Patio Awning Installation
Purpose and Pros & Cons of a retractable patio awning

Pros & Cons of Installing a Retractable Patio Awning

• Cooling benefit, outside and inside
• Protection from furniture fading
• Versatility of size, color and other features
• Easy and convenient to use (more true for the motorized version)
• Extension of living space to the outdoors
• Can be installed after home construction

CONS:

• Initial investment is costly - although less than structural patio roof cover
• Maintenance and cleaning
• Not suitable for all weather conditions - including high winds and heavy rain or snowfall

Choosing the Right Awning for You

Both manual or motorized versions of retractable awnings are available. Although the manual version is less expensive, around 15% less, the advantages of a motorized version outweighed the additional cost, at least for this homeowner, this time. See our COST ESTIMATES below.

Motorized Awnings

With the easy operation of the motorized awning, it makes it possible for anyone to operate regardless of age or ability. And depending on weather or preference, the awning can be extended fully or just partway.

This short video illustrates the operation of a motorized awning as its motorized extension mechanism is tested by the installers.

SUNSETTER MOTORIZED AWNING VIDEO (Original) [.mp4] 18MB movie

Motorized awnings have a remote control making use of the awning very easy. The same remote can be programmed to operate several awnings if multiple awnings were installed on different deck elevations or directions.

And in case of power outage or battery failure, a manual hand crank is included allowing for extension or retraction of awning.

Another motorized patio awning is this one found in upstate New York, a product of Eastern Awnings. A couple different points are evident here due in part to the home's specifications and another due to owner's choice.

You will see that instead of being installed under the soffit as typically done, due to the lack of space between soffit and patio door as well as the depth of the soffit, this awning was installed on top of the roof itself with specialized brackets and hardware.

The photo below also shows the addition of a drop down sun shade that can be installed as part of the awning. This is a nice choice when the angle of the sun is able to get under the pitch of the awning and allows for continued shade from the bright sun.

Commercial Settings

Retractable awnings can be a great choice for commercial settings as well.

Seen here are photos taken of the awning used to encourage outside seating at the Bluestone Kitchen & Bar restaurant on Collegeview Avenue in Poughkeepsie NY.

Although the installation procedure described and illustrated later in this article are at a residential setting, as are the manual retractable awning photos below, many commercial establishments also recognize the benefits of retractable awnings.

In addition to the benefits listed above of shade and protection from UV rays as well as light rain, the awning and lighting shown here give a nice ambience and sense of intimacy to this outdoor setting.

The below photo gives a better view of lighting that's been installed under the extended awning.

Notice those V-shaped exntension arms (carrying lights) under these awnings? We think that this awning may be extended out about half the length of its total reach. Below is the same awning fully retracted back up against the building.

Manual Awnings

These homeowners actually have experience with both manual and motorized awnings. About 30 years ago, before there was a motorized option, they had installed a manual retractable awning over part of the large deck at their previous northern Minnesota home which was built in 1989.

The current owners of this 1989 home kindly allowed us to take a few quick photos of the manual awning, still in use today 30 years later, and still in great shape. One of the owners, a master gardener, has taken advantage of the large deck and filled it with beautiful potted flowers.

[Click to enlarge any image]

In the next photo, if we had extended the upper horizontal rods further, the awning would not have the dip in it as shown.

Here it is shown with the support poles unclipped from the house wall and standing out on the deck floor providing full access under the awning.

Given the western exposure of this wall, not only did the awning provide shade when out on the deck, it provided significant reduction in temperature for the interior of the home - a welcome advantage since the home did not have air conditioning.

The photo below shows the shade extended with support poles still clipped to house - a position often used for the simple purpose of giving some shade to that side of the house. The poles in this position however make access under the shade a bit more difficult from outside the shaded area.

You need to take care not to run into the angled pole if you're not paying attention where you're walking. If coming from inside the home however, there is no problem.

The pitch of the awning can also be adjusted by not extending the support poles as far, thereby lowering the awning pitch.

When not in use, you can see that the awning retracts to be flat against the home's exterior wall. When extended, the support legs can either remain attached to the wall with the ability to adjust the pitch of the awning, or be moved out to a vertical post position, still with the available pitch adjustment.

Retractable Awning Options

Many options are available such as awning size, frame color, fabric choices and more, such as LED lighting, wind sensor, or hood cover.

For example, fabric choices may include woven acrylic, laminated, and other performance fabrics. All of these types offer many color choices but the type of fabric chosen will affect the cost, potentially by hundreds of dollars.

In addition, different fabrics offer different warranty lengths of time, usually 5 or 10 years, and also give varying degrees of ability to protect from harmful UV rays, repel water, and resist fading, mold, and mildew, and maintain colorfastness.

You may want to take into consideration your location, weather patterns, and general climate conditions when choosing your fabric.

Below are just some of the fabric choices available from Sunsetter Awnings, the manufacturer of the two residential awnings (motorized and manual) discussed in this article.

