Install A Retractable Awning
Retractable awnings consist of a metal framework covered with shade fabric, and they are one of the most popular patio shade ideas.
- The framework mounts directly on the side of your house.
- Some models have diagonal support arms.
- Others eliminate that obstruction with hidden lateral arms.
- You can open and retract the awning either manually with a hand crank or with a motorized system.
Pros: Retractable awnings provide instant shade or quickly roll up when you don’t need them. You don’t have to take them downno storage hassles. They don’t require you to build a permanent structure on the deck. Attach vertical screens to the extended awning to block the sun when it’s low in the sky.
Cons: Retractable awnings are up to 20 feet wide but only extend about 10 feet, so they won’t completely shade most decks. Also, strong winds can damage the awning framework if you leave the awnings open in strong winds .
Installation: While we don’t recommend this as a do-it-yourself project for novices, a homeowner with basic carpentry skills could complete the job with a helper . The awning can be installed on any type of siding. The brackets must be mounted to framing members to support the weight of the awning. You’ll need the appropriate clearance between the decking and the eave, gutter or overhang , and clearance from light fixtures and electrical outlets.
Install The Eye Screws On The Support Bars
Stretch out the canopy and lay it on a clean surface. You may wish to install the canopy so that the support bars are either above or below the canopy fabric. Installing the bars above the fabric gives the cover a clean look that emphasizes the draping. Installing the bars below the fabric means that the bars will be visible from below. This is a stronger attachment since the support bars, not just staples, are holding up the fabric.
Attach three of the #10 eye screws on top of every support bar. Space the eye screws so that they match the spacing of the three eye screws you previously installed on the pergola. Be sure to drill pilot holes to avoid cracking the wood.
Kits You Install Yourself
Awnings, carport covers and patio covers really can be done by the do-it-yourselfer. If you are handy with tools, or have friends that are, these kits can be installed without any prior experience. Follow the instructions closely and refer to some of the step-by-step photo pages on this site for additional help.
Do-it-yourself Patios will provide you with an instant quote for awnings kits. Their products include sun rooms, aluminum lattice covers, solid covers, carports and window awnings. copy and paste this URL and find doityourselfpatios.com
renopatios.com offers local installation in the Reno Nevada area. They also ship their products. They sell Ultra Tek patio covers in lattice, solid and v-pan. They also sell garden and sun room kits.
Lifetime Vinyl Fence sells all types of vinyl fencing as well as several styles of pergolas and patio covers. Their web address is avinylfence.com.
The Carport Kit Company sells carport kits, patio cover kits and deck cover kits in both aluminum and steel. They can sell kits for commercial applications also. Find them on the web at carportco.homestead.com.
Advantage Home Improvements sells w-pan aluminum awnings in kit form. They also carry skirting, shutters and sheds. Check out their prices at mobilehomeadvantage.com.
Home Improvements ships steel patio covers made from high grade galvanized steel. They also sell aluminum covers, insulated covers, pergolas, arbors, and screen walls. Visit them at patiostore.com.
Recommended Reading: Mortar Pavers
Even Easy Awnings Require Professional Installation
As springtime warms up, and summer approaches us here in the beautiful Rocky Mountain West, your thoughts may turn to The Great Outdoors and the enjoyment you and your family can get from spending time in your outdoor living space.
You might decide to check out the many wonderful options available for bringing more shade, comfort, privacy, and beauty to your deck, patio, or porch. From retractable awnings to sun shades from pergolas to full added room outdoor enclosures start looking around, and youll find you have many outstanding choices.
And sprucing up your outdoor living space is a smart investment, too. Add a retractable awning, and youll save money on your utility bills. A good awning can reduce the summer temperature out on the patio by as much as twenty degrees, and keeping the sun off your walls, windows, and sliding glass doors makes things easier and less expensive for your air conditioner.
So when ads for awning systems start appearing on television, your ears might prick up or you might find yourself browsing your local big-box home improvement store, curious about the awnings they offer.
You might get the impression or even be told outright that these fabulous awnings are so easy to install, you can DIY Do It Yourself!
Enjoy shopping for your awnings but beware the DIY sales pitch.
You can find great awning solutions to enhance your outdoor living space but great awnings require professional installation.
Wood Frame With Translucent Cover
Patio covers made entirely of wood and that have wooden slats going all the way across a concrete patio are simply too expensive to make.
They also take loads of time and planning, and possibly some professional help to create properly. Thats why instead you should build just the base frame of your patio cover with wood and then place a polygonal translucent ribbed panel on top for weather protection.
The type of translucent panel we are referring to is sometimes used for constructing greenhouses because of how durable it is. It will also do a great job at insulating the area that covered.
Typically, it is for areas with warm weather, but it works great in all climates.
