How to Install a Folding Arm Awning

Read it here, or take the print version onto the job. Part of the Awnly installation guides.

Download the PDF First: where to mount it

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Installation guide · Part 2 of 2

How to install a folding arm awning

Step by step, from opening the carton to handing it over. Work through it in order — the sequence matters, and several steps are dangerous if done out of turn.


Hammer drill SDS for masonry Bits + hole brush and a blow pump Socket set + spanners Level + string line a laser level is better Two ladders plus trestles or props Eye protection gloves, dust mask
What you need on site. Add a helper — a folding arm awning is never a one-person job.
Before you startWork through Part 1 and confirm the wall will take it
TimeHalf a day for two people on a straightforward wall
CrewTwo minimum · three or more above 5 m wide

Read this before you open the carton

Three things on this job can hurt you badly. None of them are obvious until they happen.

1 · The arms are loaded springs

Inside each aluminium arm profile is a powerful spring under permanent tension, live from the factory. Manufacturers put it in plain language: if an arm is released while unrestrained it can cause serious injury and in the worst case death.

So: never loosen an arm from the square bar or the front bar, never remove an end cover with the arms unsecured, and never dismantle the arm or its gearbox. Re-tensioning the internal cable is workshop work.

2 · The weight, overhead

A 5 × 3 m cassette awning is 80–100 kg and has to go above head height onto brackets. Two people is the published minimum; three or four above 5 m wide. Use trestles or props so nobody holds the full weight while someone else fiddles with a bolt.

3 · Working at height

Ladders must be footed on firm level ground and never leaned against or tied to the awning. Keep the awning retracted while anyone works near it, and switch off the automatic controls so a sun sensor can't drive it into a ladder.

Electrical work — know the line

If your motor comes with a factory-fitted plug on a flexible lead and there is already a weatherproof outdoor socket, you may plug it in yourself. That is it.

Anything else is licensed electrical work. Hardwiring a motor, fitting an isolating switch, running a new circuit, or cutting or re-terminating the motor lead all require a licensed electrician in every Australian state and territory — the awning manufacturers say so in their own manuals. A second reason not to shorten the lead on a radio motor: on many systems the cable is the aerial.

The install, step by step

What should already be done
  • Substrate confirmed by test hole, and fixings chosen and bought to suit it.
  • Bracket height calculated from clearance plus fall, and confirmed to exist on the wall.
  • Bracket count and positions checked against your awning's own bracket table.
  • Spreader built and fixed if the wall is framed or clad.
  • Obstructions cleared and services located inside the wall.

If any of these are open, go back to Part 1 — Selecting where to mount your folding arm awning — before you start.

1

Unpack and check — but leave the restraints on

Open the carton the right way up (there's usually a marking) and check everything before you touch the wall:

  • No freight damage — dents in the cassette, scuffs on the arms, tears in the fabric.
  • Every part you ordered present: awning with roller fitted, valance, brackets, and any crank handle, remote, wind sensor or hood brackets on your order.
  • The sizes are the ones you ordered. Measure them. This is the last moment it costs you nothing.

Then leave the transit sleeves or straps exactly where they are.

The arms are loaded springs Compressed spring inside the arm profile transit sleeve / strap Leave them on until the awning is fully bolted into every bracket and every retaining bolt is tight. Never cut them with a knife — keep them for the day it comes down. Stand underneath, one at a time arc of travel — keep it clear Move every ladder, trestle and person out from in front of the front bar first.
The restraints stay on until the awning is completely captive. Every bracket engaged, every retaining bolt torqued — then and only then do they come off, one at a time, standing underneath.
Never cut them off

Don't use a knife or blade on transit sleeves. Slide them off. And keep them — you'll need them again if the awning is ever removed, serviced or re-fabricked, and the manufacturers will tell you to fit them before doing any of that.

2

Measure the awning, then mark out the wall

Lay the awning on trestles and measure, from one end of the square bar, to the centre of each arm shoulder, each centre support and each hood bracket. Write the numbers down. Those positions dictate where the brackets can and cannot go.

