. Plain charcoal, sand and white suit the rendered and timber-clad homes you see around Sunshine Beach and Peregian. We'll bring the book of samples so you can hold them up against your walls and roof.
Acrylic in salt air and humidity
Salt and humidity don't hurt acrylic much on their own. Problems start when salty grime is left on the canopy and then rolled up damp, which gives mould something to live on. On beachfront homes we often recommend a full cassette folding arm awning: when it's retracted, the fabric and arms tuck inside an aluminium box, out of the salt spray and the sun.
Caring for an acrylic awning
Brush off leaves and dry dirt first, then rinse the canopy with fresh water. For stubborn marks, use a soft brush and mild soapy water, rinse well, and leave the awning out until it's completely dry. Skip bleach, solvents and pressure washers: they strip the water-repellent finish. A quick rinse every couple of months keeps most awnings near the coast looking good.
Where we use it
Dickson acrylic is the standard canopy on our retractable awnings. For vertical blinds that need to keep a view, see our mesh outdoor blinds, and for full weather protection on a deck, our clear PVC café blinds.
The Dickson colour range
Dickson Orchestra Collection
Frequently Asked Questions
Is acrylic awning fabric waterproof?
It's water-repellent rather than waterproof. A light shower beads off, but in steady rain water can pool on the canopy and strain the arms, so retract the awning or lower its pitch when rain sets in.
Will the colour fade in the Noosa sun?
Dickson Orchestra is solution-dyed, meaning the colour runs right through each fibre rather than sitting on the surface, so it holds up well in strong sun. All fabrics soften a little over the years, and darker colours show that most on a north- or west-facing awning.
Can I retract my awning while it's wet?
You can if you have to, but open it again to dry fully as soon as the weather clears. An acrylic canopy left rolled up damp for days is the most common cause of mould spots in humid summers.
Which awnings use acrylic fabric?
We use it on folding arm awnings, pivot arm awnings and fixed canopies. Vertical drop awnings can be made in acrylic or in mesh, depending on whether you want a solid canvas look or a view through the fabric.
Related pages
Choosing an awning colour?
We'll bring the Dickson sample book to your free measure and quote so you can see every colour against your own home.