If you have recently purchased a retractable awning kit, this DIY guide will help you through the steps with ease. Whether we are talking about awnings, canopies, or sunroofs it is a fact that they all can extend your patio by providing shade and allowing your outside dining season to be extended. There are a variety of styles to choose from, and you can purchase kits that contain hardware and materials to install these types of covers yourself.
You can make an awning project of working with any one type of awning or porch awning by following steps to install it onto your patio. I have chosen to hang a DIY retractable awning kit to install. A retractable awning is a versatile, convertible top you can roll up for sun exposure, or flip down and roll it up to go under cover. It is also known as a roll up or roll out awning as well.
General Info on Getting Started
Most kits come with a mounting board you affix to your house so that the awning is not attached directly to your siding. If your kit does not contain a mounting board, purchase a ledger board for this purpose. Because you are adding a fixture to the side of your home, you must secure it properly. Siding alone is not strong enough to support the weight of an awning when it is fully extended. A strong wind could destroy the cover and take chunks of your home’s surface with it. You should use a stud finder to affix mounting boards or other hardware, such as screws, nails, and such to structural points. Points such as joints, studs, or headers.
While you’re finding the exact spot to insert your mounting board, remember that you don’t want to hammer or drill into wiring or plumbing lines. Lines should be centered in wall studs, so you can penetrate the stud up to one inch. You will have to figure out how thick the siding and sheathing are to be able to figure your fastener length.
Preliminaries
As with any kit, read directions carefully before assembling the awning, and double-check that all parts are included. Careful measurements will ensure that your awning provides the coverage you desire without blocking views or cramping headroom.
Your instructions will include the awnings’s pitch height, which is how far the awning drops down when it is fully extended. When determining where to attach your mounting board and brackets, first decide where you want the brim of the awning to fall. Allow for plenty of headroom. You’ll want to enter and exit the covered space without ducking under the awning brim. And you don’t want guests to feel claustrophobic under the cover. Consider these variables when deciding where you want the awning brim to fall. Then, add the pitch height to this measurement for the total height. (For example, 6 ft. Headroom (1.8m) plus 1 ft. (0.3 m) pitch height for a total of 7 ft.(2.1m) This final measurement is where you attach the awning to your house.
Supplies
- Stud finder
- Power Drill
- Phillips screwdriver
- Wrench
- Level
- Tape measure
- Chalk
- Mounting board (in kit), or lumber
Steps
1. According to kit instructions, determine where you will hang the mounting board and awning brackets by figuring in pitch height.(See preliminaries) Using your tape measure and chalk, mark this height on your home’s siding with X’s.
2. Locate structural points with a stud finder. Mark these with X’s.
3. Using a level, draw a straight line where you will attach the mounting board to your home.(You will drill awning brackets into this board, according to instructions.)
4. Before hanging the mounting board, drive in awning brackets. Refer to your kit for spacing measurements.
5. Next, hang the mounting board.
6. Proceed with kit instructions, securing the awning to the brackets
I hope this has been helpful. For more information on all other topics relating to porch awning, canopies, and patio covers, visit Porchawningsexpress.com.