r/Awnings

Hey all. I got my mother an awning for her back porch for Mother's Day recently and I've been working on getting it put together. This is the first awning we've ever gotten so I didn't consider everything that I'd need to make sure of before purchasing. I thought most awnings were one-size-fits-all. Our neighbor has an awning and it seemed like it'd be a simple thing to get set up. The problem is that I didn't realize until just recently that the awning I bought doesn't rest on the edge of the roof like our neighbors does. It's meant to be installed into a wall, and if I were to put it on what little wall space we have, the awning will end up hanging down too low when fully retracted.

We've been considering the possibility of constructing a wooden "thing" (idk what to call it) to the edge of our roof so it gets positioned higher up and it doesn't end up hanging too low. Essentially just something that would more or less give us a stable surface to drill into and fix the awning to so we can have it over the porch like we've wanted.

Is this plan advisable at all? It was my mother's idea and I fear that it could be either too difficult or impossible to achieve safely. It would be a huge shame if we had to disassemble it and send it back to the seller because I was shortsighted and didn't consider how exactly it would be installed in a correct position.

I'm in the process of getting a retractable awning for my Father's deck. The awning will be 19' x 12'. He spent a lot of money installing a new deck at his house but it gets full sun and is uncomfortable to use in the summer when it gets really hot. He's old (+80) so I suggested getting a motorized retractable that has a backup manual handcrank in case the motor or remote gives issues right before a storm comes or his electricity goes out.

We've had 5 estimates so far. Most of these guys that give these estimates are dealers for awning manufacturers rather than representatives from the actual manufacturer. A lot of the complaints I've read online regarding people that own retractable awnings originate from the dealer side rather than the manufacturer, so it definitely pays to do your homework regarding the dealer you choose. If you purchase your awning through a dealer, the only way for you to get support for your awning (if it's in its warranty period) is through the dealer, not through the manufacturer and if your dealer doesn't value supporting your awning after they install it you are going to be in for a bad experience.

Dealer advice: My advice when choosing a dealer is to look for one that's been around for a decent amount of time (5+ years) and definitely read their google reviews to see what kind of support previous customers have been provided. You can also ask how long their labor warranty is (i.e. the cost for them to show up, troubleshoot, order and repair your awning). The worst situation is if you buy your awning from a dealer that goes belly up and now you are left on your own in terms of fixing your awning.

Install advice: As someone else mentioned, I'd definitely request them to install the awning onto a ledger board that has been attached to the studs of your house using thick, long lag bolts. That will provide the strongest most stable install for the awning. You should expect a 4-6 week fabrication delay once you sign your contract. Install usually is very quick (2-4 hours) once the dealer's laborers arrive to install your awning.

Product advice: The major parts used in a retractable awning include the frame, the arms, the fabric and the motor. Generally all of these retractable awning manufacturers use the same type of motor (Somfy motor) and the same type of fabric (solution-dyed acrylic) but you should ask specifically about these materials.

Add-on advice: Most dealers will sell you wind sensors, but they are add-ons that cost between $200 - $400. I think its a good idea to spring for one just in case some fast moving storm surprises you. You can also sometimes request an additional treatment to be done to your awning fabric to increase its durability and color fading time period for an extra cost. Hopefully if you have a good quality product, your frame will hold up over a long periord of time and you'll need to replace your shade fabric. From what I understand these fabrics usually last 10-15 years before needing to be replaced. Fabric durability does also depend on how often you use your shade and how harsh your weather is. Some come with LED lights built in, some can be purchased as a add-on. Having lights maybe be benificial if you host night time events and don't have a lot of artificial lighting pre-installed in that area.

Below are the different awning manufacturers we've gotten dealer estimates for (we are based in the DC area):

SunPro (installed by Made in the Shade franchises) - Manufacture Warranty = 10YR Frame; 10YR Fabric; 10YR Dooya Motor or 5YR Somfy Motor) - $8,084
Sunesta (two of the dealers we spoke to installs these) - Manufacturer Warranty = Limited Lifetime Frame; 10YR Fabric; 10YR Somfy RTS CMO Motor) - estimate $8,694 & $10,347
Craft-bilt/Betterliving - Warranty = Limited Lifetime Frame; 12YR Fabric; 5YR Somfy Torque Sensing Motor) - $9.5k
Shadecaster (manufactureed by dealer) - Warranty = 5YR Frame; 5YR Fabric; 5YR Somfy Motor) - $6.5

In the end we decided to go with the Craft-bilt/Betterliving awning. They were on the higher end of the estimates that we got but we decided to choose them over others because:

They use a ledger board when installing an awning which I think is crucial. These motorized awnings are very heavy. A ledger board allows the weight of the awning to be spread across the ledger beam and it allows the install brackets to be spaced evenly across awning.
They had the longest fabric warranty. I consider the fabric to be the #1 item that will eventually need to be replaced so getting one with as much durability as possible was a priority.
I liked their arm extension mechanism more than the others. It used the thickest gauge alumninum/steel and provided plenty of headroom underneath the awning extension arms.
They used a version of the Somfy motor which included torque sensing. This allows the awning to stay taught every time it is extended. Over time the awning material will strectch and because the motor uses torque sensing technology it will always ensure that the awning fabric is taught when it is extended.
I think the fit and finish was the best of all awning companies that visited. Their representative was very knowledgeable about their product and able to answer all my questions. Also all of their installers are certified installers by the manufacturer (Betterliving/Craft-bilt).
The dealer had been in my area for over 30 years so they had a good track record. They had excellent google reviews from past customers.

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