Installation of a Motorized Awning

Install an exterior-grade, moisture-shielded GFCI duplex electrical outlet to supply power to the awning motor. Most motorized awnings are manufactured with an integral cord that is 12 or 15 feet long; check your model and locate the outlet so that the cord does not have to be stretched to reach.

Prepare the area where the awning will be installed: Ensure that no obstructions, such as security lights and downspouts, are in the way.

Open the awning’s packaging. Do not use a box cutter or any other blade; pick the sealing tape off and open the box by hand. Unpack and check the delivered parts against the list of what should be in the kit; the number of brackets supplied -- and the positions that they must be mounted on the wall -- will vary with the size of the awning.

Calculate the location where the awning will go by using its “drop” -- the vertical distance between the highest and the lowest point of the awning when it is fully open. Use a tape measure to mark the height from the ground then use a carpenter's level and chalk line to mark the axis along which the brackets will be fitted. For example, if the wall-mounted end of the awning is 11 feet above the foot of the wall and the outermost part of the awning is 8 feet, 6 inches above that grade, the drop is 2 feet, 6 inches. Calculate how high the wall mount must be for the lowest point of the awning to give adequate head clearance. For instance, if you need the lowest part of the open awning to be 7 feet above-grade and the drop is 2 feet, 6 inches, the wall mount must be 9 feet, 6 inches above-ground.

Use a stud finder to locate the timbers inside framed walls, such as stuccoed board or walls with siding, and mark their locations with chalk; the mounting brackets must be fastened to these reinforced points. Mark the locations for the brackets, according to the spacing instructions supplied with the awning if fitting it to a masonry wall, then use an electric drill to make the necessary holes and install wall plugs. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to fasten the brackets to the wall. If the wall to which the awning will be attached is bowed, you will need to use shims behind one or more brackets to remedy the inconsistencies; the awning mount cannot be deformed to match an uneven wall.

Lift the awning into the fitted wall mounts with the help of an assistant. Lock it into place with all the provided hardware; this is typically done with Allen wrenches to install the fasteners provided in the awning’s packaging.

Attach the arms to the arm clamps and front bar; again, this is usually done with Allen wrenches. Plug the electrical cord into the receptacle. Test the awning, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Adjust the fully-open/fully-close positions if necessary. These should have been preset at the factory; but if the awning continues to open past the fullest extent of the arms -- so that the awning material begins to sag -- close the awning and find out how to reset the “open limit position” on the motor.