Our latest custom awning is the first we have ever made in this particular style. It is a tension awning, which most often means that the tension between cloth, posts, and non-intrusive anchors on a home’s walls keep the awning aloft, requiring minimal framing. This awning has no vertical posts, taking the minimalist look of a tension awning one step further. The supportive tension is derived from the spars and cables, allowing the awning to hover, seemingly weightless, in the air.
The spars and cables all are supported by one vertical structure; in this case a welded bronze support plaque fits tightly to the side of the house. We welded the bronze support plaque here in our metal shop, while the turnbuckles and cables are traditionally nautical rigging. Powder-coated aluminum plates protect and reinforce each cloth corner, meeting with turnbuckles for easily customizable tension.
The spars themselves are reclaimed spruce from old mill buildings. After cutting them down to the correct dimensions and geometry, Don sanded and varnished the spars so that the wood will be fully protected from the elements.
A variety of carefully planned hardware will keep this awning secure.
Installation is, as always, an important part of every Sperry commission.
This awning is made of Sunbrella®, one of our favorite weather-resistant materials to work with.
Now that we have the shop space and materials to fabricate most of the parts for this style of awning, we plan on making many more of them in the future. The design is modern, elegant, and unintrusive. While the spars are sturdy and very supportive, they are also easy to store and will not take up a great deal of space – making this an excellent seasonal awning. The entire structure will fold up into a condensed package with no cumbersome and inflexible framework.
If you are interested in learning more about this awning and more, please feel free to contact us. To request a quote, you can now visit the Request A Quote page on our website, and we will be in touch as soon as humanly possible.
