Who hasn't seen the Hollywood movie Gladiator or some other Hollywood movie with an ancient Roman arena? If you have, noticed that the arena's made effective use of Canopy Awnings? Yup! So that's where the European style comes from.

In fact, historians inform us that fixed canopy awnings were first as far back as during the Egyptian times. They even had portable awnings that were carried by slaves. The Pharaoh would walk down the road and four slaves walking on either side of him would carry a portable awning. Pretty cool uh? The Syrian's too make use of awnings and these were made from woven mats and typically used at market stalls and homes. Awnings therefore have a very long lineage and this proves their practical worth. Canopies and Awnings were also used during war times to provide shade on the battlefield for the medical units.

Technically, an awning is typically a cloth (though these days they come in various other materials) covering attached to the exterior wall of a building or home. As mentioned, these days an awnings are available in wide variety of material including canvas, acrylic, polyester, cotton, vinyl laminated and of course, cloth.

A fixed canopy awning of polyester fabric could be stretched tightly over a light structure of iron or aluminium or steel or even some transparent material so that maximum possible light filters through while keeping off the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.

You could install an awning above the main entrance of your office, store or window of your home. If you add add more support at the outer edges of the awning, it is technically called a 'canopy'. You see them used at street-side restaurants or flower shops.

A store could use a printed awning. Typically, the outer edges of the Fixed Awnings Canberra is printed with the store logo or name. You could use a canopy during a party at your home or an awning during a barbecue party.

Roughly a 100 years ago, a bunch of clever merchants in Europe invented the first operable awning. These had a hand crank connected to a bunch of shafts and gears. On rotating the crank, the awning would open or close (depending on which side you rotated the crank). Today, advanced versions of these operable awning are available including of course, remote controlled and motor operated awning.

Today there's a whole bunch of accessories available as attachment to any awning. For example, you could turn an awning into a dust-free outdoor room – you see these used by outdoor floweriest who don't want their flowers ruined by wind.

A Casement Awning is a very functional tool and thanks to modern day manufacturing techniques, colour options and versatility, you can bring a touch of European style to your home with fixed canopy awnings.

Visit http://blindsandshutters-kwikfynd.com.au for more information and also view the complete range of awnings to suit your needs.