Vertical awnings in Malaga against low sun and prying eyes

Both drop the fabric vertically, which is why the names are often used interchangeably. The difference lies in how the fabric is held at the bottom and the sides. The roller awning is the simplest: the fabric unrolls from a tube and hangs free, with a weight bar at the bottom. Depending on the model, it can have hinged arms that push the lower part outwards, over the balcony railing.

When we talk about a vertical awning in the broader sense, we usually mean the whole family of awnings that drop vertically, including those with guided fabric: tension cables, aluminium side guides or the zip system of the zip screen. The guides stop the fabric moving in the wind and let you close off larger openings, such as porches and terraces.

In practice, a roller awning is ideal for balconies, windows and sheltered terraces where you want shade and privacy without any fuss. A guided vertical awning is for larger or more exposed spaces, where the wind is part of everyday life.

If what you need is to close off one side of the terrace completely to stop the levante or the poniente (the easterly and westerly winds), have a look at the windbreak awning with side guides too. At the free visit we’ll show you which one suits your space.

The one with the fabric held at the sides. A roller awning with free-hanging fabric moves in the slightest breeze: it’s fine on a sheltered balcony, but on an exposed terrace it bangs about, makes a noise and takes a beating. As soon as wind is a regular thing, you want a guided system.

There are three levels. Tension cables keep the weight bar in place and limit the swaying, and they’re a discreet solution. Aluminium side guides hold the edges of the bar or the fabric and give a much firmer hold; this is the vertical awning with side guides we fit most often on porches. And the zip screen has a zip welded to the edge of the fabric that runs inside the guide, so the fabric won’t come out even when the wind pushes against it.

If you’re looking for vertical awnings in Malaga, where the levante and the poniente blow in during the afternoon, we recommend side guides on any open terrace, and a zip screen when the wind is strong or the opening is large. The exact wind resistance depends on the model and size and is set by the manufacturer; at the visit we’ll tell you which system makes sense for your terrace.

Even so, any fabric awning should be retracted in a storm. With a Cherubini motor and a wind sensor, depending on the model, it goes up on its own. You’ll find more information on our awning motorisation page.

It depends on the fabric you choose and how you use it. With an opaque acrylic fabric, a balcony roller awning gives you shade and privacy, but fully lowered you can’t see out. That’s why many customers use it at half height or push it out with hinged arms: it blocks the sun in front of you and you can still see over the top or round the sides.

If you don’t want to give up the view, the answer is a micro-perforated technical fabric or screen fabric. These fabrics have an open weave that blocks much of the sun and heat, but you can see outside from indoors, especially when it’s brighter outside than in. During the day it’s hard to see in from the street, so you keep a degree of privacy. The exact properties depend on each fabric and manufacturer.

On a sea-view balcony in Nerja, Torrox or Rincon de la Victoria, it’s usually the best combination: cool shade at lunchtime with the sea right in front of you. At the visit we show you real samples so you can see what the view looks like through each one.

If you want shade but with the window clear and the view open underneath, compare it with the drop arm awning, which comes down at an angle. And if your balcony is a generous size, a small retractable awning might suit you.

When the sun is low. A horizontal awning, like a retractable one, is perfect at midday with the sun high in the sky: it casts its shade directly below. But late in the afternoon, on a west-facing terrace, the sun comes in almost flat and slips in under the fabric. That’s where a vertical awning does its job, because it sits in front of the sun like a screen.

It’s also better when you want privacy. On terraces overlooking the street, a neighbour or a communal area, a vertical awning blocks the view from outside without any building work. And when the problem is wind from the side, a vertical awning with side guides stops the air at the side of the terrace, which a horizontal awning simply can’t do.

The most common approach on the coast is to combine the two: a horizontal awning for midday shade and a vertical one on the side or the front for the afternoon sun, the wind or the neighbour’s view. It works really well on penthouses and villa porches, and under pergolas too, where the afternoon sun comes in from the side.

If you’re unsure, there’s an explanation of how to keep the heat out in which awning keeps the heat out best, and every system on our made-to-measure awnings in Malaga page.

