Side walls or infill panels are a popular add-on for large covered areas like dining canopies, as they provide protection from weather and enable the space to be used throughout the year.
When choosing a dining canopy or walkway, it’s important to consider all the different side wall options available and their pros and cons.
Side walls are usually made from glass, polycarbonate, or are solid panels made of timber or aluminium and provide protection against the weather, allowing a canopy to be used all year round despite the heat, cold or rain.
Depending on your needs, the vertical or horizontal side panels can be designed to enclose the canopy at the front, back or on one or two sides or all sides, creating another space for your school or business.
The glass and polycarbonate side walls can also be fitted with retractable blinds to allow the best of both worlds in terms of privacy and protection from bright sunlight.
However, we often find a tailormade combination of options works best for our customers.
Our safety glass is a popular choice with customers because toughened glass is resistant to high impact without sacrificing light levels and provides all year weather protection. They look great and allow the space to be flooded with light even on the darkest of winter days. However, you need to take into account the fact that safety glass can still shatter under high impact.
Polycarbonate side walls are also another popular choice with customers who are looking for a more cost-effective alternative over toughened glass. However, these lightweight walls aren’t as transparent as glass and therefore will let a little less light in, but they are extremely durable and stronger than glass. They also look great so are a good compromise for customers with a tighter budget.
If you want to find out more about how they look, our case study for Joseph Leckie Academy has some examples.
Our high-quality timber side walls are an option for customers who have chosen timber canopies for sheltered outdoor classrooms.
Solid aluminium panels are a great alternative if you are looking for privacy but obviously won’t let any light into the space you’re creating.
Customers wanting both light and protection from the sun’s rays often choose our external retractable blinds or glass and polycarbonate side walls.
Although they are a more expensive choice, external blinds provide a great deal of flexibility, allowing you to raise the blinds on sunny days or lower in bad weather.
The blinds are made from durable fabric designed for outside use whatever the weather and can be operated using a remote control or manually using a crank to open and close them.
They can even include a clear vision panel to allow light through when the blinds are lowered which still allows you to see the world outside. The blinds and the hardware can even be matched to the canopy colours and are available in a wide choice of colours and fabrics.
Roller shutters are very strong and durable, but they don't allow the same amount of light to enter the room as retractable blinds and don’t offer a viewing window to the outside world.
Shutters can be easily operated via remote control, and are a good option if you are worried about potential vandalism.
Ultimately the choice comes down to your personal preference.
As well as light, privacy and protection from the elements, it’s also important to take into account ventilation and current building regulations.
So, if a canopy is more than 50 per cent enclosed and over 30 square metres it is seen as a building and therefore subject to building regulations, and may require planning permission.
Our Solspan team of experts will help to guide you through any planning consent you may need as part of our project management, from start to finish.
Contact us today to find out more about the side wall options we offer and potential costs.