Canopies & Tarps

Canopies and other covers have been used for many purposes, including providing shelter for car and other vehicles. However important this is, canopies are primarily used to provide covering for people who need to be protected from the effects of weather, be it good or bad. Party canopies are very popular, especially in the summer, when the heat from the sun can be too much to handle. Businesses use canopies for many reasons, including advertising and also for setting up seating areas.

This is the case with the Frosty Boy ice cream stand in Adrian, Michigan, according to The Daily Telegram. A recent ruling has allowed the stand to put up five such canopies to provide more covered seating for patrons:

“According to a sketch submitted as part of the variance application, the canopied areas would be at the northwest and southeast corners of the Frosty Boy lot.The five variances were for setback and landscape requirements, the canopies’ closeness to the main building, the fact that the canopies will not be in the rear of the building and because the canopies each will cover more than 100 square feet.”

The article says that Frosty Boy will be able to double its seating with this ruling from the Adrian Zoning Board of Appeals. Once erected, the frames of the canopy will be permanent and the canvas coverings will be seasonal and taken down during colder months.

This story points out how important it is to check your local area’s zoning laws and other statutes. In a lot of cases, you may need a permit or other type of permission from your Town Hall. If you are thinking about putting up a canopy, carport or other temporary structure at your home, make sure you call town officials to find out what you need to do.

Canopy design, at its base level, is pretty standard and hasn’t changed too much over the years. The primary function of canopies – keeping areas covered from the effects of weather – has continued to be the major purpose of these useful products. Over the years, the materials have changed, making canopies even sturdier and more resistant to wind, rain and other adverse weather conditions. This has extended to canopy accessories that aid in keeping your canopies secure and tight, like anchors. As development of canopies and awnings continues, how are canopies being used as both a useful item and as a design feature?

One airport in Alabama is looking at this issue head on with a major canopy construction project that will add ‘sweeping canopies’ to a major airport. According to AL.com:

“Mobile Regional Airport is getting a facelift that likely will remind travelers of the downtown skyline. The Airport Authority plans to install sweeping canopies along the front of the building that are made from the same pipe-and-plastic-covering material used in front of the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel on Royal Street in downtown Mobile.”

This is one of the first instances I’ve heard of where a city’s architecture inspires the construction of a new façade miles away. However, this is not the only reason the $2.9 million project has been green-lit, the article says:

“The project goals, according to airport officials, are to protect the existing limestone facade from the elements, to better protect airport patrons from inclement weather and to modernize the building’s exterior.”

These canopies will also provide a design element, with LED lights that the airport will be able to control by changing colors and style. Think of the Empire State Building’s lights, which go green and red during the holiday season. How have you seen canopies used in a stylized way?

Zoning laws are a major part of any enclosed canopy or carport installation project, especially if you are thinking about putting one up at your home. In a lot of cases, your town’s standards may require a permit for a carport or other type of portable structure. This is also true of urban areas as well – in particular, downtown areas with shopping, dining and entertainment. When decisions are made about installations, these laws also affect those businesses as well.

In Davison, MI, officials are currently thinking about a new plan that would force a decision about the removal of canopies in a downtown area. According to an article in MLive, an April deadline is looming:

“The city has until April to submit its downtown street resurfacing plan if it wants to qualify for $600,000 in state funds for the project to rehab a seven-block stretch form Flint to Clark streets next year. The deadline means local officials need to decide by then if the canopies that have been downtown since 1955 will remain.”

The canopies need to be removed or modified due to expansion plans, the article says. The plans include a widening of Main Street itself, which changes the zoning regulations according to Michigan state standards. The choice for extending the width of the road was necessary for the angled parking that’s in place:

“Angle parking currently on both sides of the street forces vehicles to squeeze by in a two-lane passage. To make enough room to keep angle parking, the curbs will have to be trimmed, which means posts supporting the canopies will have to be moved away from the edge of the sidewalk to sufficiently widen the street.”

This issue has brought various opinions, some for the canopies and some against. Some business owners like the idea of having covering for customers moving from store to store. Others simply want the issue settled. What do you think Davison officials should do?

There are a number of reasons that solar canopy installations are a good idea. For one, gas prices are going to skyrocket this summer, with various reports putting prices above the $4.00 a gallon mark. This leads to a second point –tourist areas with this technology can stand to make a pretty penny selling the energy created from these canopies. Although it can be argued that the energy made from these installed canopies won’t do much direct good for travelling costs if people don’t have electric cars, it still stands to reason that having this type of generation ready is a good idea.

Over the course of writing this blog, I’ve seen a number of areas blocking the progression of canopies in general, but solar carport canopies in particular. This is the case in Martha’s Vineyard where a conflict of interest is stalling such an installation at Cronig’s Market, according to The Martha’s Vineyard Times:

“The project is under review as a development of regional impact (DRI). At a poorly attended public hearing on February 2, a majority of commissioners revealed that they or a family member belong to Vineyard Power (VP), a community-owned renewable energy cooperative and a co-applicant for the project with Cronig’s Market owner Steve Bernier.”