Its a quick and easy process. Build wooden vertical supports with wooden planks in between.
Lay a few more across the middle to further support the plastic panel youll be putting over the top. Then all you have to do is get some help to push the panel up onto the support beams, attach it, and voila! Youve successfully covered your patio!
These panels are plastic. Even for large patios, theyre cheap to buy.
Online, many options are under a hundred dollars and work perfectly.
You May Like: Painting Rod Iron Furniture
How Much Do Awnings Cost
Umbrellas, canopies, and shade sails are available for under $100. Manually-operated retractable awnings from the big box store cost just a few hundred.
But motorized awnings with weather sensors, waterproof fabric, or large sizes, can cost a few thousand dollars and more, especially if you want premium features like phone app controls and integrated lighting and heating systems. Also, installation costs vary by region.
Imagine Yourself And Your Spouse Up On The Ladder Or On The Roof
And trying to hold, let alone align, seal, bolt down, and properly secure your new awning.
Scary thought? It should be.
A twenty-foot-long retractable awning, depending upon its design, mechanism, and configuration, will weigh anywhere from 150 to 350 pounds.
And its easy, all right easy to mess it up!
Leaving aside the inherent hazards of working with heavy objects while perched on a ladder, this is a chore you and your spouse dont really have the training and experience to do well.
You might very well botch it.
And if all you end up with is a crooked or inoperative awning and no serious injuries you should probably count yourself lucky!
Recently, a nice older lady ordered a modest awning for her homes outdoor space. It was easy to install, she was told, so she asked her son to come over and toss the thing up for her.
He did the best he could.
But before long, it looked like something was amiss so the lady called Best Awning Company, and we dropped by to take a look.
Not only was the awning crooked and, well, a bit wonky it was falling off the house. And trying to take the soffit with it!
If a bit more time had passed, the damage to this friendly womans house mightve been more costly to repair than the awning was to begin with.
Easy!
Read Also: Thornwood Hardtop Pavilion
How To Build Aluminum Awnings
- Written by Carol S. on Dec 14, 2009To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by
What You’ll Need
Aluminum awnings are among the most durable and attractive awnings you can build. They will keep your house cool in hot summer weather, and they can withstand all kinds of weather, with minimal care. They are easy to clean with a mop and a garden hose. Follow these guidelines to build aluminum awnings for your windows.
Step 1 – Measure the Windows for Placement
Measure the width of the window and add four inches to the total width to hang it correctly on the window frame. Measure the total length you want it to cover by extending a line outward from the window at a 90 degree angle to the vertical side of the frame. The awning must reach from that point to the top of the window frame.
Step 2 – Affix Wall Brackets to the Window Frame
Fasten one wall bracket to the side of the window frame where the top of the awning will be, with galvanized steel screws that are rust-resistant. Use a carpenter’s level to mark the placement of the second bracket so the two are level. Affix the second wall bracket to the frame.
Step 3 – Measure and Cut the Awning Frame
Step 4 – Measure and Cut the Aluminum Sheeting
Step 5 – Cut and Attach the Triangular Side Panels
Step 6 – Care of Aluminum Awnings
Adding Rods To The Shade
Sam Henderson
Spread the fabric shade out on a flat surface, one section at a time. With a pencil, make a line 3/4 from the center on both sides of each long, top-stitched seam. The result should be two lines, 1-1/2 apart, with the seam in the center. Fold long seam to long seam and crease the fold. Use this fold as your guide to make 2 lines, 1-1/2 apart with the crease in the center. These lines will be your guide for the rod pockets. On the 32 pieces of fabric that are 4-1/2×27, fold over each short end 1/2. press or crease in place. Stitch each fold in place. Fold over 1/4 on each of the long edges. Pin four of the pieces to the fabric shade with the long edges lined up with the lines you made. The pieces should all be 4 apart with the two outside pieces lining up flush with the edges of the shade hem. Sew the pockets in place, back stitching at the start and end of each pocket. Repeat for the other 7 lines and 28 pocket pieces. Cut away all excess threads. Insert a rod into each row of pockets. Put eye screws in each of the 40 holes with the metal sides of the holes running parallel with the rods. Add the caps to the ends of the rods.
Recommended Reading: How To Anchor Gazebo Without Drilling
Free Standing Patio Awning
A free-standing patio awning can give you an air of separation in your backyard or just give you a standout space that transitions from the main house.
Free-standing patio awnings can be relegated as fixed patio awnings, equally with a vast option to choose from.
This barn house style free standing patio is a luxurious addition to add in your backyard. Set on a long, polished stone floor space, it is the perfect combo of stone, wood, and insulated metal roofing.
The lounging space is on the open space while the cook station and extended dining is covered.
For a simpler, more industrial look, this one here makes use of sleek, metal posters and aluminum sheets for the cover.
