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Frequently
Asked Questions
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| Q: |
Can Discount
Awning customize my order with other sizes, colors or designs? |
| A: |
No, we offer only the standard
products shown here. These are popular sizes and colors that we make in large volumes so we can offer unequalled quality at unbeatable
prices.
If you require custom products than we regretfully cannot be of
assistance. We recommend that you contact your local awning company by
looking in the yellow pages under "awnings" or
"canvas".
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| Q: |
How
long will the fabric last and will the awning fade? |
| A: |
Our
SunBrella fabric is made from 100% solution dyed fibers. Solution dying
locks the dye in the fiber while it is still in liquid form before the
fiber is produced or woven. This ensures unsurpassed color fastness and
is why SunBrella fabrics retain their vibrant colors and resist fading for
many years. It is guaranteed for a period of five years against loss of
color or strength from normal exposure conditions including sunlight,
mildew, rot, and atmospheric chemicals.
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| Q: |
Is
the SunBrella fabric waterproof? |
| A: |
SunBrella
fabric is not
waterproof; it is water repellant. This means that during the finishing
process a water repellant finish is applied to the fabric. Normal wear
and usage will reduce the effectiveness of this finish as will cleaning
the fabric. We suggest that after SunBrella fabrics are cleaned and if
they remain exposed to the elements constantly and water repellency is a
factor, that you retreat your SunBrella fabrics with a water repellant
treatment such as 303 High Tech Fabric Guard which can be purchased at
online or at local awning and marine shops.
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| Q: |
Will
the SunBrella fabric mildew? |
| A: |
SunBrella
fabrics, if kept clean, will not mildew. An inherent characteristic of
the fiber is that it will not support the growth of mildew, as a natural
fiber will. Mildew will and can grow on any surface that is dirty, so to
keep your SunBrella fabric from mildewing you must keep your fabric clean.
If mildew growth becomes a problem please refer to our "care and
cleaning" instructions.
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| Q: |
Can the awnings withstand the high winds in our area? |
| A: |
Our frames are designed to meet virtually all of the US Building
Codes. This requires that the frame be engineered to withstand at
least 75 mph winds. Many of our customers live in areas that
routinely see these levels of winds and their canvas awnings
hold up great.
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| Q: |
How
Difficult is an awning to install? |
| A: |
The design and engineering
behind the our awnings is focused on making installation Easy. One person can
usually complete their first installation in under one hour with basic
tools (ladder, drill, pliers, level, tape measure). Each kit
includes detailed instructions and you are encouraged to call us if you
have any questions during installation. See comments
from our customers on installation.
To view our installation manuals click
here:
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| Q: |
How do I clean my Awning? |
| A: |
The Awning can be cleaned
on the frame or easily removed and cleaned in your washing machine. Please see our cleaning page for specific instructions.
We also include cleaning instructions in each package as part of the
installation, care and maintenance manual.
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| Q: |
How will my awning fit on the window? |
| A: |
The awnings
are designed to extend beyond the widths of most windows. In addition, your
awning, when installed will be a rigid structure and is
designed to accommodate normal winds.
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| Q: |
Is it
water tight where the top of the awning meets the building? |
| A: |
This
will mostly depend upon the surface you are mounting to, but in general
water will not be able to leak down the wall. For applications
where you desire to protect window sills and door jams we recommend
non-adhesive caulk to seal this seam and ensuring a water tight seal.
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| Q: |
What surfaces can Discount
Awnings™
be installed on? |
| A: |
The awnings can be
installed on concrete, brick, wood, vinyl or aluminum. Care should be
taken on vinyl and aluminum to ensure the frame is secured adequately.
We include the typical hardware required for installation to wood and
siding surfaces. For stucco or brick surfaces shields, anchors or Tapcon's
may be preferred depending upon the construction and are available at
any hardware store.
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| Q: |
Should
I leave my awning up year round? |
| A: |
Yes, although it is recommended that these awnings be taken down (a 5 minute process) in winter climates where snow
can accumulate on the fabric. The awnings should also be removed in the event
of a hurricane.
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| Q: |
What is the life
expectancy of the awning? |
| A: |
The SunBrella™
fabric is manufactured
for outdoor awning use and includes surface treatments to prevent rotting and
fading. In mild climates and where removed for winter
snow normally last 6-10 years. In coastal areas with consistently
high winds and intense sun they normally last 3-6
years. A new awning can be purchased for much less the cost to
have a custom cover made by a local awning company.
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| Q: |
Does the awning meet building code requirements? |
| A: |
Discount Awning grew from a company that supplied custom awning products to the South
Florida market. Our founder and creator of our products is a
registered professional structural engineer and designed the awnings to
meet the Florida Building Code. This is the most strict structural
requirement in the US. Although the awnings were designed to
withstand hurricane force winds, we recommend our products be removed in
the event of a hurricane to avoid damage from flying debris.
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| Q: |
Is
there any maintenance required for my my awning? |
| A: |
Your awning is designed to
be maintenance free. We do recommend cleaning the
fabric with a mild soap solution as required (annually or every other
year). You can keep the underside of your awning clean by brushing with a
household broom. See our special section on cleaning.
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| Q: |
What
about custom sizes and colors? |
| A: |
We do not provide custom
awnings and recommend you work with your local awning companies
under "Awnings" or "Canvas" in your yellow
pages. Please realize that a custom manufactured window awning
normally costs between $350 and $700 and can be provided in virtually
any size, shape and color.
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| Q: |
Will
awnings really keep my home cooler? |
| A: |
The
Department of Energy, American Society of
Heating and Refrigeration Engineers and the Florida Energy Extension
Service have found awnings to reduce heat gain by up to 80%. The
harmful rays that fade carpet and furniture are shown to be reduced by
the same amount.
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| Q: |
How
does Discount Awnings™ compare to other low cost awnings? |
| A: |
Because of our Patent and
Patents Pending designs there are no other awnings like ours. The traditional design of window awnings require a welded
frame (that could not be shipped) or a hinged design referred to as
retractable. Other "awnings in a box" designs rely on
only a hinge at the wall and do not provide a rafter.
This design is referred to as "retractable" but we offered these in
the past and customers do not like the sounds made by the frame banging in the
wind. This design resulted in returned awnings that held
water and ripped the fabric or pulled off the building. The our
design design is rigid and eliminates these problems.
Discount Awning uses exclusively
Sunbrella™ awning fabric with a 5 year warranty. Other fabrics
may be lower cost, but they do not hold up nearly as well outdoors as
Sunbrella™, and some fade in less than one year.
Also, Discount Awning is
significantly lower priced than other products due to
our design and large volume manufacturing.
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| Q: |
What is Discount Awnings™ return
policy? |
| A: |
All of our awnings carry a NO RISK 30-day
money back guarantee. If a return is necessary, we will gladly accept it
and give you a refund minus original shipping charges and a $10
restocking fee.
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