Outdoor Awnings & Shading for Old Goa.

Fabric that stays damp is the weak point of an awning beside a river, and Old Goa is humid in most months. Choose solution-dyed acrylic or a polyester treated against mildew, and after rain let it air fully extended, since an awning shut away wet will spot. The building dictates the fixing. In a new apartment block there is concrete to bolt into, though the society may limit what goes on the facade. An older house in the wards is likely laterite and lime, which will not grip an ordinary bolt, so the brackets need a lintel, or a steel plate made up for the job. Pick a colour that sits quietly with tiled roofs.

• Verandas of older houses: brackets on the lintel or on fabricated steel, never in bare laterite, and cloth in an earthy or cream tone.
• Balconies in highway apartment blocks: a compact awning inside the balcony line, opened to dry after each wet spell.
• Shopfronts in the town: a manual awning that gives shade at the door and is closed again when the wind gets up.