Another owner concern may be the ability of the awning to stand up to wind. Sunsetter Awnings’ website claim that their awnings withstood winds of 50-75 mph, in tests by an independent laboratory. Awntech Awnings’ website states that their awnings can withstand winds up to 30 mph.

We wanted to confirm this claim by Sunsetter since that was the manufacturer of the awning being installed and described in this article. In reply to our email inquiry, an excerpt from their reply email is below:

...With regard to your inquiry, yes, an independent laboratory conducted an awning stress test. Our SunSetter Awning sustained 65 miles per hour without damage.  A wind Sensor is perfect for your awning if your area is situated in strong winds because a Wireless Wind Sensor automatically retracts the awning, they’re great for breezy locales where a permanent awning would be somewhat impractical and prone to damage.

A wind sensor is an accessory that can be purchased at time of order or later on after installation. A wireless wind sensor enables the awning to be closed automatically when it is being shaken up and down by the wind. These may be available from the manufacturer or dealer or from an online retailer... (Received via email from Sunsetter Awnings, 9/18/2023)

Many of the awning manufacturers offer other products as well including retractable shades, sun shades, and more.

Awnings of Different Materials

Although awnings may seem like a new and modern option for a homeowner, they have been around for a long time, albeit in different forms and materials. The history of awnings dates back to ancient Egypt.

Here is a bamboo awning, operated manually, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

And here is an awning constructed of sections of burlap stitched together, also in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Both of these examples show ingenuity born of necessity with materials available at hand.

Below is a more currently constructed stationary awning, not retractable but perhaps removable, made out of red tarps, piping, and tie-downs.

Cost Estimates

The cost of a retractable patio awning vary greatly by manufacturer and by whether it’s motorized or manual. And of course, the size, fabric choice, and additional options will affect the final cost.

In reviewing the costs quoted on their websites, we share the estimates given for Sunsetter, Awntech, and Advaning awning manufacturers. These prices do NOT include taxes, shipping, or installation fees which can potentially add an additional almost 25% to the final cost.

On these companies' websites, the options provided (size, fabric, etc.) for 'building' the awning of your choice did not correlate exactly, therefore the pricing isn't an 'apples to apples' exact comparison.

Note to table above:

[1] These cost estimates were found on the official websites of these three manufacturers through their 'build your awning' feature

[2] These costs do NOT include any taxes, shipping (if any), or installation fees which all together may add up to almost 25% of the total cost.

[3] These cost estimates were found on 8/30/2023 and are subject to change.

Installation of a Motorized Retractable Awning

SUNSETTER MOTORIZED AWNING OWNER INSTALLATION MANUAL, 2022-PRESENT [PDF], owner's installation manual for the awning installation discussed below.

The awning, its motor, and all other parts was delivered by freight in a 18' heavy duty tube weighing 200 pounds - not easy to move or maneuver by oneself.

Can be mounted on wall or soffit brackets depending space and preference. Here you see the 4 wall brackets have been mounted and are ready for the awning.

Watch out: It's important to measure accurately to be sure you have sufficient installation space.

One of the reasons that this homeowner chose a Sunsetter brand awning was due to the limited installation space that was available between the soffit and the air conditioner conduit.

Other brands that would have been a great option, both in terms of features and lesser cost, required more space than was available for this installation.

In addition to having accurate measurements of your space before ordering an awning as the space requirements vary by awning manufacturer, you must take into consideration any other obstructions that might affect its proper and safe placement.

The homeowner for this installation removed the umbrella from thei patio table, obviously not needed now with the awning overhead. The width of the awning was also determined in order to not interfere with the exterior wall light mounted on the right wall when the awning was extended.

The two installers have now lifted the awning up and onto the wall brackets.

Hunter did a great job of hiding the descending wire behind the siding and window framing as it descended from the awning to the power outlet.

As Hunter makes adjustments, Dylan stands back to monitor the level and slope of the awning once installed. The homeowner chose to have it slope slightly to the outside corner to avoid runoff close to the house.

Here is the completed installation and extension of the motorized retractable awning.

Retractable Awning Manufacturers

• Advaning Awnings & Shades, (714) 622-2600, 12282 Knott Street, Garden Grove, CA 92841, https://www.advaningshop.com/.
• Awntech Awnings, (800)-200-5997, 10950 S. Pipeline Rd., Building 1-2, Euless, Texas 76040, https://awntech.com/.
• AECOJOY Awnings, sold by a number of retailers.
• Diensweek Awnings, sold by a number of retailers.
• Sunsetter Awnings, (800) 876-2340, 7549 Graber Road, Middleton, WI 53562, awnings@sunsetter.com, https://www.sunsetter.com/.

