Create a simple awning over your balcony using rods and canvas.
An apartment balcony provides much-needed time outside in the sun for relaxing. Even though exposure to the sun is a healthy part of life, sometimes the sun can become too bright or hot. To continue sitting on your balcony without the fear of sunburn or glare, build yourself an awning for your balcony using canvas and thin metal bars. With a few well-placed hooks and a sewing machine, a simple, attractive awning is easily made.
Materials
- 60-inch square canvas
- 3 thin metal rods, 50 inches
- reinforcement bar rod, 60 inches
- Sewing pins
- Sewing machine
- Heavy-duty thread
- Needle
- 2 plastic elbow connectors, 1/2-inch diameter
- Three 3/8-inch diameter screw hook bolts
- Cordless drill
- 1/4-inch bit
- 2 adjustable flagpole brackets
- 1-inch wood screws
Instructions
- Fold one side of a 60-inch square canvas over 1-inch. Pin the fold using sewing pins.
- Sew the canvas 5/8-inch in from the folded edge using heavy-duty thread creating the curtain rod casing. Close the casing at one end with the heavy-duty thread.
- Insert one 50-inch thin metal bar inside the casing. Sew the open end with the sewing machine heavy-duty thread.
- Create a second casing at the opposite end of the canvas. Do not close the casing ends.
- Slide a 60-inch thin metal bar into the second casing. Attach a 1/2-inch diameter plastic elbow connector to both ends of the reinforcement bar.
- Drill three starter holes into the wall above the balcony door, using a cordless drill and a 1/4-inch bit. Drill the middle hole centered over the doorway and each side hole 25 inches from the center hole.
- Insert a 3/8-inch diameter screw hook bolt into each starter hole. The hook must face up to hold the awning.
- Set the enclosed end of the awning on the hooks with the opposite end toward the balcony. Push the hooks through the canvas material to set the hooks around the reinforcement bar.
- Secure two adjustable flagpole brackets to the balcony railing using a cordless drill and 1-inch wood screws. Place the brackets centered directly across from the door, 60 inches apart.
- Insert a 50-inch long thin metal bar into each of the elbow connectors at each end of the 60-inch reinforcement bar inside the awning.
- Insert the two 50-inch bars into the flagpole brackets. Adjust the brackets to pull the thin metal bars away from the wall, tightening the tension on the canvas awning.
- The screw hook bolts will push right through the canvas without extra effort.
TIPS
- Use a 1/8-inch drill bit appropriate for your exterior wall. For example, a masonry bit is used to cut into brick and a twist bit is used to bore into wood.
- Wear protective eye gear when drilling into the exterior of your home.
- Use colorful canvas of lighter colors to deflect the sunlight and prevent heating the balcony.
Copyright A. L. Fetherlin. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
A. L. Fetherlin - Author of "Brynn, the Exorcist" and former day care teacher who uses her home as an experiment in woodworking and building projects.
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