Awnings Provide Shade While New Trees Grow – Playground and outdoor living spaces need shade now

July 5, 2011 - PRLog -- ROSEVILLE, MINN (July 5, 2011) – It is well documented that exposure to extreme heat and the hot summer sun can result in heat stroke and skin cancer. Recently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated specific information appear on sunscreen labels to ensure consumers could get the proper layer of sunscreen protection. USA Today ran an article, “Shade: A weapon against skin cancer, childhood obesity,” about providing shade on playgrounds so children were protected from harmful UV rays and remained active on hot summer days, which helps reduce obesity .

A traditional solution for providing shade is to plant trees. Trees provide a long term and natural solution for shade at playgrounds, parks, public spaces and residential back yards. Landscape architects and urban developers frequently and purposefully design trees into their plans. However some trees take years to mature, and some tree species are vulnerable to infestations such as ash borer and Dutch elm disease.  Meanwhile the need for shade is immediate and ongoing.  

“The speed at which trees mature varies by region, amount of water, type of tree, size at planting, and so on,” says Adam Regn Arvidson, an American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) member and sole proprietor of Treeline, a Minneapolis landscape architecture consulting firm specializing in sustainable landscapes. “A tree planted at 5" caliper (about the maximum size for nursery stock) will have meaningful shade right now; while some might argue that a tree like honey locust never produces deep shade, like other ‘shade trees’ do.”

Trees also need ongoing maintenance. Deciduous trees near wading and swimming pools, for example, make it necessary to remove leaves from the pools, particularly at certain times of the year. And in some cases, trees aren’t the best solution for the space. An attractive alternative for creating shade immediately for playgrounds and outdoor living spaces is to install fabric awnings and canopies.

“Every landscape design needs to be looked at individually”says Arvidson. “ If trees aren’t appropriate because of space or maintenance requirements, awnings are a good alternative.  Awnings can provide shade in smaller spaces or while trees grow. Trees and awnings can work together to create a total solution for providing necessary shade for play areas and pools.”
From a conservation landscaping perspective, awnings contribute to sustainability; placed on or near a home, awnings and canopies can reduce energy consumption for cooling by 25 percent in some climates.

Awnings have the additional benefit of being versatile. “Children like fun and colorful play spaces.” states Michelle Sahlin, Managing Director of the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA), “Not only do awnings and canopies provide shade over patios, decks and playgrounds, they can also be designed in creative shapes using a wide array of colors and patterns, making outdoor spaces aesthetically pleasing and colorful.”

About IFAI
The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) is a not-for-profit trade association with more than 2,000 member companies representing the international specialty fabrics marketplace. Member companies range in size form one-person shops to multinational corporations. Members’ products span the entire spectrum of the specialty fabrics industry, from fiber and fabric suppliers to manufacturers of end products, equipment and hardware.

About PAMA
The Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA), a division of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), is the only international trade association committed to the awning industry. PAMA membership is open to companies who are current members of IFAI and manufacture or sell awnings as well as those who supply goods/services to the awning industry.

PAMA’s website http://www.awninginfo.com focuses on association members and the education of consumers and commercial end users about awnings and awning benefits.

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The Professional Awning Manufacturers Association is a division of Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) and is the only international trade association committed to the awning industry.