How to Build a Sunshade Awning

Measure the side of the house where the sunshade awning will be installed, and mark three spots for screw eyes-one on each side and one in the middle. Drill pilot holes into the wood siding at each spot and insert the screw eyes by hand into the side of the house. Put a screwdriver through the screw eyes to tighten.

Place twine in each screw eye and use the twine to locate the corresponding points on the fence directly across from each screw eye. Hold a carpenter’s square perpendicular to the house and position the string parallel to one arm of the carpenter’s square. Pull the twine across the patio area to the point opposite each hole with the screw eye. Mark the spots and drill holes through each mark. Remove the twine and install an eyebolt in all three holes. Secure the eyebolts with washers and nuts on the back of the fence.

Put one end of a weather-resistant aircraft cable through a ferrule, which is a small, metal cylinder. Loop the cable back and put the end through the second hole in the ferrule. Crimp it with a swaging tool. Put the cables in the screw eyes and run each one across the patio to the eyebolts on the fence. Install a turnbuckle on each cable to make the cable taut.

Make a series of reinforced holes on the edges of shade cloth cut to the size of the sunshade awning using a grommet kit. Use the punch in the kit to punch holes in the material and insert half the grommet into the hole. Put the matching half of the grommet on top. Use the hammer in the kit to drive the two grommet halves together.

Put key rings in each grommet attached to the shade cloth. Disconnect one end of each cable and pass the cable through the key rings. Reconnect the cables.