We set the industry standard in Charlotte! 10 years ago, Patriot Awning come onto the scene and decided that we were going to use Gore-Tenara Thread on ALL OF OUR AWNINGS rather than try to upsell folks on thread that would extend the life of your awning cover! Many awning outfits were offering PTFE threads, such as Gore-Tenara as an option and upselling the customer explaining that this "magic thread" would extend the life of your awning cover in Charlotte by up to 10 years. It's tough to run through the machines - they have to be calibrated to run it. That our seamstress has to sew slower with it because it heats up... These are all true statements. But then we asked ourselves this question:
WHY SHOULD USING THE BEST MATERIALS BE AN OPTION AND NOT AN EXPECTATION?
Using the best materials available SHOULD be an expectation. Sunbrella awning fabric can last up to 15 years. WHY sew it with a 138 Polyester thread that only lasts 5-8 years? Polyester is cheaper. Polyester will swell and fill holes in fabric (that's a good thing)
BUT POLYSTER THREAD WILL ROT.
We ruffled some feathers giving away the "magic thread" back in those days. Most awning companies quickly followed suit - but not all of them! But it's easier not to keep changing everything on our equipment. If you don't choose Patriot Awning in Charlote as your awning supplier, awning installer or awning contractor ask our competitor what thread they use. It matters. We like doing jobs once. We don't like removing an awning 5 years down the road and sewing the whole thing a second time. It's messy. It's not a profitable endeavor. And it's bad business.