What to Check Before You Buy an Awning
Two awning quotes can look identical on paper and be very different products. The gap is almost never in the colour of the fabric. It is in the wind class the system is tested to, the arm and cassette design, the motor, and what the wall is actually being asked to hold. Here is what we would check if we were the customer.
Wind class
Patio awnings are tested and rated for wind resistance, and the rating assumes correct fixing into a sound substrate. Ask which class a quoted system holds and be wary of anyone who cannot answer. On an exposed elevation with nothing upwind, the rating is the single most useful number in the quotation.
The arm system
The arms carry the whole load back into the wall. Look at how they are tensioned, whether the cables or belts are enclosed, and how the arm behaves at full projection. A cheap arm set is the usual reason an awning starts to sag or judder after a couple of seasons.
Cassette, semi cassette or open
A full cassette closes around the fabric and arms when retracted, keeping weather, grit and bird mess off both. Semi cassette covers the roll but not fully. Open systems cost less and are fine under a deep soffit or in a sheltered recess.
Motor and controls
Check whether the motor is a recognised brand and how it is serviced, whether you get a handset, a wall switch or both, and whether a manual override exists for a power cut. Decide at survey if cabling is being chased in or surface run, because that is easier to plan than to change.
Fabric grade
Solution dyed acrylic holds its colour under UV far better than cheaper printed cloth, and the weave affects how much light comes through. Ask what the fabric is, not just what pattern is available, and look at a physical sample outdoors rather than on a screen.
Sensors
A wind sensor retracts the awning automatically before gusts can damage the arms, which matters if the awning is ever out while the house is empty. A sun sensor is convenience. The wind sensor is protection.
Fixings and the wall
Rendered, insulated, hollow or timber framed walls all need something more than a standard bracket, whether that is through bolting, a spreader plate or a bracket rail. If nobody has looked closely at your wall before quoting, the quote is a guess.
What the warranty actually covers
Ask what the cover applies to, whether frame, motor and fabric are treated differently, and what is excluded. We offer up to a 10 year warranty depending on the system specified, and we would rather explain the detail at survey than leave you reading it afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
What wind class should I look for?
It depends on exposure. A sheltered courtyard asks less of the system than an open, elevated garden. The surveyor should match the class to the site rather than quoting one product for every house.
Is a manual awning still worth considering?
On a small, sheltered projection, yes. Beyond about three metres most people find they simply stop using a manual crank, and motorised is the more practical choice.
Can an awning be left out overnight?
It can, but we would not recommend it without a wind sensor. Damage happens in gusts that arrive while nobody is watching.
How long should an awning fabric last?
A good solution dyed acrylic, cleaned occasionally and kept dry when rolled away, lasts many years. Rolling it away wet repeatedly is what shortens its life.
Do you check the wall before quoting?
Always. The survey exists mainly to establish what we are fixing into, because that decides the bracket type and the labour.
Next step
Bring your other quotes to the survey and we will go through them line by line with you.
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