It's hurricane season - be prepared.

In the event of a hurricane, your cover may need to be removed. Call us for simple instructions at 843-763-9378.

Fabric awnings have a design wind-load to withstand approximately 50-70 mph wind gusts. In the event of a hurricane, tornado, or high wind thunderstorm, an awning cover may rip, allowing the wind to pass through the awning and therefore, not pulling the awning frame from the wall.

To prevent damage to your fabric awning cover, you can remove the fabric from the awning and leave the bare frame on the wall. The frame will not sustain damage unless it is hit by a falling tree or flying debris.

For those who are Do-It-Yourselfers, you can remove the cover yourself.  After cutting the bottom lace lines, you will need to go to the top of your frame where the fabric slides in. Once the ends are loose, pull the fabric out of the track. The longer the awning has been installed, the harder it will be to pull out. Then fold up the cover, store in a safe place, and reinstall after the storm.

Most awnings are of similar design. Generally an awning is slid into a track at the top of the framework and then “laced” onto the frame with a rope lace line. Take a good look at the installation and make notes as you remove the cover so you can reinstall it the same way you took it down. It is best to cut the lace cord (rope) at the bottom to save time. You can purchase 1/8″ nylon rope from your hardware store to reinstall your cover after the storm or call us.

Older covers that are 5-7 years old may be deteriorating and may be weak at the seams and sometimes between the seams. The older the cover, the more care you need to use not to stretch it too much so you don’t tear it at or between the seams.

This may also be a good opportunity to recover your awning. Call us for a free estimate.

When a hurricane threatens, our crews are limited to how many customers they can serve to remove the awnings before the storm. If you can remove your cover yourself, you can save nearly half of the cost or more in labor and repairs.

Email or call all us anytime with questions or comments at: westawning@gmail.com or 843-763-9378.