Transfer them to the wall from the same datum end. Mark the keep-out zones first — never put a bracket over an arm shoulder, a centre support or a hood bracket — then place your brackets in the band beside each shoulder.

A · Measure the awning on the ground to arm shoulder 1 to centre support to arm shoulder 2 Always measure from the same end of the square bar. Write the numbers down. B · Transfer to the wall, then string-line between the outer brackets string line — every bracket touches it Fix the two outer brackets first. Everything in between is set off the line, not off the tape.
Outer brackets first, then a string line. Every remaining bracket is set off the line, not off the tape — that is what keeps them coplanar so the square bar drops in cleanly.
Check the wall is square while you're at it

Run the string and look at the gap behind it. Walls bow, render builds up, and brick courses wander. If the brackets aren't in the same plane the square bar won't seat and the retaining bolts won't pick up — and the temptation then is to force it. Pack behind the brackets with steel shim so they are all level and in plane before the awning goes anywhere near them.

3

Drill and fix the brackets

Drill the two outer bracket positions first, fix them, then string-line and do the rest. Work with the drill level and square to the wall — a hole drilled at an angle is a hole that has already lost most of its capacity.

1 Pilot hole first A small pilot keeps the hole true. Hammer drill, masonry bit, no tilt. 2 Open to full size Do not let the hole go oval. An oversized hole holds nothing. 3 Blow · brush · blow Twice. Dust halves the grip of a chemical anchor. 4 Set the anchor torque Use the torque the anchor maker states. Over-tightening cracks brick.
Two-stage drilling, then clean the hole properly. Skipping the pilot lets the bit wander and the hole go oval; skipping the cleaning is the most common reason a chemical anchor underperforms.

Substrate reminders

  • Masonry: into the brick face, not the mortar joint. Keep 100 mm off edges and openings. Seven or more courses above; four below a spreader plate.
  • Brick veneer: straight through into the frame, with a rigid sleeve through the cavity so the bracket doesn't crush the brick. Don't fill the cavity.
  • Timber: pre-drill so you don't split the stud, and get real penetration — 75 mm or more into solid timber. Don't over-tighten and strip the thread.
  • Rafters: come in at least two rafters from the corner of the house; the end ones aren't load bearing. Reseal every roof penetration properly.
  • Chemical anchors: follow the resin data sheet for hole size, depth, gel time and cure time. Use a mesh sleeve in cored or hollow units. Don't load it until it has cured.
Before the awning goes up, check three things
  • Every bracket is level across the full width — check with a level, not by eye.
  • Every bracket is plumb and in the same plane — check with the string line.
  • Every fastener is fully tightened to the anchor maker's torque. Over-torquing an expansion anchor pre-cracks the brick, which is a slow failure you won't see.
4

Lift it on and lock every bracket

This is the moment with the highest injury risk on the job. Brief everyone before you pick it up, and agree who calls the lift.

Orientation matters. Lift it with the fabric roller sitting above the square bar. Get it the other way round and the fabric will unroll from underneath, which fouls the square bar and runs the motor backwards to its limits.

Lift it with the roller ABOVE the square bar roller / cassette on top square bar underneath Two people minimum. A 5 × 3 m cassette awning is 80–100 kg. Over 5 m wide, use three or four. Then lock every bracket retaining bolt This bolt is the only thing stopping the square bar rotating or lifting out. Never extend the awning without it.
Square bar into every bracket, then the retaining bolt into every bracket. On many systems the retaining bolt goes in from the bottom upwards, and you may need to press down on the square bar to get it started.
  1. Have the brackets ready — if yours take a square nut or T-nut, drop it into the slot before the lift.
  2. Lift together and lower the square bar into the brackets. It should seat snugly across all of them. If one is proud, stop and shim it rather than forcing the bar.
  3. Line the awning up with your end marks.
  4. Fit and tighten the retaining bolt, grub screw or clamp plate in every bracket. Work from the outer brackets inwards, re-checking level between each.
Never extend the awning before the brackets are locked

The retaining bolt is the only thing stopping the square bar rotating in the bracket or lifting straight out of it. On a 6 m awning at 3.6 m projection, published figures put the uplift on each bracket at the awning's own rated wind at over 3 kN — around 320 kg, most of it on the top fastener. Lose the pitch setting and the arms walk out of alignment; lose the bar and the awning comes down.