Yes, and it’s one of the best ways to make the most of a porch or a pergola. Vertical awnings can be fixed between the posts, under the front beam or on the side, turning an open space into a room you can close off when the wind blows, when the afternoon sun comes in or when you want more privacy.

On porches and pergolas we usually use guided systems, because the opening tends to be large and exposed. A vertical awning with side guides or a zip screen keeps the fabric taut even in the wind, and looks neat between the posts. To close it in completely and use the porch in winter, take a look at our aluminium and glass enclosures too.

Before installing, we always check that the structure has somewhere solid to anchor to, especially if the pergola is wooden or made from a lightweight profile. We also measure the clear height and any slope in the floor, so the weight bar rests properly along its full length and there are no gaps.

If you have a pergola, whether we fitted it or another installer did, we can add vertical awnings to it. If you don’t have one yet, on our pergolas in Malaga page you’ll see options already designed with side screens in mind.

It depends on what you want to achieve. Acrylic fabric is the classic awning fabric: opaque and available in plains and stripes. It gives dense shade and plenty of privacy, and it’s the best choice if you don’t want anything to be seen from outside or if the roller awning has to match other awnings on the facade. We work with the Sauleda and Dickson collections.

Micro-perforated or screen fabric has an open weave. It blocks a good part of the sun’s radiation, lets the air through and lets you see outside from indoors. It’s the one to go for when you don’t want to lose the view or the natural light, for example in a living room that opens onto the terrace or on a balcony with views. Its exact properties vary depending on the fabric and the manufacturer.

There are a few more things to bear in mind. A dark colour in a screen fabric gives a better view out; a light one reflects more heat. On a free-hanging roller, acrylic fabric is a little heavier and moves less in the breeze. And if your community requires a particular colour, we’ll find it in the sample book. You’ll find care tips in how to clean an awning.

At the visit we show you real samples and make a recommendation based on which way you face. If the fabric on your current roller awning is worn, we can replace it without changing the whole awning: we explain how in awning repairs and fabric replacement.

Yes. Roller and vertical awnings can be motorised with a Cherubini motor inside the roller tube, and operated by remote control or a wall switch. The real advantage comes when you have several: with a multi-channel remote you can raise or lower each one separately or all of them at once.

It’s very handy on facades with several balconies, on porches with vertical awnings on three sides or on bar and restaurant terraces with lots of awnings. Instead of going round the house turning crank handles, one button lowers all the shading on the sunny side, and another raises it when the sun has gone.

Depending on the model, you can add automation: a sun sensor that lowers the awnings when the heat builds up, even when you’re out, and a wind sensor that raises them when gusts hit. On the coast that’s real peace of mind, because a free-hanging roller left down in the levante takes a real battering and can end up with torn fabric.

If you already have roller awnings with a crank handle, in many cases we can motorise them without replacing the awning, as long as the tube and fabric are in good condition. We need a power point nearby, and we’ll point that out at the visit. You’ll find all the details on our awning motorisation page and in the article on the roller awning.

Yes, and they’re among the most useful for hospitality businesses on the coast. On a bar terrace on the promenade, the afternoon sun comes in from the side just when it’s busiest, and the wind can change from one minute to the next. A vertical awning at the front or sides keeps the terrace full: it shades the tables, cuts the wind and, with guided fabric, copes better with the breeze.

For businesses we recommend guided, motorised systems. The guides stop the fabric hitting customers or waiting staff, and the motor means a single member of staff can lower and raise all the shading in seconds. And if you want to keep customers warm in winter too, it can be combined with a windbreak awning with side guides with a clear window.

Before installing on public land you need to check each town’s terrace bylaw, which may regulate the type of awning, side screens and colours. We’ll advise you at the visit and, if needed, handle the paperwork so you don’t run into problems with the council inspectors.

You’ll find more ideas for your business on our awnings for bars and restaurants page. And if your vertical awning is already worn, we’ll repair it even if we didn’t install it.