Categories: Decorating & Design

DIY: Make an Inexpensive Outdoor Awning

Awnings are not only popular in the summer, the shade they provide helps to save energy by keeping the solar gain out of the house. This is the heat generated by the UV rays of the sun through the window glass.

They have been used for centuries and in most cultures. Rome’s Coliseum had huge awnings pulled by ropes to protect patrons watching “the games.” Ancient marketplaces in the Middle East used awnings to protect merchandise and customers. Businesses still use awnings designed to shade windows and provide unique identities for customers to recognize.

Commercially installed awnings are expensive, to say the least. Some roll up to protect the fabric during rain, high winds or hail, by using a hand crank or electric motor. They are available for homes, businesses, RV’s, truck campers and parking lots.

But, they are expensive.

Using regular ½” aluminum conduit and the outdoor fabric of your choice, you can make a custom awning for your home, campsite or travel vehicle. Even teardrop camper owners can make an awning for their “tiny trailers.”

This awning is designed for an area 6 feet wide by 6 feet tall by 10 feet long. It will be attached to the deck and one side attached to the fascia of the house.

It can be customized for any size at all. For awnings measuring less than 6 feet tall or wide, PVC pipe and fittings can be used. I love to use the connectors that fasten with a screwdriver. No soldering or welding needed. Of course, you can use cold weld epoxies that are available in DIY stores. My screwed-on connectors have never come apart, even in high winds or storms. The screw connectors also make disassembly easy for camping awnings.

You’ll need:

One-half inch aluminum conduit

Tee- connectors

Three-way connectors (if unavailable in your DIY store, use PVC three-way connectors)

Corner connectors

Hacksaw with metal blade

Phillips screwdriver

Pipe clamps, ½ inch

External mounting clamp

One box of ¾” washers

Drill with bits

One box 1½” long galvanized screws to fit the clamps

Solar fabric or awning fabric of your choice

Grommets

Shower curtain hooks or rings

Measure the fascia and mark a straight line so all the pipe clamps are level. Space the four pipe clamps evenly across the mark and mark the place for the drill holes. Drill 11/2″ holes for the screws. Place 2 washers over a pipe clamp hole and fasten the clamp on the bottom only. The spacer gives the room needed for fastening the awning fabric.

On one ten-foot pole, attach corner brackets at each end. The other bracket insertion should face away from the structure. Carefully place the pole in the clamps, insert the washers and fasten the top clamp screws.

Measure and mark a straight line for the opposite side. There will be four poles holding up this side of the awning. Mark each corner and space the other two marks evenly along the line. Attach the external pole connectors to the deck using the 11/2″ screws.

Cut six poles, six feet long each. Insert one pole in each coupling horizontally. At each corner, attach a three-way connector. Insert one six-foot pole to the corner connector and to a three-way connector. Attach a tee-connector to each of the two inside poles.

Measure for each section between the poles and cut the sections. Attach to the tee connectors.

Whew! And this is a simple awning. Yet the price is still under $20 in most areas. At my local DIY store, 10-foot long aluminum conduit poles are $2.95 each. The connectors are $5 for a bag of four.

Measure the top space for the solar fabric. The selvages at the edges was woven heavier for the loom, grommets can be placed right through it. The other two ends should have 1″ added for seam allowance. Fold over ½” twice and place the grommets through it, following the package instructions. Attach the fabric to the top of the frame with the shower curtain rings or hooks. If a storm approaches, it’s easy to take the fabric in.

Any fabric can be used for the awning fabric. Outdoor fabrics with UV protective coatings will last longer, albeit more expensive. Solar screening fabric makes great shade, but won’t do anything to protect you in the rain. An old sheet was used initially: this worked great in gentle breezes, but high winds one night made short work of it.

For use on a trailer or recreational vehicle, the side poles can be mounted on a treated 2-foot-by-2-foot board and placed on the ground. Sandbags easily hold these poles in place.

Sides for the awning are made and attached just as easily. The shower curtain rings allow for fast and easy assembly and take down.

Your new awning poles can be painted to match the house’s décor. Ask at the DIY store for the right type of paint.