5

Release the arms and open it for the first time

  1. Walk the line and confirm every bracket bolt and every retaining bolt is tight.
  2. Move every ladder, trestle, tool and person out from in front of the front bar. Nothing in the arc of travel.
  3. On a motorised awning, don't power it up yet.
  4. Stand underneath and behind the front bar. Slide the transit sleeves off one arm at a time.
  5. Open it slowly. On a crank unit, wind out gently and watch the fabric leave the roller and the arms break at the elbow. On a motor with unset limits, run it in short bursts and watch the fabric edge and the centre supports — an unset limit is how fabric gets damaged on the very first extension.
6

Set the pitch

Pitch is what makes rain run off instead of pooling, so this step is structural. Set it with the awning extended, one arm at a time, with a helper taking the weight of the front bar.

One arm at a time — and take the weight off first lift arm bracket — see detail A helper lifts the front bar so the stop screw carries no load — a loaded screw strips. Which way the screws go 1 · Arm bracket screw loosen 1–2 turns · never past 3 2 · Stop screw sets the angle screw IN arm rises · less fall screw OUT arm drops · more fall A bang as the conical washer releases is normal. Retract the awning before final tightening.
Lift first, adjust second. Turning a stop screw that is carrying the full arm load is the quickest way to strip it.

The sequence

  1. Extend the awning fully.
  2. Loosen the arm bracket screw one to two turns. Do not go past three complete turns — beyond that you are releasing the arm itself.
  3. Have your helper lift the front bar so the stop screw is unloaded. A bang as the conical washer releases is normal, not a failure.
  4. Turn the stop screw: in raises the arm (less fall), out lowers it (more fall).
  5. Do the other arm the same way. Alternate in small increments rather than driving one side to final and chasing the other.
  6. Sight along the front bar — it must be level. That, not the arms, is your datum.
  7. Retract the awning, then tighten the arm bracket screws thoroughly. Where a torque is published, use it (some models call for a minimum of 50 Nm on the arm bracket nuts).
How much fall you need
Pitch Fall per metre of projection When to use it
10° ≈ 176 mm Manufacturer minimum. Sheds light rain; don't go flatter
14° ≈ 250 mm A good general setting, and the minimum at least one manufacturer allows for use in rain (a 25% gradient)
25° ≈ 466 mm A steep setting where headroom allows — sheds heavy rain fastest

If you run out of adjustment and the front bar is still too low, you can shim the wall brackets upward — but shim every bracket by the same amount, and only with solid packers, never washers stacked on a bolt.

Don't extend it all the way

A correctly set awning stops with the arms still slightly bent at the elbow and the fabric snug. Running the arms dead straight takes the tension out of the fabric and it will flap and sag. If the arms close unevenly, ease the coupling on the arm that closes early and slide it slightly outboard until the elbows match.

7

Fabric, centre supports and valance

Over the top The fabric leaves the roller from the top and runs out above the arms. From underneath The fabric fouls the square bar and the motor runs backwards to its limits. Damage follows. Centre support sits on a seam seam keep a small gap — the fabric must not rub either lip The seam is the toughest line in the fabric — that is why the support belongs under it.
Three fabric checks that people get wrong. Roll direction, centre support position, and how much tension to leave in it.
  • Roll direction. The fabric must come off the top of the roller. If it's coming from underneath, keep unrolling until it flips over the top, then roll it back up until the arms bend slightly and the fabric goes taut.
  • Centre supports sit under a seam. The seam is the thickest, toughest line in the fabric — that's exactly why the support belongs there. Set the angle so the fabric doesn't touch either lip of the cradle.
  • Tension. Snug, not drum tight. If it's slightly slack at full extension, use the motor's back-impulse (fabric tension) function rather than moving the down limit.
  • Valance. Slide it into the front profile and refit the end cover. It's the most exposed part of the awning — some owners take it off and store it over winter to make it last.
8

Motor, limits and sensors

Get the awning connected — plug-in lead into an existing outdoor socket yourself, or a licensed electrician for anything hardwired — and then set the limits before you do anything else.

