Sunsetter Awning Collapse

[Malcolm Moovis]

I lost my Sunsetter awning yesterday when one of the clamps let go and the supports ripped away from the house and the deck. What's really bizarre is that the clamp on the support that fell is still locked down tight, as it was each of the three times it happened before. I tightened them down with a pair of pliers after the first time, but that didn't seem to help. Even tried pushing hard against it (after tightening it) and it was solid. There was no severe weather here within the past week, so high winds apparently didn't cause it. Really puzzled why it finally self-destructed. Has anyone else experienced something similar with Sunsetter awnings?

[VeeLa]

replying to mchappe, VeeLa wrote:

you don't want to spend $33 US for a bottle of concrobium, the above article lists a recipe that is as close as you can get. It works great and KILLS mold to the root (personal experience in my own home) and does not return.

[JerryL]

How long is it up and have you contacted Sunsetter?

[Malcolm Moovis]

It's been up since the summer of 2001. It's got a 5 year warranty, but it doesn't apply to me, since I bought it with the house almost 4 years ago. I'm considering replacing it, but not with a Sunsetter, if it's as bad as I've reading and hearing (not from the Internet). Haven't tried calling Sunsetter yet.

I read the warranty, and what's not really obvious is that it's prorated after the first year for 1/60th of the original purchase price each month, up to 60 months. That means that if I were the original purchaser, I would be required to pay about $1,070 (instead of about $1,260, if it's still around that price, to replace it. That's not much of a warranty, beyond 2 to 2-1/2 years.

This model was the 15' Model 900 with the accessory screen room (which wasn't attached when it collapsed).

I also went through the instruction manual again to see if I had set it up correctly (and I did), but I noticed they've got a bold warning to roll it up or roll one corner down when it rains, and never leave it up if you don't know if the weather will be nice or stormy. Obviously, that would appear to conflict with their bolder advertising pitch that, "...You Can Enjoy Rain or Shine..."

[xsavary]

SunSetter Awnings are the highest quality and best selling awnings in America. They are the only awnings to have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and are backed by a 5-year Limited Manufacturers Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

The SunSetter Awning fabric is waterproof and the awning is not designed to support the load of water pooling on the fabric or excessive windy conditions. The SunSetter Manually Operated 900/1000 and 900XT/1000XT Models may be enjoyed rain or shine if installation and operation instructions are followed properly. Mr. Moovis, the damage to your awning sounds to be as a result of weather related damage such as water pooling on the fabric either recently or on a prior occasion. SunSetter Products will be happy to help diagnose the damage and recommend which awning component requires replacement. As a SunSetter Awning owner, SunSetter Products will also offer you a generous discount towards the purchase of a new SunSetter Awning. You may contact SunSetter Products Customer Care at 800-670-7071 daily from

8:00am to 10:00pm EST.

Malcolm Moovis wrote:

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Hey, it sounds like they are really interested in helping a customer. I hope to see a happy resolution posed.