About Slide on Track Canopies and Shades: Everything You Need to Know

Every time it rains or the summer heat peaks, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues lose customers and revenue. A Slide on Track canopy system gives commercial properties the flexibility to stay open, stay comfortable, and remain profitable regardless of the weather. Here’s everything you need to know before investing in one. This guide is your place to start with everything you need to know about retractable, Slide on Track canopies and shades. 

Built for Commercial Properties

Slide on Track canopy systems are built for commercial environments where weather can directly impact the overall experience or ability to use the outdoor space. Here are a few examples of commercial properties that are perfect spots for slide on track canopies: 

• Hotel plazas and rooftops: protect premium outdoor guest spaces that would otherwise be subject to the elements.
• Resort and hospitality pool decks: keep poolside activities and events available year-round without permanent structures that can block visuals, light, or airflow.
• Outdoor dining and restaurant patios: utilize your outdoor seating areas to serve guests rain or shine.
• Commercial or mixed-use spaces: improve outdoor seating or activities in retail settings, office park campuses, and other institutional, mixed-use areas.
  

What Is a Slide On Track Canopy?

Slide on Track canopies are incredibly versatile systems that both provide protection from the sun and ensure coverage when it rains.  These structures are retractable awnings, made with a sturdy aluminum structure and durable folding canvas designed to help commercial properties make the most of their outdoor spaces.

The shades can be used in multiple positions:

• Retracted fully to open the space completely, allowing free air flow and sunshine
• Partially to offer specific weather protection or filtered sunlight
• Extended fully for complete protection from the weather and the sun 

When extended, Slide-on-Track canopies are beautiful to look at and incredibly functional. When retracted, they fold neatly into soft pleats that are out of the way, providing additional light and air flow to your outdoor space.

A Look Inside: The Slide on Track Canopy Design

Custom Sizes and Installations

Each Slide on Track canopy is made to size, and because of this, these shades can be installed on a preexisting structure or affixed to a newly engineered one.  This design flexibility saves money, reduces waste, and provides a wide range of options for businesses interested in customized or unique solutions. 

Fabric Supports

The fabric has structure from a network of intermediate supporting tubes and terminal bars that are set parallel to one another, optimizing the canopy’s functionality and aesthetic appeal. These supports ensure that the fabric stays in place, providing protection against wind, rain, and sun when fully extended. To open and close the fabric, the motorized Slide on Track canopy glides on runners that have carefully crafted transmission belts inside.  These belts are designed with stainless steel to minimize the impact that inclement weather can have on the system, ensuring resistance against potential salinity in the air.  The transmission belt is controlled by a drive pulley and a single drive shaft, which creates a smooth sliding effect for the fabric when the canopy is being extended or retracted.

Gutter and Water Controls

Slide on Track canopies can also include waterproof gutter control options, including design elements that minimize splashes and dripping in unwanted areas. By blending a slight canopy pitch with PVC profiles welded to the fabric, Slide on Track canopies can prevent water from dripping over the sides while directing rainwater into the gutter system. These gutter controls ensure that each space not only stays protected from the weather but also looks and feels like a polished, finished part of the commercial building.

Permitting and Building Specifications

Your property is unique,  and it’s important that your Slide on Track retractable structure is fitted well to your space. From city permitting to accommodating the limitations of your building, our team understands that your retractable canopy project must adhere to specific requirements. At Retractable Structures, we work with you throughout our unique design-build process to ensure that your shade structure meets permitting standards, fits your building or brand’s aesthetic, and is functional and durable for years to come. We’re dedicated to manufacturing high-quality commercial products that are built to last.

Are Slide on Track Canopies Right for Your Property?

At Retractable Structures, a division of Eide Industries, Inc., we specialize in designing, manufacturing, and engineering commercial retractable structures and awnings. With almost 80 years of extensive design, construction, metal fabrication, industrial sewing, and installation experience, our team is proud to offer the highest quality custom and pre-engineered products possible, made right here in the U.S.

If you’re ready to get started with your Slide on Track retractable structure, contact our team today to learn more and discuss your needs.