House awnings: what to choose, how big to go and what it costs fitted

Every domestic awning is a roller tube, a fabric cover and a pair of spring-loaded folding arms. What changes is how much protection the rolled-up fabric gets. An open awning leaves the roll exposed under a small hood. A semi-cassette covers the top and front of the roll. A full cassette closes the fabric and arms inside a sealed aluminium box when retracted, which is why it lasts longest in a wet climate and why it costs more. Pergola systems are a different animal: a fixed frame on posts with a fabric roof that slides or folds, for areas too large or too exposed for arms alone.

Width is the easy one: match the area you want to shade, typically the full width of the patio doors plus half a metre each side. Projection, how far the awning reaches out from the wall, is where people under-buy. The sun is rarely straight overhead in Britain, so an awning needs to project further than the table it is shading. For a dining table for six, 3m of projection is a sensible minimum; 3.5m gives room to push chairs back. The fitting height limits projection too, because the front bar slopes down as it extends and needs to stay above head height.

Manual crank handles are still sold, but on anything over about 3m wide the effort and the time make them a chore, and a chore does not get used. Everything we fit is Somfy motorised with a remote as standard. Add-on sensors take it further: a wind sensor retracts the awning automatically in a gust, a sun sensor extends it when the patio warms up, and both can be paired with a phone app.

Frames are powder-coated aluminium in white, anthracite or a colour to match the windows. Fabrics are solution-dyed acrylic, which holds its colour and sheds water; stripes and plains are both available and a plain in a mid tone usually dates least. A valance on the front bar adds a traditional look and a little extra low-sun shade; leaving it off gives a cleaner line.

The awning's whole load goes into a handful of wall brackets, so the wall matters more than the awning. Solid brick and blockwork are straightforward. Cavity walls need resin anchors or through-bolts. Render, insulated cladding and timber frame each need their own approach, and the survey confirms which. This is not a job for standard rawlplugs, and it is the main reason we fit rather than supply only.

Awnings are shade products. They cope with light rain if pitched steeply enough to shed it, but they should be retracted in strong wind and never left out overnight. The systems we fit are wind-rated for exposed Cheshire and Warrington sites, and a wind sensor removes the need to remember. Our separate guide on wind and weather covers the ratings in detail.