If you are looking at buying a Patio Awning you will find that there are several different types of Awning designs to choose from. Primarily these can be broken down into four main types.

Full Cassette Awnings

A fully cassetted Patio Awning is generally the most expensive Awning type that you can buy. A full cassette Patio Awning means that when the Awning is not in use, the fabric and arms and mechanisms all retract back into a sealed unit. When closed you are not able to see any of these parts. The benefit of choosing a full cassette Patio Awning is twofold. One reason is that the Awning will be protected from the elements far better than any other Awning type so it will look brand new each time you come to operate it. The second reason is that  full cassette Patio Awnings generally will look far more stylish on your property and generally will impress anyone looking at it far more!

These Patio Awnings need to be designed really well to ensure that the components of the awning sit snugly together without causing any complications. Combined with the fact that there is much more aluminium required to make a full cassette Awning you will obviously expect that the cost will be greater than some of the more basic models.

Semi Cassette Awning

The semi cassetted Patio Awning brings a happy medium to those who are looking for a quality product that will be protected from the elements but do not want to spend the amount that a full cassette Awning would set them back.

As the name suggests,  semi cassette Awnings have a partial cassette that covers the top section of the Awning. This generally means that looking form the underside of the Awning, you will see the arms and a small amount of fabric.

The semi cassette generally does a really good job of keeping the Awning looking great when not in use. There really are some lovely semi cassetted Patio Awnings on the market and it may well be worth a look even if you are expecting the best of the best.

As less aluminium of metalwork is used in building the Awning frame you will expect to pay less than a full cassette Awning.

The Standard Awning

The standard Awning is similar to the semi cassette Awning. It has a cover on the top and the arms and fabric will be visible from the underside of the Awning. As this is not a cassetted Awning, rather than the components locking and sealing together when closed, it is common for there to be gabs around the edges of the front bar meaning that you can still see parts of the fabric from the front.

Everything is still pretty protected though it is quote easy for wind and rain to get into the Awning and depending on your location this could mean that the front of the fabric will need cleaning more often than having a semi or full cassette model.

Generally the standard awning will be significantly cheaper than the previous types mentioned as the design is simple and less components are used to achieve the end result. It is the perfect Patio Awning solution for those who just need shade and cover and are not so worried about style.

Open Awnings

These are similar to the standard Awnings except they do not have a cover at all. If you are installing the awning under a soffit or similar then this is certainly the most cost effective model types.  The obvious negative about this awning type is it has zero fabric and mechanism protection. If it is installed outdoors with no cover then it will get dirty and, whilst serving a practical purpose, may end up not looking that attractive.