Short answer: yes. A quality retractable awning with the right fabric handles rain without any issues. In fact, keeping you dry during a summer shower is one of the best things an awning does. But there are a few things worth knowing about how different awnings manage water—because not all of them do it well.
It Starts with the Fabric
Our awnings come standard with NorthPort fabric, a solution-dyed acrylic with a Teflon® coating. The Teflon coating is what makes the difference in rain—it causes water to bead up on the surface rather than soaking into the fibers. Rain hits the fabric and rolls right off.
Awnings without Teflon-coated fabric—including many budget brands—absorb more water. This leads to sagging, pooling, and the fabric staying damp longer after a storm. Over time, that moisture promotes mildew growth, especially in New Jersey’s humid summers.
The Water Has to Go Somewhere
Even with great fabric, rain that hits your awning needs a path off the surface. This is where most awnings fall short. There are basically three approaches:
No drainage (ponding): The worst case. Water pools on the fabric, stretches it, and puts stress on the arms and frame. Eventually the weight causes sagging, and the problem compounds. This is what happens with flat-mounted awnings that have no drainage design at all.
Pitch to drain: The most common “solution” from other brands. They install the awning at a steeper angle so water runs off to one side. It works, sort of—but it looks uneven, causes all the water to cascade off one end, and doesn’t prevent pooling in heavy rain.
Built-in rain gutter: What our Aristocrat Estate and Manor models use. A rain gutter is integrated into the front bar of the awning. Water hits the Teflon-coated fabric, beads up, rolls to the front bar, and channels through it—all while the awning stays perfectly level. No ponding, no cascading, no tilted installation.
Rain gutter demonstration at our Pennsauken showroom—water channels right through the front bar.
The One Rule: Let It Dry Before Retracting
The single most important thing to remember about using your awning in the rain: let the fabric dry before you retract it. If you roll up wet fabric into the cassette or hood, that trapped moisture sits against itself in the dark—the perfect environment for mildew.
Used the awning during an afternoon shower? Just leave it extended for a while afterward. The Teflon coating means water doesn’t soak in, so the fabric dries quickly once the rain stops—usually within 30 minutes to an hour depending on humidity.
Bottom line: A retractable awning with Teflon-coated fabric and a built-in rain gutter is designed to be used in the rain. Don’t be afraid of it. Just let it dry before retracting, and you’ll get decades of use out of it.
Have questions about which awning model is right for your patio? Read our complete Retractable Awning Buyer’s Guide or check out our comparison of Aristocrat vs. SunSetter vs. Marygrove.
See the Rain Gutter in Action
Visit our Pennsauken showroom for a live demonstration, or schedule a free in-home consultation.