Patio awnings? (Ping TMH?)

[Lobster]

The warm weather has got SWMBO thinking about the summer, and she reckons she wants a patio awning. Joy.

Any gotchas? Makes/types to reccomend or avoid?

If I do go for it, it's going to be attached to our recent extension, which has a block-built cavity wall - is that going to be adequate for the fixings? what's the best way of doing that?

TMH, although I'm a couple of hundred miles away from you, I've looked at your microsite: what brand do you fit, and are they OK (though I presume you're not going to say "no"!)

[Roger Mills]

Mine is bolted to brickwork using anchor bolts. From memory, these required 14mm holes going about 75mm into the bricks. I think I drilled right through to the cavity. That's been up quite a few years, and is perfectly firm.

I don't know what sort of blocks your wall is made of. But assuming something hard intended for external use rather than the cheese used for the inner leaf, you should be ok.

I don't know what make mine is. I bought it half-price from a place which was closing down. I've still got the instructions, but there's no manufacturer's name on them!

Until last year, I always took it down for the winter - leaving just the brackets bolted to the wall - but at the end of last summer I bought a fabric cover to wrap round it so that I could leave it up. Some of the fancier - and more expensive(!) - ones have some sort of cassette round them, so they presumably have their own built in protection for all year use.

[The Medway Handyman]

They are great! We sit outside all the time in summer & it's like having an extra room. Also keeps the back of the house cooler.

If its a single story extension you will need spreader brackets. otherwise you risk pulling down the few courses of bricks above.

On a block wall you need resin fixings. I use the Toolsatan ones.

Primrose. They truly are excellent, as is the company. I have one myself!

Awnings are usually sold by 'sales consultants' similar to double glazing & conservatory oiks. Primrose broke the mould & are much cheaper for the same quality.

My rule of thumb is that, if I can see the brickwork, I will use Thunderbolts (Toolsatan), if its rendered I use resin.

Awnings come in three types; basic - just the fabric on a roller, half cassette - which has a cover over the top & full cassette - which has a cover all around.

Important point! How wide?

[polygonum]

Been out there for several years. Our house has a slightly odd construction - one side of the window it awns is brick. The other side is, umm, space at the height required for the bolting. So I bolted a piece of something like 4 by 2 timber (might be a bit heftier than that) and attached the canopy to a bit of that which extends upwards by a foot or so.

The actual fabric has faded, but it has done sterling service. Would happily have another in future.

[The Medway Handyman]

You can re fabric for about £40.

[polygonum]

That isn't bad. I daresay it would cost more than that to source suitable fabric, etc.

[JimG]

Yes, the Primrose ones are good and some of their distributors give better prices than going direct.

We got ours from:-

No connection with them.

[Andy Burns]

£25 extra for one bit of plastic, fair enough

but £265 for two bits of plastic?

[Andy Burns]

sorry, metal.

ok metal, but all the same ...

[Lobster]

On 12 Mar 2014, Lobster grunted:

Thanks a lot for all the resposes. Damnnit, looks like I'm going to have to get one then!

Primrose seems to get a universal thumbs up... anybody tried Greenhurst, which are pretty widely available (eg

(or

5m/41810#) but seem to be about half the price?

Thanks David

[The Medway Handyman]

Its not plastic :-)

[Roger Mills]

That's almost as much as I paid for the whole thing!