Research on Awnings & Retractable Awnings as Energy Savers

• Author1a, Saikou Sonko, and Tsung-Juang Wang. "Mitigating High Energy Consumption for Residential Buildings in The Gambia." (2017).
• Bakhlah, Mohammed, Mohd Rodzi Ismail, and Abdul Malek Abdul Rahman. THE EFFECT OF EXTERIOR SHADING DEVICES ON INDOOR CLIMATE [PDF] In International Conference on Social Sciences and. 2008.
  Abstract:
  The application of exterior shading devices is very spreading over residential buildings in the hot, humid tropical Malaysian climate for the purpose of blocking the sunlight penetration into interior space and to reduce the amount of heat gain through window.
  
  This will have effects on the element of indoor climate such as air temperature, relative humidity, air flow, intensity of light and the extent of sunlight penetration into the interior space as well as thermal comfort.
  
  This paper discusses the impact of shading devices on the indoor climate particularly the air temperature and air flow. The investigation was performed on two rooms; one with a shading device and the other one without a shading device. Both rooms are similar in area, window to wall ratio (WWR), as well as their orientation (188°).
  
  The measurement of air temperature and air flow was conducted in these to rooms, using environmental data equipment.
  
  The analysed data showed that the shading device reduced the amount of heat gain through window and increased the air flow into indoor space, which indicating that the room with a shading device seemed to be more comfortable than the room without a shading devices.
• Cumming, A., 2017. Keep your cool with external shading. Sanctuary: Modern Green Homes, (41), pp.66-71.
• Ogunyemi, Olugbenga Abiola, Ayomipo Akintunde Fadeyi, and Segun Adewale Alabi. EXTERNAL SHADING DESIGN STRATEGIES WITHIN THE TROPICAL-MODERNIST NIGERIA: LESSONS FOR NIGERIAN DESIGNERS [PDF] International Journal of Innovative Research and Development 4, no. 6 (2015).
• Randl, Chas, THE USE of AWNINGS on HISTORIC BUILDINGS: REPAIR, REPLACEMENT & NEW DESIGN [PDF] NPS Preservation Brief No. 44
  Excerpt:
  
  Throughout their history, awnings have had great appeal. Along with drapes, curtains, shutters, and blinds they provided natural climate control in an age before air conditioning and tinted glass.
  
  By blocking out the sun's rays while admitting daylight and allowing air to circulate between interior and exterior, they were remarkably efficient and cost effective.
  
  Awnings permitted window-shopping on rainy days; they protected show window displays from fading due to sunlight. On the primary facade and near eye level, they were central to a building's appearance.
  
• Karmakar, Gour, Soma Roy, Gopinath Chattopadhyay, and Zhigang Xiao. "Dynamically controlling exterior and interior window coverings through IoT for environmental friendly smart homes." In 2017 IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics (ICM), pp. 487-491. IEEE, 2017.
• Kuhn, Tilmann E. "State of the art of advanced solar control devices for buildings." Solar Energy 154 (2017): 112-133.
• Maleki, B. Ahmadkhani. SHADING: PASSIVE COOLING AND ENERGY CONSERVATION IN BUILDINGS [PDF] International Journal on Technical and Physical Problems of Engineering (IJTPE) 3, no. 4 (2011): 72-79.
  Abstract Excerpt:
  
  The most important passive cooling strategy, regardless of mass is shading. Shading is a simple method to block the sun before it can get into the building.
  
  Shading minimizes the incident solar radiation and cool the building effectively and hence dramatically affect building energy performance.
  
  In this paper an attempt has been made to study different shading strategies that can be employed to shade the building, which provides natural cooling and finally helps in energy conservation in buildings.
• Mayfield, J. SNAPSHOTS of SHADING OPTIONS [PDF] (2000) Home Energy, September/October 2000 pp. 20-23, nergy.org / homeenergy.org
  
  Excerpt: Awnings provide excellent shadingon a south-facing window, awnings will block as much as 65% of the summer sun's heat; on an east- or west-facing window, 77% -but they have the disadvantage of blocking the top half of the view from the window.
  
  Retractable canvas awnings can overcome this problem to some extent because they can be extended only when they are needed. This is especially helpful in winter months, when occupants want to let the sun in to warm their home.
• Muckenfuss, Laura A. & Charles E. Fisher, WINDOW AWNINGS [PDF] Preservation Tech Notes, Windows, No. 7, National Park Service, US Department of Interior, retrieved 2022/10/07, original source: https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/tech-notes/Tech-Notes-Windows07.pdf
  Excerpt:
  The effective use of awnings to reduce solar heat gain can be found on numerous historic buildings during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it still is a treatment with practical applications in certain climates.
  
  In hot climates awnings can eliminate the need to alter or replace existing historic windows for reasons of improved energy performance while also reducing glare; can provide rain protection for windows opened for ventilation; and can bring a bright, cheerful addition to a building.
  
  Given the high visibility of such a window treatment, research should be undertaken to ensure that awnings previously had been used on the building; care should be taken to match the size, design, color, and basic appearance of the historic awnings where possible.
• Randl, Chas, THE USE of AWNINGS on HISTORIC BUILDINGS: REPAIR, REPLACEMENT & NEW DESIGN [PDF] NPS Preservation Brief No. 44