How to Attach Awning to House

Window awnings provide protection from the sun, heat and rain. They also add value and a decorative touch to your home. You can attach an awning to a patio yourself using the instructions that come with the awning. While not difficult to do, awnings are bulky so attaching them is a job for two people.  Window awnings help cut the cost of heating and cooling your home by deflecting sunlight off windows. Aluminum awnings withstand weather elements longer than wood awnings that can warp and rot. After measuring your windows for your awnings and purchasing the equipment, installation usually takes less than an hour for each window. Most kits will include the parts needed for installation, but not the tools.

Step 1: Find a Good Spot

Make sure that you have an appropriate place for your window awning. You want to make sure that it can be fully extended and retracted without anything getting in the way. Do you want the awning over a patio, window, or a door? Make these decisions early so that you don't have to start over if you change your mind later.

Step 2: Decide on Material

Determine what type of material you will want to use for your window awning. Materials come in different strengths and textures. Do you want an awning that only shades you from the sun, or do you want an awning that also keeps the rain off of your space? Canvas and marine fabric are the most common types of materials used. They can be treated to be weatherproof. Some people would rather have a light weight mesh to shade the area, and other still will want an aluminum material for permanence.

Step 3: Choose an Extension Length

Decide how big you need your awning to extend. It can extend as little as 1 foot or as far as 13 feet depending on your needs. Larger patio awnings may require permits or permission from the zoning board. A small awning will generally not have these problems.

Step 4: Retractable or Fixed

A lateral arm retractable awning will allow you to extend your awning without needing extra supports. These awnings only need one attachment to the house on the wall. Many times just four support brackets are required on the wall.

Step 5: Mounting Options

Although it is a two-person job because of the width of most awnings, they are not heavy or difficult to install yourself. If you do not have room to mount one on the wall, mount it on top of the roof edge or hidden under the roof overhang.

Step 6: Manual or Electric Operation

If you want to make extending and retracting your awning easier, you might want to install an electric motor. These are simple to install, but not necessary if you want to manually open and close the awning.

Step 7: Finishing Touches for Comfort 

Once you have your awning up and operational, consider whether or not you have an issue with bugs at your site. You have just created a perfect spot for lounging and relaxing but you don't want to have to worry about swatting insects who are out to ruin your peace and quiet. You can attach some open screen sides to your awning.

Tips & Warnings

Awnings should be 12 inches wider than the window to block light from the sides.

When installing the panel stringers, make sure they are parallel to each other.

Most aluminum awnings are built using guidelines from the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO). Such kits should include an ICBO research report number, which rates the awnings related to how much snow they can hold and what wind speeds the awnings can withstand.