15 Jun A Guide To Outdoor Canopies

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An outdoor canopy is a great multi-use item that can be beneficial to a number of businesses, including workplaces, universities, schools, colleges and business parks, enabling them to make the most of their outdoor space. Every business or organisation will use their outdoor canopy differently, whether it be for garden parties, additional cover when teaching outdoors or simply providing a waterproof and sheltered structure for an outdoor area. One of the main reasons as to why people decide to purchase outdoor canopies is that that they can regenerate an outdoor area that previously may have been unused or had limited purpose. At Miko Engineering, we can help to transform previously unused areas into welcoming and comfortable areas that can be used all year round by the installation of an outdoor canopy of your choice to suit your home, business or organisation. Whether you want extra support and additional protection from extreme weather or greater use of an outside space, the installation of an outdoor canopy can repurpose your outdoor area and create a modern structure to be proud of.

What Are The Main Purposes Of Outdoor Canopies?

Provide An Outdoor Space

It may sound obvious, but by installing an outdoor canopy, you can create an additional outside space that may not have been used previously. A lot of the time, especially in the UK, we are limited as to what we can do outdoors due to often, unpredictable weather shall we say, and this can mean outdoor spaces are often unused and essentially a “waste of space”. A canopy, whilst still outdoors, is protected by a glass cover with a strong metal structure and can therefore allow you to be outdoors however still sheltered from extreme weather conditions.

Provide Shade And Shelter

Following on from the above point, there are specific weather-related purposes of outdoor canopies that are often very significant reasons as to why people do indeed purchase an outdoor canopy. Due to the frame and structure of an outdoor canopy, they offer both wind and rain protection which can be very beneficial for those wanting to maximise their outdoor space and still be protected from harsh weather conditions. They can also provide safe and sheltered walkways which may keep people covered from heavy rain and wind if they are walking in or out of a building. On the other hand, outdoor canopies can also provide people with protection from hot weather as they are often UV resistant which can be particularly useful on sunny days.

A Cool, Creative And Modern Design

Aside from the strictly practical and pragmatic uses of outdoor canopies, they are also a cool and creative structure that allow for a modern design, enabling the prolonged use of an outdoor space, whatever the weather may be! Similarly to how a gazebo is used, outdoor canopies can accommodate a number of people in an outdoor space whether that be in a social gathering, for educational purposes or simply to keep people protected from wind, rain or excessive sun. There are a wide variety of outdoor canopy designs available, nearly all of which have metal frames, side panels and a glass roof along the top of the structure. Whichever style of outdoor canopy you are after, we here at Miko provide a bespoke manufacturing and installation service, meaning your outdoor canopy can be tailored exactly how you want it to be, to fit whatever needs your business or organisation may have.

What Are The Different Types Of Outdoor Canopies?

Entrance Canopies

entrance canopies

An entrance canopy is a cost-effective way to boost the curb appeal of the front of your building, and is suitable for a number of different businesses.

Main uses of entrance canopies

Entrance canopies are an ideal solution for both commercial and residential buildings across the UK. At Miko, we have a wide variety of entrance canopies that help to create welcoming entrance areas that also add a stylish architectural feature to your building.

Benefits of entrance canopies

An entrance canopy offers protection from the elements all year round. Providing protection from the rain and snow in the autumn and winter months, and offers shade in the summer months, making it a great way to protect visitors and staff as they’re coming in and out of the building. By having an entrance canopy situated at the entrance of your building, it will be a clear indication that you are taking the wellbeing of both visitors and staff very seriously which will undoubtedly give off a very good impression to visitors and help maintain positive moral among those who work or regularly attend your building.

Covered Walkways

Covered walkways are a popular addition to a number of business premises, providing a shelter overhead of your building’s entrance or perimeter. Unlike entrance canopies, covered walkways are not exclusively located at the entry point of a building however they may also be located at any point of access whereby people may need to leave a building to access another part of the same building. This reiterates their importance as during times of bad weather, they play a vital part in keeping people dry and protected from rainfall and strong winds.

Main uses of covered walkways

Covered walkways are mainly used to connect separate buildings or provide access from a part one one building to another part, thus helping to optimise the day to day experience of both employees, staff and visitors. At Miko, we can install free-standing or wall mounted walkways depending on your requirements, and we have a number of different covered walkways available to suit your requirements, ranging from contemporary to classic styles in a mixture of materials.

Benefits of covered walkways

Having your walkways covered means that you won’t have to run from building to building during downpours of rain meaning you will no longer get battered by wind, or slip on potentially dangerous ice and snow. This ensures increased safety for those who will be travelling in and out of buildings as they will be sheltered from rainfall and any potentially dangerous weather.

Dining & Teaching Canopies

Dining and Teaching Canopies

Dining and teaching canopies are a great solution when schools can sometimes find themselves with inadequate room to fit all their students at break time, lunchtime and during lessons.

Main uses of dining and teaching canopies

Building onto the existing school brickwork is expensive and takes time, but Miko’s enclosed outdoor dining canopies are considerably cheaper and take less time.

Benefits of dining and teaching canopies

Schools can benefit hugely from dining and teaching canopies as they enable children to both eat and learn outdoors, come rain or shine. A school canopy from Miko can include lighting, and electricity points!

Playground Canopies

playground canopies

A playground canopy can have a variety of uses from a simple covered play area to a large outdoor classroom, providing shelter for outdoor and garden furniture.

Main uses of playground canopies

Playgrounds are a great place until it starts raining heavily! Miko has a range of outdoor metal canopies for playgrounds, which offer protection against UV rays, heavy rain, covered play, or can facilitate a learning space on the school playground.

Benefits of playground canopies

Playground canopies for schools also double up as outdoor teaching canopies as the fully enclosed canopies can include electrical points for bringing teaching outside and can be used all year round, whatever the weather.

Our range of playground shelter options can be made to your specifications in a wide range of colours and finishes to ensure your play areas are a pleasant place for children and pupils to roam.

Shade Sail Canopies

The main purpose of a shade sail is to provide protection from the harmful UV rays of the sun, which can lead to skin diseases and skin cancer.

Main uses of shade sail canopies

Shade sail canopies are hugely popular in schools, colleges, universities, workplaces and business parks alike. The shade sail material is the same that is used in actual sailing boats, and is extremely hard-wearing, offering both UV protection and water resistant shade cloth.

Benefits of shade sail canopies

By combining your sun shade with picnic tables and other outdoor furniture you can transform your outdoor space into an open social space whilst remaining more sheltered from the elements and boasting sun protection.

Social Distancing Covered Walkways

With social distancing likely to be implemented for the foreseeable future, covered walkways are becoming an essential item, alongside protection screens.

Main uses of social distancing covered walkways

These types of walkways are perfect for businesses that require customers to queue outside, such as supermarkets and other retail stores.

Benefits of social distancing covered walkways

Covered walkways can be used to help implement social distancing measures, such as queuing systems. These allow a distanced flow of customers, which consequently decreases the risk of the virus spreading. By having social distancing covered walkways, customers or visitors to a store or building will be protected and sheltered from any harsh weather conditions whilst still being able to maintain social distancing.

Find out more about outdoor canopies

For more information on outdoor canopies for schools and businesses, check out our other canopy blogs:

How can Miko help?

We recognise that no premises is the same as another. Each will have different budgets and available space for outdoor canopies, but Miko can provide a bespoke solution for everyone. All of Miko Engineering’s canopies and shelters are designed and manufactured in the UK, this helps offer the maximum amount of personalisation and style with the best installation solution available.

Interested in finding out more?

Contact the team today!

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