Setting the limits

Every motor brand has its own button sequence, so work from the motor's instruction sheet, not from memory. What matters is the outcome, which is the same across all of them:

  • The down (extend) limit stops the awning at full projection with the fabric taut and the arms still slightly bent.
  • The up (retract) limit closes it fully without the motor straining against the stop. On a cassette awning the upper limit is usually learned automatically by the motor — don't try to force it manually.
  • Check the direction of rotation first. If down runs the wrong way, reverse the motor before setting anything. Getting this wrong with a cassette awning damages it on the first retraction.
  • Set the intermediate ("my") position if the customer wants a favourite half-open setting.
  • Re-check the limits after any pitch change — altering the angle changes where the front bar lands.
Wind sensor — the most valuable accessory on the awning

Anemometer type: mount it vertically, high, in the most exposed spot near the awning, never under the awning itself or under a light. Set the threshold below your awning's rated wind class — the Sirocco FA22 is rated to 38 km/h and the FA42–FA48 to 49 km/h, so about 30 km/h is a sensible starting point, and lower again on an exposed or coastal site. Test it by blowing hard on the cups.

Motion type: these mount on the front bar and sense movement rather than airspeed. Pair to the motor, set the sensitivity mid-range, then test by extending the awning and shaking the front bar — it should retract. If it starts retracting by itself every 15–30 minutes, the battery is low or it's mounted wrong.

Sun sensor: mount it facing the sun, vertically. Test by shading and exposing it. Whatever else is set, the wind function must override the sun function and every user command.

9

Commission it and hand it over

Run the awning out and back several times and watch it. Most setting errors show up on the third or fourth cycle, not the first.

  • Every bracket fastener tight, brackets plumb and level across the full width.
  • Square bar seated in every bracket, retaining bolt fitted and torqued in every one.
  • Pitch equal both sides, front bar level, minimum inclination met.
  • Front bar clearance checked with the awning fully out — you can walk under it comfortably.
  • Fabric rolls over the top of the roller; centre supports on seams with clearance to both lips.
  • Arms slightly bent at full extension; fabric snug, not over-extended.
  • Motor limits set both ways, no strain at either stop, direction correct.
  • Wind sensor tested and threshold recorded. Sun sensor tested if fitted.
  • Remotes paired, "my" position set, spare remote handed over.
  • Isolation point shown to the owner — the socket, or the isolating switch.
  • Transit sleeves, manuals and crank handle handed over and their purpose explained.
  • End caps, hood and valance fitted; fixing covers clipped on.
  • Wall made good — penetrations sealed, swarf cleaned up, no rust-staining steel dust left on brickwork.
Write down the wind limit you have actually achieved

European awning manufacturers require the installer to declare in writing, at handover, what wind resistance class the finished installation achieves — because that number depends on the fixings used and the substrate they went into, both of which are the installer's decisions, not the manufacturer's. A Class 3 awning fixed into soft cored brick is not a Class 3 installation.

It's good practice in Australia too. Record the substrate, the anchors used, the wind speed the awning must be retracted at, and the sensor threshold you set. Have the owner sign a copy. If a storm ever damages the awning, that piece of paper is the whole conversation.

What to tell the owner

  • Retract it in wind. Above the rated wind speed (38 km/h for the FA22, 49 km/h for the FA42–FA48) the awning must come in — and well before that if it is flogging — even if the fabric is wet. Wind beats everything.
  • Retract it when nobody's home, and overnight. Rain pooling on a flat awning is what collapses them.
  • Never hang anything from it — no lights, no ropes, no shade sails, no plants.
  • Keep heaters and barbecues clear of the fabric and the arc of travel.
  • If it goes away wet, put it out to dry at the first opportunity, or you'll get mildew.

