For decades, the traditional poly/cotton canvas has been the default specification for period homes and classic awning styles. It delivered the right look, but it also brought familiar headaches: shrinkage, mould, wavy side hems, and limited fabric widths that forced unsightly joins.
We asked a fundamental question: Why would you still use traditional canvas when you can get the exact same classic aesthetic backed by 21st-century textile engineering?
Introducing the Zero Classics range, a collection designed specifically to take aim at the traditional poly/cotton market by eliminating its biggest flaws while honouring its timeless look.
Canvas Reimagined: Zero Classics vs. Traditional Canvas
1. Dark-Night Technology
Outlook Zero is now made with a Black Core Yarn, which means it is more capable of blocking sunlight than ever before. This will be featured across our Classics and Plains range, pairing its 0% Openness with even more capability.
2. Seamless Fabrication (320cm Width)
Traditional poly/cotton canvas typically tops out at a width of 220cm. This requires fabricators to create vertical joins for wider window openings. The Zero ‘Classics’ range enters the market at 320cm wide, eliminating joins on 99% of all traditional awning styles.
3. Perfect Tension (No Side Hems)
Because of the advanced stability of Zero, no side hems are required during fabrication. This eliminates the “waviness” commonly seen on the ends of traditional canvas skins, allowing the awning to roll and sit perfectly flat under tension.
4. Zero Shrinkage & Superior Cleanability
Poly/cotton fibres inherently absorb moisture, leading to fabric shrinkage and a high susceptibility to mould and mildew growth. Zero is engineered to ensure minimal to no shrinkage and features a specialized surface structure that makes it dramatically easier to keep clean, preventing fungal spores from embedding in the weave.
5. Matching Performance, Multiplied Longevity
While Zero ‘Classics’ delivers the exact same properties in dramatically reducing sunlight transmission to keep interior spaces cool, its lifespan is unmatched. Traditional canvas suppliers across the industry cap their UV warranties at 5 years. Zero comes backed by a 15-year UV warranty.
Aesthetic Integrity for Period Homes
Moving away from canvas doesn’t mean sacrificing the architectural character of the project. The Zero Classics collection features a curated palette of popular “traditional” colours specifically selected to complement period architecture, heritage properties, and classic storefronts. You get the authentic look the client wants, with the durability the environment demands.
The Zero Classics range offers fabricators and specifiers a superior alternative that reduces labour in the workshop, removes tracking issues on site, and offers three times the warranty lifespan of traditional alternatives.
