Outdoor covered areas are an ideal way to vary the setting for dining, recreation and socialising, but how do you go about finding the best shelter or canopy to suit your specific needs?  Here are some questions to help you get started...

We all know that providing a varied range of activities in care and other assisted living settings is crucial; The College of Occupational Therapists (2007) suggests that, “Care givers who identify care home residents’ special needs and personal preferences will provide appropriate activity choices regardless of age and/or diagnosis.... Activity needs to be integral to care and not seen as an optional extra.”  However, this isn’t always easy when everybody’s needs and preferences are different.

Will I be given the best advice?
Pre-planning is crucial to the success of your canopy project, and it isn’t always easy to decide on the best possible spot.  The right company will have extensive experience; they will listen to you to find out exactly what you are trying to achieve and give you guidance on the best size, shape and placement for your structure to guarantee the safety and well-being of those in your care.  They’ll also provide drawings and super-imposed photographs of the area if required, so you can be sure exactly how the finished product will look and have complete peace of mind.

The best canopies available should have safety features built in, and will have been assessed by independent structural engineers to comply with all the relevant building codes. They will also be designed and manufactured with long life and safety in mind, leaving you able to concentrate on those who matter most – your residents.

Obviously the harsh weather can be a problem, and so it’s imperative that your canopy not only stands up to the extremes of the British climate, but also offers you protection from it.

Will it last?
You should be able to buy a canopy confident in the knowledge that you’ve invested in a structure that will stand the test of time.  The company you choose should use the highest quality materials which, when combined with the standards of design that they offer, create superb outdoor shelters guaranteed to last for years. Some canopies on the market are manufactured using polycarbonate, which can become brittle and deteriorate over time, not to mention how it amplifies heat.  Advanced tensile membrane (a high-tech fabric) is fast becoming recognised as better value for money; it’s completely waterproof and provides shade.  Even better, the fabric is translucent and still lets light through so your canopy won’t be dark underneath.  You needn’t be worried about harmful UV rays, either – tensile membrane roofs act as a filter and give 100% protection.

Who installs it?
Although you would perhaps not expect it, many companies use external teams to put up their structures, and some even recommend that you employ a local builder.

Your canopy provider should be responsible for your project from your initial enquiry to installation and beyond.  Their installers should be experienced staff, fully trained to the highest standards of quality and safety.  It’s extremely important to providers of care that the people they allow onto their premises are safe to work in the presence of residents - that’s why all staff working for or on behalf of your canopy provider should be CRB-checked and carry identification.

Their installers should work hard to make sure that the installation of your canopy causes as little disruption to your routine as possible, and will always leave the site safe and tidy.

Will it require lots of maintenance?
When choosing your canopy it’s often easy to forget that some structures need to be maintained on a regular basis, which can be time-consuming and is something busy staff can do without.  For example, steel often needs repainting and polycarbonate is prone to a build-up of algae, whereas tensile membrane works like Teflon®, meaning that dirt and leaf matter will come away easily using  water and a soft cloth.

If you’d like to have your canopy cleaned in the months and years after installation, a maintenance agreement should be available.

What kind of after-sales service is offered?
The decision to buy a canopy shouldn’t end once you realise that the finished product is going to be suitable – you should also rest assured that the company supplying it values your custom and will stay in contact beyond installation.

All advisors should be available to answer questions and visit you whenever required, and it should be standard that they re-visit to ensure that you remain completely satisfied with the structure and its use.

Inside2Outside Ltd., are ‘The Canopy People’, and our years of experience mean that we can deliver on every aspect of the process of purchasing a canopy.  For more information on our Care2Cover canopies, or a free no-obligation site visit and quotation, please call 01480 498297 or visit www.inside2outside.co.uk/c2c