Can Commercial Awning Heating and Lighting Extend the Outdoor Trading Season?

During summer, customers may naturally choose an outside table. As autumn approaches, the same terrace can become darker and less comfortable much earlier in the evening.

For pubs, cafés, restaurants and hotels, that can mean usable seating being left empty even when conditions are otherwise reasonable.

A commercial awning fitted with integrated lighting and appropriately positioned infrared heating can help an outdoor area remain welcoming for longer. The best results, however, come when these features are considered as part of the original specification rather than added as an afterthought. https://www.shademsolutions.co.uk/Commercial-Awnings/

Why Plan Before the Awning Is Installed?

Adding heating and lighting affects more than the appearance of the finished awning.

The project may need suitable electrical provision, agreed control positions and careful consideration of where heaters will be most effective. The awning dimensions, seating layout and mounting positions can all influence the final specification.

Planning early also helps the contractor coordinate the awning with signage, external lighting, doors, windows and other elements of the building frontage.

For a new hospitality development or refurbishment, this can avoid visible cabling and difficult compromises during installation.

Integrated LED Awning Lighting

As daylight hours shorten, good lighting becomes essential to the atmosphere and practicality of an outdoor seating area.

Shadem Solutions offers adjustable LED lighting integrated into the awning arms. This creates a neat finish without relying entirely on separate wall-mounted fittings or temporary lighting. https://www.shademsolutions.co.uk/Heating-Lighting/

Integrated lighting can help:

Illuminate tables and customer areas Create a warmer evening atmosphere Improve the appearance of a terrace from the street Encourage customers to use outdoor seating later Keep the installation clean and coordinated

The lighting can be dimmed, allowing the level to be adjusted according to the venue and time of evening.

Targeted Infrared Heating

Infrared heaters provide directed warmth to people and surfaces rather than relying solely on warming the surrounding air.

For exposed commercial areas, correct positioning is important. The size of the seating area, heater location and intended use should all be considered when specifying the installation.

Shadem’s weatherproof infrared heaters include a safety guard and a swivel mounting bracket, allowing the heat to be directed towards the required area.

Heating will not turn a retractable awning into a fully enclosed winter room. It can, however, make cooler spring and autumn evenings more comfortable and help a venue use its available space on more occasions.

A More Inviting Commercial Exterior

Heating and lighting are not only practical additions.

A softly illuminated awning can make a pub, restaurant or café look more welcoming from the road or pavement. Combined with suitable fabric colours and signwriting, the awning becomes part of the venue’s evening presentation as well as its daytime shading.

Manufactured for Trade Projects

Shadem Solutions manufactures bespoke commercial awnings at its Birmingham factory for trade customers across the UK.

Options include made-to-measure awnings, integrated LED lighting, weatherproof infrared heating, bespoke covers and in-house signwriting.

Planning a hospitality refurbishment or commercial outdoor seating project? https://www.shademsolutions.co.uk/Contact/