If your awning is older than your college-aged children, it may be time to do some repairs. All things require maintenance, and if you do not take care of your awning or canopy, overtime wear and tear from the elements may lead to leaks. While some damage may be irreparable and a sign you need a new awning, small leaks in your fabric or aluminum can more often than not be patched if you have the know-how and supplies.
Patching an Aluminum Awning
If your aluminum awning is leaking, you will need the following supplies to fix it:
- Screwdriver
- Wire brush
- Stainless steel screws (slightly larger than current screws)
- Liquid cleaner
- Towel
- Aluminum sealing tape
- Polyether sealant (UV-resistant, exterior grade, for seams and metal)
First, identify and isolate where the water is leaking through. From there, remove any local screws and clean away rust in the awning’s holes. Use the new, larger screws to seal the hole as replacements—old screws can rust and create gaps that allow water to leak through.
After replacing the screws, clean the awning with your liquid cleaner and towel dry. Once the leaking area is dry, you have two options.
You can use the aluminum sealing tape to cover the area and prevent further leaking. It usually works for a few months and can be an effective, short-term fix.
You can also apply polyether sealant that is resistant to UV and made for exterior, metal seams. If applied correctly and to a clean surface, the sealant should dry and fill the crack, preventing further leaking.
Patching a Cloth Awning
If you are patching a cloth awning, you will need the following:
- Clear repair tape
- Extra awning material (ask supplier to match your current awning)
- Non-abrasive fabric cleaner
- Towel
- Fabric scissors
- Outdoor glue
Depending on the size of the leak, there are a few methods for fixing cloth awnings. First, lay the awning on a flat surface, and then using the repair tape, cover one side of the leaking area with multiple strips. Try to overhang one edge of the tape over the strip beneath so there aren’t any gaps—think of them like shingles. Once you’ve done one side, flip the material over and tape the other side as well in the same manner.
If you have a large rip in your cloth awning, you should patch the leak with cloth instead of tape. Take the extra awning material and outdoor glue and use scissors to trim away the frayed fabric by the tear. Then apply glue to the edges of the tear and straighten the extra fabric beneath the tear so the pattern lines up correctly and shows through the hole. Let the fabric dry in place and apply extra glue if necessary.
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