Attaching a folding-arm awning to weatherboard house

I have a folding-arm awning 4m wide by 3m projection that I want to install.

The awning comes with brackets and expanding bolts for brickwork, but no details about fixing to weatherboard.

The wall is a gable-end wall and I'm wondering If I should make some sort of backup structure in the roof cavity to distribute the load into the ceiling beams - although I'm not sure if I can mount the awning high enough to do this.

I'm assuming that the wall studs will not be strong enough to take the load directly?

Does anyone have any advice about the best way to fit?

Regards
McBrain.
 
Does anyone have any advice about the best way to fit?
imho..
McBrain,maybe get up into the roof area and have a look how the frame
and top plates are setup , i would just use 100mm wood screws and
fit the frame to the face below the gutter the use a stringline or a red
dot and see if it takes the load.good luck willair
 
I think that screws/nails will pull out eventually, just from the flexing and straining of moving the awining and wind pressure pulling straight on the screw.
click images for makers website

Every hardware store sells joist hangers, post hangers, deck hangers, stirrups, stamped steel pre-punched brackets. there is sure to be something in the right size and shape to go through a jigsaw cut in the weatherboard to tie into the topcap and studs. that will give you steel brackets tied at right angles into the house frame to mount the awning to
 
McBrain,

I also have a gable roofed weatherboard house and recently fitted the same awning to my front deck. However, it wasn't on the gable end wall. I had the benefit of being able to fit it to the facia, underneath the gutter. I just lined up the brackets with the nails in the facia to ensure I attached through to the roof joists. I used 4 inch coach bolts and bolted all the way through.

Now, with an end wall you can't fit it to the facia without it being on a slope. :p So, I guess the question is how to fit it to the actual weatherboard wall itself? :confused: That's a much harder question.

I'd suggest dummying up a full width bracket behind it using a piece of 90x45 treated pine for the full width of the awning. Now, fix this board to the weatherboard wall at every stud using long broad thread screws. In that way you've used every single possible anchor point along the width of the awning. Then fix the awning to the 90x45 board using coach bolts or similar on the brackets. If the 90mm width of the anchor board isn't wide enough to take the brackets then just go wider to suit. If you go to 180x45 for example then this gives the benefit of tortional stability and the ability to whack two screws at every strut, top and bottom. I suggested 45mm depth to allow enough for the coachbolts to grab at the brackets on the awning.

I hope that makes sense. Basically, you'll need to dolly something up to maximise your grab on that wall at every strut, and then fix to this. Spread the load...

Cheers mate,
Michael.
 
Thanks guys,

What do you mean by 'top cap'?

What size are the studs generally? I thought they were only 2" by 1" (I haven't looked).

I'm concerned that the moment of the awning will be to much on the studs an a bigger backup structure would be required.

Attaching to the board under the gutter is not an option as it is a gable-end wall. I have attached a photo. I'm looking to install the awning above the window over the deck.

Cheers
DSC02324_resize.JPG
 
What size are the studs generally? I thought they were only 2" by 1" (I haven't looked)
Yep, if its a good builder then they'll be 90x45 though some skimp and drop it to 70x35.

In retrospect, you might get away with just pre-drilling and coach-bolting into those studs. Are there two or three brackets? Even at two brackets, that's 4 x 100mm coach bolts into the studs. Just make sure you hit the studs! :D

I reckon that would hold. That's all I've used into my facia and it holds really well.

PS Beautiful looking house...

Cheers,
Michael.
 
Thanks Michael,

I think you are right about spreading the load across all the studs. The only problem with this will be that the beam will be visible on the outside. I guess this isn't a problem as we can paint it.

The other option was to go through the weatherboards to the roof joists (if we can get the awning high enough) and spread the load into the ceiling.
 
I guess I need to take a weatherboard off and find out exacty how the studs are. then either go in to the studs directly or attach a board and then attach to that. The awning has three wall brackets.

PS Beautiful looking house...

Thanks. It's my PPOR, just built the deck. I've never done anything like that before but it was quite successfull - but HARD work.

Here's a before and after!

Before:
DSC02186_resize.JPG


After:
DSC02326_resize.JPG


DSC02349_resize.JPG
 
I guess I need to take a weatherboard off and find out exacty how the studs are. then either go in to the studs directly or attach a board and then attach to that. The awning has three wall brackets.
Yes, a very nice transformation indeed!

I've changed my mind, with 3 brackets you've definately got enough strength in 6 coach bolts to take that weight and any torsion the wind might throw at it. Just be sure and hit the studs when you're bolting through the weatherboard. 100mm coachbolts would be fine, but if you're nervous, drop them back to 70mm odd and you'll definately be safe. Of course, you need to be sure there's no electrical wires chasing over that window too. You don't want to hit these when you're drilling through studs from the outside to take coach bolts.

As an aside, how high is that deck? My understanding is that if its over 1m then you need a balustrade.

Cheers,
Michael.
 
I'll try the coachbolts. I'll let you know how it goes.

Deck is only 400mm high so no handrail required.

Cheers
McBrain
 
great looking house, done a real pretty job,
had a thought, what do the makers of the awning say about attaching to timber, they may have a standard item, a bracket extension or something to spread the load better onto the house frame
Shadewell have a good advice guy, in Box Hill Melbourne, don't know if they make the folding arm type
 
I rang a few places, but not Shadewell although I do know of them. The instructions which came with the awning were crap.

I'm going to have a look at the studs on the weekend and then go from there.

Cheers
 
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