A full cassette retractable patio awning keeps the fabric and both folding arms inside a closed aluminium housing once it is wound in. That single detail is what separates it from a semi-cassette awning, where the arms stay out on the wall. One unit runs from 2.1 m to 7 m wide, with a projection between 1.5 m and 4 m depending on the width you choose.
What the cassette actually protects
On a semi-cassette, the housing covers the fabric roll and leaves the folding arms in the weather. A full cassette closes over both. If the awning stays mounted through winter, or your facade takes prevailing wind and rain, that gap decides how much grit, water and UV the arms and the fabric edge absorb each year. It also changes how the unit reads on the building, from a bundle of folded arms to a slim aluminium box.
Sizes: 2.1 m to 7 m wide, 1.5 m to 4 m projection
Each awning is built to one fixed width and one fixed projection, so the size on your order is the size you receive. The standard range in the gallery chart tops out at 6 m by 3.5 m. Wider and deeper units are made to order.
| Width | Projection options |
|---|---|
| 2.1 – 2.6 m (83 – 102 in) | 1.5 – 2.0 m (59 – 79 in) |
| 3 – 3.5 m (118 – 138 in) | 1.5 – 2.5 m (59 – 98 in) |
| 3.6 – 4 m (142 – 157 in) | 1.5 – 3.0 m (59 – 118 in) |
| 4.1 – 4.6 m (161 – 181 in) | 1.5 – 4.0 m (59 – 157 in) |
| 5 – 7 m (197 – 276 in) | 1.5 – 4.0 m (59 – 157 in) |
Not every width in a band pairs with every projection below it. The size dropdown holds the exact list for each width, in metres with the inch equivalent in brackets.
Fabric: standard acrylic or Sauleda
The standard acrylic covers solids and stripes coded SL-01 to SL-71, which handles most residential work. Sauleda acrylic from Spain is the upgrade. It is solution dyed, so the colour goes through the yarn rather than sitting on the surface, and it holds its shade better under hard afternoon sun. Choose it when the awning faces west or south with nothing in the way, or when you need a specific stripe or brand colour.
Wall mount or ceiling mount
A wall mounted cassette sits 277 mm deep and 185 mm tall against the facade. The ceiling version hangs from a soffit or balcony slab and adds bracket height, so plan for 277 mm and 210 mm below the fixing line. Which one you need comes down to where the solid fixing surface is, and whether there is clear space in front for the arms to run out.
Render, external insulation and thin cladding rarely hold the load on their own. Tell us what the wall is built from when you order and we will confirm the fixings before production.
Both ranges run on the same roller and the same tensioning, so the fabric choice does not change the cassette you get.
The motor sits inside the housing
Both folding arms are driven by a tubular motor mounted inside the cassette, which is why the unit opens and closes as one piece rather than by hand. The motor sits behind the same seal as the fabric, out of rain and dust.
If you want wall switching, a handset or wind automation, say so before production. Wiring is easier to plan once than to add to a finished wall.
Where it earns its place
Patios, courtyards, pool decks, villa terraces and shopfront seating all suit this format. The closed box works especially well on rendered and stone facades, where a bare set of folded arms would look unfinished.
If you want the roof over the whole terrace to open, a louvered pergola covers more ground and gives you a proper ceiling. On a balcony where wind and insects are the bigger problem, zip track outdoor blinds close the sides instead of the top.