Beyond the fact that a subsidiary of VP will own the solar array, the article says that a whopping 9 out of 12 commissioners on the panel had connections to Vineyard Power. Even though no added benefits would come from the solar canopy project, state ethics officials may have to rule on the situation to let the project start.

The plans for the project have received little to no input or interest from local residents, even though the electricity generated from such an installation is in the range of 250,000 kilowatt-hours. Furthermore, the article explains how the electricity will be used in the region:

“Power produced by the solar arrays goes directly into the regional electric grid, along with energy generated by oil, coal, natural gas, hydro, and nuclear plants. Federal and state laws require power companies to generate a certain percentage of their power from renewable sources. Power companies purchase power from various sources to meet the requirements.”

Do you think residents should be more interested in this development – or is it just another example of unnecessary political nonsense holding off a canopy project?

Art installations spring up all of the time in various places, primarily in open spaces, art galleries and sometimes in window displays. When it comes to shattering the barrier between the art world and the real world, Christo is the artist to talk to. Just a few years ago, he hung thousands of fabric gates throughout New  York City’s Central Park. His projects are usually met with some backlash, but his new concept is ruffling some major feathers.

As we mentioned in a previous post, Christo is planning another art installation, but this one seems destined to be stopped before construction ever begins. The problem lies with a large group of concerned environmental advocates, who say that laws were broken simply by giving permission to the artist.  From the Chicago Tribune:

“Opponents of the Bulgarian-born Christo’s proposed “Over the River” project sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Denver, saying the agency violated federal law and its own policies when it gave final approval to the project last fall.”

The project would consist of almost 6 miles of outdoor canopies strung over the Arkansas River, the article says, and would need 9,000 holes drilled for anchoring. The biggest concern from those suing is the amount of destruction such a project would do to the river surroundings:

“‘Installing the anchor bolts and other hardware requires large drilling equipment normally used for mining and heavy construction activities. The art project is, in fact, more similar to mineral resource extraction and development than recreation,’ the suit said.”

With plans for the new project to be unveiled for two weeks in 2014, Christo still has a number of hoops to jump through to get his work approved and installed. Do you think such a canopy installation is a good idea? Who do you side with in this case?

The number of news stories every week about disputed canopies and other covers is incredibly surprising, particularly when you think about the number of canopies you see every day. Whether you eat your lunch on a patio or simply use the drive-up ATM at the local bank, there’s a very good chance you’re underneath a canopy. No matter how big the influence of canopies can be, they are still a source of conflict in some areas around the globe.

Much like the entry in this blog a few weeks ago, there is a spat over the placement and usage of canopies in Great Britain. A story from Herts and Essex Observer relays the tale of a restaurant that has been forced to remove canopies from its roof:

“This week, just over a year after a lengthy legal battle ended in defeat for the Market Square eatery, the parasols were finally removed from the town’s iconic Corn Exchange building. Owner Simon Cottam…said his business now faced an uncertain future. In 2009, a year after he put up the canopies, the authority ordered him to apply for retrospective planning permission – which it then refused to grant.”

The decision by local authorities to force the removal of the canopies actually has some seriously negative effects for the restaurant, according to the article. Apparently, the money brought in by customers eating under the canopies forced a tough decision by the eatery:

“Without the parasols, he said, Host’s roof terrace would be usable only on sunny days – which could have a big impact on takings during a wet summer. As a result, three staff who worked on the terrace were dismissed before Christmas.”

Until a compromise is reached – which seems unlikely – the £10,000 (about $15,000) canopies will go into storage. Do you think the reaction by the local authorities is too harsh?

The winter can be pretty brutal in certain areas of the world, especially in northern parts of the United States. Just last year, the Northeast was hit with a nasty snow storm right around Halloween, which surprised many, including the electric company. This may have been out of the ordinary, but just last winter, some areas of New England were faced with storms dropping close to three feet of snow at a time. Although I’m sure many in this area are ready for major storms to come their way this winter season, the question remains – have pop up canopy owners gotten their canopies ready?

Here are a few things you can do to prep your canopies for the 2012 winter season:

Prepare for Heavy Loads – Have a shovel or snow rake handy near your canopy. One of the biggest problems that canopy owners face in winter is ensuring that their canopy doesn’t collapse under the weight of heavy snow and ice. If you make a point to clear off the top of your canopy when you shovel your driveway, you shouldn’t have a problem.

Tighten It Up – All of the joints, bolts and anchors that provide your canopy’s frame with a structure should be inspected and tightened before the winter winds and snowdrifts come. Unlike your cover, which can collapse on its own – wind has the ability to full knock out your whole canopy. If you use anchors correctly, your canopy should be able to withstand any storms.

Bring It Inside – If you don’t absolutely need to leave your canopy up this winter, you should store it in your garage or basement. Obviously, disassembling your canopy is self-explanatory (reverse the installation instructions) but don’t forget to wash the canopy cover first. Use some mild soap and water to wipe it down and then dry it off.

These are a just a few things you can do to prep your canopy for the winter. Make sure to consult your owner’s manual for any special instructions that your specific canopy might have.