How to Fold an Arm Awning

Folding arm awnings make it easy to turn a sunny outdoor spot near a building into a shaded outdoor entertainment area. These awnings attach to the exterior of a house or building and roll out, with arms that extend as the fabric stretches over the area. When the awning is retracted, the fabric rolls back up and the arms fold to tuck in neatly against the building. All awnings have at least two arms, but longer awnings may have three or more arms for support. There are electronic awning that are button-operated and crank-handle awnings, which require manual operation.

Instructions

- 1
  Clear any debris off of the awning before folding it away. Small twigs, leaves and other debris can easily fall and catch on the awning.
- 2
  Attach the crank-handle hook to the crank rod to form the crank handle for the awning. Some awnings may have this as one piece that doesn't need to be connected, or the handle may be a permanent fixture of the awning.
- 3
  Hook the crank handle hook into the crank eyelet located on the side of the awning reel, attached to the building.
- 4
  Turn the hand crank to roll the awning into the reel. As the awning retracts, the arms will fold themselves and tuck away against the side of the building.
- 5
  Continue cranking the handle until the entire awning is folded and tucked away. Remove the handle and store for future use.

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