It might just be a small patio, but the intimacy of the seating would surely facilitate a good talk with your closest friends.
Coming with a side metal screen, you can use it if you want to have string lights over or vertical screens.
String Up Outdoor Curtains
For more shade than a pergola alone can provide, consider outdoor curtains to add a little shade to your pergola. Kate, from Centsational Style, shares an easy DIY using canvas tarps for sturdy shades. Simple, affordable, and still attractivejust what everyone wants! Alternatively, you can string up a weatherproof curtain or two like this .
Don’t Miss: Gazebo Hip Roof Plans
Best Awning Ideas To Create A Stunning Patio
Are you looking to add shade to your back patio? Do you want to see the most popular and stylish ideas? Weve compiled a list of the top 15 ideas from around the web. They range from the complete all-in-one professional model to DIY kits for the homeowner who likes projects.If you have any questions or suggestions, wed love to hear from you. Send us a tweet , and wed love to get before and after pictures that we could share on our site.
Fixed Or Stationary Awningsprotection Thats Permanent
A fixed awning provides permanent protection. Attached to the side of the home above doors and windows, or to the deck like a gazebo or pergola, it requires less maintenance than a retractable awning.
A cloth cover needs replacing as it fades or wears, so for areas with hot sun or frequent precipitation, consider a metal or polycarbonate deck awning. Metal lasts a long time, but it absorbs and transfers heat to your deck. Also, it can rust and dent. Polycarbonate covers are durable and block UV rays while letting in light.
Recommended Reading: Paint Patio Umbrella
What Is A Retractable Pergola Canopy
With a retractable canopy, the fabric is attached to support boards that slide along tensioned stainless steel cables called wire ropes. Large eye screws do the sliding and make easy work of extending and retracting the canopy.
When retracted, this DIY pergola canopy tucks neatly away at one end of the structure. When extended, the canopy shades the areas in graceful drapes.
Insulated Roof Panel Patio Cover Kits
Are you sick of feeling the heat in your outdoor space? Insulated roof patio coverings may be exactly what you are looking for. These are some of the most popular patio-covers for many homeowners for good reason.
Three-inch insulated panels can reduce the heat that filters through them by up to 15%, a big difference on a sunny day. As a bonus, they are strong enough that you can walk on them, which is a huge benefit for all kinds of home maintenance tasks.
There are a wide variety of design options for you to choose from. Premium columns improve the look of your home and match the style of your architecture. Skylights provide pockets of light wherever you want them for patio plants and to provide natural light to your space.
Fans and lighting can create an outdoor living space that will make you feel like you have an entirely new room in your home. You may be amazed by how much more time you spend outside both during the day and night with insulated roof panel patio covers. Dont hesitate to let us know if you are interested in one of these patio covers so that we can provide you with a free quote.
DIY Modern Patio Cover.
If you are looking for a sleek, modern way to make your home look its best and provide increased functionality in your outdoor spaces, a modern patio cover may be perfect for you. This design is ideal as an addition to a new home or as a welcome update to your existing home design.
Do it Yourself or Hire a Professional?
You May Like: How To Slope A Patio
Simple Diy Patio Cover Ideas To Make Your Outdoor Spaces Enjoyable
These DIY patio cover ideas will enable you to reasonably quickly and cheaply design and build your own outdoor shade. Check them out.
You need to make several considerations if you want to build a patio cover for your outdoor space. What material to use? What kind of plans to follow? And it all depends on your patio and backyard setup. No case is the same, so its up to you to choose the right options. We aim to guide you through.
Whatâs Inside?
Install The Wire Rope On The Eye Screws
Fit a thimble through one of the eye screws. Slide the end of one of each wire rope through the eye screw and over the thimble. At the other end of the wire rope, fit a clamp over the rope and slide it up to the thimble area.
With a wrench, tighten down the wire rope so that it forms a tight loop over the thimble. Repeat for the other two wire ropes and eye screws.
Recommended Reading: How To Build A Paver Walkway On A Slope
We Can Build Your Patio Cover For You
Lets face it, you can never go wrong with aluminum. And who better to roll-form this stuff into a super cool and easy to assemble kit than Alumawood?
Patiocovered.com of Los Angeles sells the Alumawood kit like Starbucks Coffee on a manic Monday morning . We all love Los Angeles. Where else can you go to the beach and surf and snow ski all in one day?
When it comes to the art of designing and constructing patio covers in Los Angeles, its who we are and its all we do. Because we only build patio covers and decks we understand the local jurisdictional codes and requirements. Not only is this a benefit when choosing between contractors, as a homeowner, but it also makes your job even that much safer. Regardless of whether you buy any one of our complete patio covers or just one of our patio kits, we can still provide the install.
Read Also: Build Deck Over Concrete Slab