How to Tie an Awning

Cut the 2-by-6 pieces of lumber to size. You will need to determine how high you want your awning to be. Most people place it 7 or 8 feet above the deck, so you will need two pieces of lumber that are about 6 inches longer than the height that you want your awning to be in order to give you room to attach the lumber to the deck itself. For example, if you want your awning to be 7 feet over the deck, give yourself at least 7 1/2 feet to work with. You can purchase pre-cut pieces in the length that you want, or you can cut them to size.

Treat the lumber pieces. First you will need to stain the 2-by-6 lumber. It will need about 24 hours to dry. Make sure that there is no rain in the forecast or you may have to repeat the treatment. Once it has dried, apply the polyurethane sealer and then allow that to dry as well.

Attach the 2-by-6 lumber to your deck. Using deck screws and metal attachment brackets, screw the lumber to the outside edge of the deck. Space out the lumber to correspond to the width of your canvas tarp.

Screw one eye hook into the top of each of the lumber poles you attached to the deck. They should be placed near the center of the top of the pole. Use firm pressure to get the hooks into the wood. Screw them in as far as they will go.

Create two 2-inch sleeves. These sleeves will be opposite each other, and when the awning is in place, they will run perpendicular to the roof. You can make these sleeves by folding a 2-inch piece of the canvas over and hand-sewing it all the way down the side of the canvas, or you can create a 2-inch pocket using a sewing machine.

Sew a piece of rope to the pocketed edge. At least 18 inches of rope should hang off each side. You can sew the rope into place using a loop stitch and sturdy thread.

Install the pipes into the awning for added strength and structure. Slide each of the plastic pipes in the sleeves you created. Sew the ends closed to prevent the pipes from sliding out.

Screw two more hooks to the side of the house at about the same height as the hooks attached to the lumber poles. They can be just below the roof or lower if you prefer. Make sure that the hooks are screwed into place as tightly as possible and that the hooks do not wobble.

Tie the rope at one end of the canvas awning to each of the two eye hooks attached to the house. You will need an assistant to help you hold the tarp awning while you secure it. The knots should be sturdy, but not so complicated that you cannot undo them if you want to enjoy the sunshine.

Tie the ropes at the other ends of the canvas tarp to each of the two eye hooks attached to the lumber poles. To do this, you will need to stretch the awning to the other side of the deck. You can probably do this without help, but if you have an assistant it will be easier.