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Victorian awnings: traditional awnings with a modern twist.

5 Dec 2017

Morco have been manufacturing traditional awnings since 1956 and are now recognised as the leading supplier of these traditional style Victorian awnings, not only in the UK but, with our recent exports to the US and the Middle East, across the world. Our traditional manufacturing methods are complimented by the use of modern tooling and technology to ensure that, not only do these awnings meet the design criteria dictated by the original awning style, but the use of modern components, where appropriate, gives the product an enhanced integrity and greater life.

 The Victorian awning, is so titled as its popularity was first seen extensively in the latter half of the nineteenth century and is frequently featured in high street photographs of this era.  This style of awning, which we manufacture at our East London factory, was the standard form of shop blind before the introduction of folding arm awnings. This type of awning is still in daily use on our high streets;  a testament to the design and the materials used. This blind style is specified mainly for use on shops within conservation areas and other areas of special interest, although it can be fitted in any location.

Usually, the Victorian awning is supplied with arms and slides and occasionally with trellis extension arms however, when height is not an issue pivot or 'shoe' arms can be specified; these may be manually or electrically operated. The Victorian awnings featuring sliding side arms  are supplied with a pull down pole for operation. Those supplied with pivot arms can also be operated by gearbox in addition to the aforementioned remote control.

The Victorian awning on the manual system is wound on extremely strong helical spring roller which requires both strength and skill to assemble - this product is certainly not an awning to be manufactured by an unskilled hand. The rollers themselves are usually housed in specially constructed wooden blind boxes with wooden front laths of a raised panel or ogee profile. Our boxes are all made from seasoned, harvested hardwood and are painted with an environmentally friendly water based paint.

Blind boxes were originally fixed above the name fascia or entablature which  allowed for the blind cloth to be set at a steep angle giving a pleasing aspect to the blind, better ventilation and better weathering. However, today the tendency is for blind boxes to be fitted below the name fascia panel and consequently a much flatter blind is the result. This sometimes calls for the introduction of brass rainwater drain eyelets on the cover. Wherever possible, consideration should be given to positioning the blind box at the highest level.

The arms of our Victorian awnings are fabricated from mild steel and are the means of projecting the blind outwards from the face of the building to which it is attached. The slides are the means of adjustment in height between the required headroom and the position of the bottom of the blind arms when in repose. Our arms are powder coated to provide a smart finish and maximum resistance to weathering

All Morco awning fabrics, whilst having all the appearance of traditional canvas are, in fact, woven from polyester or acrylic yarns which are treated for UV and soil resistance. The fabrics can be decorated using our bespoke RAGS graphics system in any Pantone colour and to a customer's specific logo design. Full four-colour graphics are possible with this system. 

For more information please contact us on 020 8858 2083 and we will be delighted to provide you with more information on both availability and cost.

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Morco – The Commercial Awning Experts

Professional awning solutions for leading brands and businesses across the UK, Europe & worldwide. Call our sales team on 020 8858 2083 or enquire online