Fixed And Stationary Awnings

Fixed And Stationary Awnings Are Among The Most Common Home Shades

Although retractable and motorized awnings have grown in popularity in recent years, the mainstay residential awnings for home are the fixed awnings which is found over not only decks, patios, and porches, but also doors and windows.

Any outside opening of a house that faces the sun benefits from an outdoor shade to cut down the amount of light that enters, especially in sunny or hot climates. Backyard areas like patios and decks also benefit from having an outdoor shade.

Basic Set-up Of The Fixed Frame

The fixed or stationary awning consists of a frame that is mounted over the area meant to be shaded. A piece of fabric is stretched over the frame to provide shade. Sometimes the fabric is also called a valance, which is a general term meaning any drapery that is hung along the edge of a table, shelf, bed etc or drapery that is hung on the head of the curtain frame to hide the top part of a curtain.

The Three Main Considerations

There are three main considerations for people buying fixed awnings. The first is the design and color of the shade fabric or valance. The second is the shape of the frame. Two common, well-known shapes are rectangular and dome. The third are the dimensions of the frame, such as the length, height and width, not all of which is modifiable depending on the construction of the frame bars.

Types Of Fabric

The fabric itself is usually made of a synthetic, woven material that is able to withstand some amount of sun-related fading, and microorganisms like fungi (mold) and bacteria. These are the acrylic fabrics. Made through treatment of the fibers with bonding chemicals that trap colors and antimicrobial chemicals which kill microorganisms. Before synthetics became widely available, canvas was used because of its tightly woven threads and consequent toughness to tearing. However, canvas is much too susceptible to moldy growth that is not unexpected on a surface constantly exposed to rounds of rain and sun. Different colors and patterns (like stripes) are available.

Types Of Frames

The frame of stationary awnings comes in either metal or plastic. Wooden fixed frames are possible too but are considered custom-built and are not usually available from retailers. The metal is mostly likely to be steel or aluminum, making it resistant to rusting. There are four parts to a basic stationary awning: the head rod, the rafter, the front bar and tie-down, and a strut. The head bar is at the very top, anchored into the wall by bolts. From the two ends of the head bar, two rafter bars extend outward at a down sloping angle like two arms. These end at the front and tie-down bars. The front and tie-down bars have support from the two strut bars that extend out from the wall. Sockets hold the struts and head bar in place, while slip fit eye ends and elbows hold the various bars to each other.

Awning Installation

Awning installation is technically a challenging task, especially when done over second story windows such that there is a danger of falling during the installation process. It is recommended that one asks a professional installer who is good at handling the various bulky pieces of the awning. For stationary awnings to be installed at ground level, the task requires drilling and putting in bolts to anchor the head bar and struts of the frame. This tasks is exacerbated by brick walls which require high speed drills and intermediate concrete sleeve anchors for bolting.