How To Install Canvas Window Awnings

Posted on: 22 January 2015

Canvas awnings over your windows add color and interest to your home's exterior, while also providing a useful function. Homeowners can purchase awning installation kits from any home improvement or building supply store. You can have them professionally installed if you're willing to pay more, but the average homeowner shouldn't have any problem carrying out this project. The following steps will show you how.

What You Will Need

  • Awning Kit

  • Measuring Tape

  • Stud Finder

  • Level

  • Chalk Line

  • Pencil

  • Electric Drill

  • Screwdrivers

Step 1. Before you purchase an awning kit, use a measuring tape to get exact measurements of your window to ensure that you have exactly what you need before you start. You'll probably have a range of decorative options to choose from.

Step 2. Use a stud finder to locate the studs you will be attaching your awning to. It's essential that your awning is attached to joists or masonry studs to ensure that the wind and rain don't push the awning around and cause damage. Once you have located the studs, use a chalk line to mark them. Then use a pencil to mark where the center of the window lies along the chalk line and start drilling pilot holes for the mounting hardware.

Step 3. Following the manufacturer's instructions, assemble the rear section of the awning. To do this, you will usually fasten the two rear bar pipes together and align the aluminum channel inside them. Clamp the rear bar onto the mounting hardware.

Step 4. Before you handle the awning, make sure everything (including your hands) are perfectly clean. Then slide the rope connected to the awning into the channel inside the rear bar. If your awning design uses snaps, snap the awning material around the bar. Now assemble the front bar. There should be a front pocket on the awning material that you slide this bar into. Again, if you have snaps at the front, snap them closed.

Step 5. Now start assembling the diagonal rafters that go on the side. Lift the front of the awning up and out so you can slide the rafters into position. You might need an assistant to help you do this. It's sometimes easier to get them in place by lifting the awning slightly higher than its final position. Screw the nuts on loosely to hold the rafters up, but don't tighten them just yet.

Step 6. Now connect the side support arms to the rafter and front bar, again leaving the nut a little loose. Then connect the support arms to the rear section and start tightening down all the nuts, including the ones holding on the rafters. (For more information on commercial window repair, contact Ken Caryl Glass, Inc.)

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