Keeping it safe

The fixings are in tension every day of the awning's life and the load cycles with every gust. That is exactly the loading that works anchors loose over time.

Manufacturers publish cleaning intervals but generally do not publish a re-torque schedule. The intervals below reflect published maintenance guidance plus sound practice for a permanently loaded cantilever fixing.
What How often Notes
Run it out and back At least every 2 months Keeps the mechanism free even if it isn't being used
Re-check and re-torque all bracket bolts, retaining bolts and arm bracket nuts At 6–12 months, then annually Look for rust staining, spalling or movement around any anchor — all early signs of a failing fixing
Clean frame and fabric Annually; more often near the coast Soft cloth, tepid water, mild soap. No pressure washer — it damages fabric and electrics
Clean the powder coating Every 6 months; every 2–3 months in marine areas Salt left on the coating is what starts corrosion
Brush the fabric As needed Soft dry brush; occasional hose down with cold water on a sunny day so it dries out
Test the wind sensor Annually And change the battery on wireless units
Store the valance Over winter, optional It's the most weather-exposed part of the awning

If something isn't right

Symptom Likely cause What to do
Front bar isn't level Arms set to different pitches Re-set one arm only, using the front bar as the datum
Fabric sags or flaps Arms extended dead straight, so all tension is gone Bring the down limit in slightly so the elbows stay bent, or use the motor's fabric-tension function
Awning binds or judders Brackets out of plane, or square bar not seated evenly Slacken off, shim the brackets true, re-seat and re-lock
Motor stops part way Thermal cut-out after continuous running, or a limit set wrong Let it cool for 15–20 minutes, then re-check the limits
Awning retracts by itself every 15–30 min Wireless wind sensor battery low, or mounted incorrectly Replace the battery, check the mounting position
Water pools on the fabric Pitch too shallow Increase the fall. Below 10° this will keep happening
Fabric rubs and marks in one spot Centre support set too tight or not under a seam Re-position onto the seam and re-set the cradle angle
What is normal in awning fabric — and not a fault

Acrylic awning fabric is made from panels stitched together and rolled under tension, so it shows characteristics that look like defects but are recognised across the industry as normal — and are commonly outside the scope of a fabric warranty. Check the warranty supplied with your awning.

  • Creasing and fold lines from packing and rolling, sometimes visible as darker lines against the light — most noticeable on pale colours.
  • Puckering and small waves along seams and hems, because the upper panel at a seam has further to travel around the roller than the lower one.
  • Waffling — a subtle dimpled effect from the weave, made more obvious by moisture or raking light.
  • Slight drooping of the side hems when the awning is extended.
  • Colour appearing to change with viewing angle and light.

Wrinkles usually settle once the awning has sat fully extended in the sun for a while. None of these affect how the awning works — but it's worth telling the customer at handover rather than after their first phone call.

Read with: Part 1 — Selecting where to mount your folding arm awning.

Important. This guide describes the practice common across folding arm awning systems. It does not replace the installation manual supplied with your awning, or the technical data supplied with your anchors — where they differ, follow theirs. Button sequences for motors and sensors vary by brand and model. Electrical installation work must be carried out by a licensed electrician.

Sources consulted include Turnils/Sirocco FA Series fabrication and installation manual (Hunter Douglas Australia), Contract Blinds "Fitting Instructions of Folding Arm Awning — Australia", Aluxor product and maintenance documentation, markilux 6000 fitting instructions and handover declaration, weinor Cassita assembly instructions, SunAir and SunSetter installation manuals, Somfy motor and sensor programming documentation, EN 13561 wind class data as published by manufacturers, and Australian electrical licensing guidance.

Keep this one handy on site, and read the other half of the pair before you drill.

Download the PDF First: where to mount it All installation guides