The slide-on-wire canopy, or sliding Roman shade, is a simple and cost-effective way to provide residential and commercial shade. Restaurants are expanding their dining space while providing a comfortable place for their customers to share a meal. Homeowners are also enjoying a relief from the sun and adding style to their backyards.
A slide-on-wire canopy is a shade structure made of fabric attached at regular intervals between two parallel wires. These wires or cables are attached to a frame, poles, or a building. This simple canopy can be extended and retracted by hand, with a wand, or rope and pulley. Slide-on-wire canopies can also be fully motorized. Either way, it gives restaurant owners and homeowners the ultimate flexibility and protection from the sun. Its pared down design
offers a sleek aesthetic that complements a wide variety of architectural styles.
Trivantage has all the materials needed to create a slide-on-wire canopy. Let's review how it's done. Start by selecting the fabric because this is where you can truly customize the look of the canopy for your customer. Block the sun with a woven fabric such as Sunbrella, or diffuse the light with open weave fabrics including AwnTex, Phifertex, Soltis Horizon 86, Soltis Perform 82, or a knitted HDPE fabric like SolaMesh. Color options are nearly endless,
allowing your customer to give their outdoor seating area a distinctive look. Create color blocks by alternating colors on each panel or go monochrome. Stripes can also create a festive atmosphere. Consider adding a vertical fabric curtain to one end of the structure to block early morning or late afternoon sunshine. This curtain can also be used to extend or retract the canopy.
Next comes the hardware that gives the fabric panels structure and movement. Trivantage carries all the hardware you need to install a slide-on-wire canopy. We have eye bolts, rope clamps, turnbuckles, eye straps or pad eyes, snap hooks, spring hooks, pulleys, and even wire rope. Our SolaMesh hardware collection is made from durable type 316 stainless steel. Battens are sewn into the fabric panels at regular intervals. Battens can be made from a variety of
materials including metal tubing. One method used is to attach a pad eye or eye strap to the top of the batten aligned with the wire rope. Use a snap hook, spring hook, or a pulley to connect the panel to the wire guides. Snap hooks and spring hooks enable the panels to be easily removed for cleaning, storage, or replacement.
The support structure for the canopy can be something that you create such as a pergola, or wood or metal frame. Or, it can be attached to existing structures such as a building wall and a parallel courtyard wall, or even in between two buildings. To create the wire guides, you need to have eye bolts or other anchor point hardware, wire rope, rope clamps, and turnbuckles. First, screw the eye bolts into the structure. Run the wire rope through the eye bolts
and tension it with the turnbuckle. The rope should be tensioned enough to prevent the fabric panels from drooping. Add pitch to the left or right to allow rainwater to run off the fabric. This is particularly important for panels made with Sunbrella or vinyl, but isn't necessary for panels made of mesh. Some will also install a grommet in the panel to allow water to flow through.
Note that this type of canopy is only intended for sheltering people from harmful UV rays. It should not be used for rain protection or in high wind or snowy conditions. For winter or off season, remove and clean your panels and store them in a dry place. Also, maintain your turnbuckles with an anti-seize lubricant. Contact your Trivantage representative for advice on how to add slide-on-wire canopies to your shade solutions offering.
