Ping TMH (Patio canopies)

[T i m]

The latter would be my fear on this house, or pull the brick apart.

Is it always though? On the picture of Tim's awning there looks like only 4 bolts and therefore (two per side, top and bottom) and ignoring dynamic loads (wind) most if not all of the weight of the extended canopy and frame would generate torque that would be transferred into pure tension on just the top two bolts?

With the awning closed, most of the load will be carried over all 4 bolts via shear.

I predict you could remove the bottom bolts on any of these awnings and nothing (bad) would happen.

Ok.

Understood. ;-)

Yes, looking back at the videos on the page you linked I could see they looked quite high.

Ok.

Sure, but it's those little 'gotchas' where one system / make requires a loop / hem sewn into the end to attach it to the roller and one doesn't etc. Or the one for the '3m' awning is 20mm wider than the other one for the '3m awning'. ;-(

Interesting stuff so thanks David.

Cheers, T i m

[Tim Lamb]

In message , T i m writes

My recollection is that this particular one had virtually no use: my sister being an acquirer rather than a user!

The fringe is permanently exposed to sunlight however.

[T i m]

That could help (the future life). ;-)

Unfortunately I can be like that but not intentionally. Many of the things I get are generally for good reason and will get used at some point, it's just they might not get used as often as I may have first thought / intended. Part of it is the std d-i-y group one in that 'it's good to have plenty of things to play with' and second is being prepared for anything that might (predictably) happen (to me or my family).

Like, I've always wanted one of those folding engine cranes and as I'm getting older and with daughter with a van, it seemed reasonable to get one as then I might not 1) hurt myself trying to lift something I shouldn't and 2) also be able to load / unload stuff from the van without struggling (like if she'd had something palletised loaded by a forklift, we could unload it ourselves). I'm also hoping to do an engine swap on the kitcar soon and there are always machines / motorbikes that may need support / lifting. ;-)

Understood.

Again, I was really only asking about the option of replacing the canopy because if I couldn't (should I ever need to, wind / other damage even) then it would negate all the efforts 'we' had gone into getting it down, transporting and getting it back up. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[damduck-egg]

No ,you get the other half to do it, and don't warn her about the couple of gallons of rainwater it has collected which will suddenly pour off. Only a once off opportunity though.

I think the greatest use of ours is to dry laundered shirts etc on hangers hung off the arms on those days when showers are around that can dampen stuff that is drying well in a gentle breeze.

Occasionaly it is used as intended which was a space outside the shed to allow work in a larger space both when the shed gets too hot to work in but like the laundry the job and tools can be protected from rain unless it is too windy. Six or seven years old now and the fringe is bleached and tatty and will soon be removed or replaced, main covering is waterproof unless I don't fully extend it and get a pool on top which then makes the material touch an arm.

G.Harman

[dennis]

Like many things it may give you warning that something is wrong as once the top bolts start to pull out the bottom ones may hold on for a bit. So you may get time to notice it drooping before it hits you on the head, but maybe not.

[T i m]

I think if something happened sufficient to move the top bolts (assuming they were fastened properly) the bottom of the bracket would just shear off?

(Cropped from Tim's picture)

You might indeed ... but maybe not. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

p.s. Did you have (serious) first dibs on the awning Dennis and if so I'll step back?

[T i m]

Yes, like giving her the pressure washer lance ready to wash down the de-greased engine and saying 'wait till I go and turn the water on before pulling the trigger ...'. ;-)

Sounds like a plan.

Yes, that has been my thought for quite a while now for exactly the same reason. Even leaving the door open in the rain means stuff in the mouth of the garage gets wet (I replaced the up and over with a personal and bi-fold doors with windows over the top).

Understood.

Unfortunately and unlike say it's use on a patio door where the access would be in the middle (and away from the arms), I believe the arm would be right over the personal door on my situation. ;-(

I wonder if the fabric could be better waterproofed with one of those sprays or do you think the contact underneath would case it to leak under any circumstances?

Cheers, T i m

[Tim Lamb]

In message , [e-mail] writes

Ah! Cherished moments!

I have told this tale before... when first married our cottage was bordered by a spinney and nesting Rooks. From the open kitchen window, I noticed my new wife bending down over the outside gully. With surprising quickness of thought for those who know me, I grabbed the dishcloth and squeezed a few drops of water onto the back of her neck!

Thinking the worst, she staggered into the kitchen, bent double, to find me convulsed with laughter...

[T i m]

What's it like sleeping on your own in the shed Tim? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Tim Lamb]

In message , T i m writes

46 years ago? She might have forgotten:-)

[dennis]

You need the bottom fixing on that bracket to stop the whole thing lifting in the wind.

[T i m]

Of course ... and why I said "On the picture of Tim's awning there looks like only 4 bolts and therefore (two per side, top and bottom) and ignoring dynamic loads (wind) most if not all of the weight of the extended canopy and frame would generate torque that would be transferred into pure tension on just the top two bolts?". ;-)

My point is that that awning mounts like those 'bracktless' shelves where it's mostly the sheer strength of the fastenings that hold the thing in place, rather using the advantages of long levers (spreading the load over a longer length) as with more typical shelf brackets / slotted uprights etc.

e.g. If you 'hung' a 6' length of slotted steel upright to the wall with one screw at the top and bolted the awning to the middle of that, the loads on that top fastening would be far far less that when using the std (length) brackets we see here:

If Tim doesn't need the 75mm box sections, once he has cut them off at the ground, I could mount the awning as it is now and just hold them back against the front of the garage with them standing on the ground and with one bolt near the top of each ... and all the bolts would then be doing is taking the horizontal load of the awning and uprights and they would be far (far) less than the top bolt on the existing brackets.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Let's hope eh (and she doesn't read this)? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

p.s. Did you get my reply this morning via PM as if not it might be in your spam filter?

[Tim Lamb]

In message , T i m writes

Cut off is the fall back position. I'll try splitting the supporting pads first. Need to be a bit cautious as the soil pipe runs nearby.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , T i m writes

Yes. I was waiting for the rain to stop so I could measure the mushroom and take a photo of a twig I have lying about:-)

Here

About 400mm high and 250mm wide. The twig is about 3'0" :-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Nothing but a blank page with adverts.

Photobucket never shows images for me

[T i m]

Ah, ok, np. ;-)

Hmm, I think she may have something like that in stock (unpainted of course)?

Woah. Now that would carve up into something nice ...

or a bench maybe, or are you saving it for something more 'worthy' of something that size, to plank up etc?

What wood is it OOI?

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

I suggest you use an OS that is compatible with the rest of the world as even XP shows the images fine here?

See above.

Makes you wonder what else you are missing out on not being 'compatible'. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Tim Lamb]

Try Windows XP:-)

[Tim Lamb]

In message , T i m writes

Excellent.

Very nice. Is that Scotland?

Oak. I was going to ring it for firewood but we probably won't have a log burner after the move. Field edge tree so I left the rest in the ground. Prolly got radial splits by now.