How to maintain your canopy all year round
Proper maintenance of your canopy is essential for keeping these structures safe and smart-looking all year round. Equally, as with anything else, adequate care will prolong the lifespan of your structure.
What’s more, regular attention tackles small problems before they become expensive or even impossible to put right. The good news, however, is that the routine tasks are not difficult, so your caretaking or maintenance team should be able to tackle them easily.
Here are our top tips for maintaining your canopy throughout the year:
Clean gutters
If you do this regularly, the job doesn’t take too long – plus it will be well worth it. A blocked gutter won’t drain properly, leading to a buildup of stagnant water or causing leaks. The best times of year to clear gutters are towards the end of autumn (perhaps during the October half-term break) or at the start of spring (possibly during the February half-term or Easter holidays).
Check the roof of your canopy
As well as the guttering, keep an eye on the roof of your canopy so that debris including twigs and leaves don’t build up. With school canopies, toys or balls can sometimes end up on the roof, too!
Clean our grates and drains under drainpipes
This is best done ahead of or during the wetter times of year – i.e. winter and autumn. Brush away leaves, mud, twigs and any other debris. This will help to prevent excess water on the playground which can be dangerous for children.
Clear the roof in snowy conditions
The UK gets on average 23.7 days of snowfall or sleet annually. Clearly much will depend on where you, your school or other organisation is based in the country. But if you do have some of the white stuff, clear it from the roof of your canopy. These structures will withstand the weight of the snow, but you won’t want it falling on anyone walking underneath.
Keeping roofs clear of leaves
Obviously, this will be more of an issue during the autumn term. Leaves and other debris building up on a canopy roof make it dirty, encourage moss and mould growth and can obscure light levels underneath. Not only that, but a build-up can prevent run-off of water, ice or even snow. Sticks, seeds and other plant-based debris will also need to be removed, as does any moss which has started to grow.
Cleaning your canopy
Do this a couple of times a year, taking care first to remove things like play equipment or furniture. This job is best done when staff and pupils are not around, but otherwise section off the area.
Use a solution of warm water plus a mild cleaning detergent. (A regular household product like washing-up liquid is absolutely fine – you don’t need specialist products.) With a long handled brush, clean the canopy roof – or consider a pressure washer for heavy leaf mould or staining. Finish off by hosing down before leaving to air-dry.
Make sure you access the roof safely, using a long handled brush or pressure washer if possible instead of getting onto the roof.
Note – if you have a clear polycarbonate roof, a soft brush is recommended for cleaning to avoid unnecessary scratches.
Talk to us at Kensington Systems if you have any queries about canopy cleaning or maintenance.
