Whilst designed for use in sunny weather your patio awning must be robust enough to deal with summer breezes and sudden showers. It is essential care is taken with selection to avoid disappointment or danger so check the following:

Does the patio awning reach an appropriate European Standard, in     terms of quality and performance?
Does the fabric meet European Standards in terms of UV resistance?
Will the size provide adequate shade?
Does my wall need special fixings?
Will I be able to operate the patio awning easily or should it be     motorised?
If electric then how will the patio awning be connected?
If I am out during the day should my patio awning be automatically     controlled to provide shade when I am not at home?
What will happen if I have a problem with the patio awning?

SHOULD I FIT THE PATIO AWNING MYSELF OR EMPLOY AN EXPERT?

Theoretically, a small patio awning can be fitted by a DIY enthusiast. However, patio awnings contain powerful springs and, apart from the very small ones, are too heavy for installation without appropriate equipment and skill.

"Experts can install patio awnings safely using their specialist equipment and skill"

CHOOSING AN EXPERT

Ask about the installer's experience and where they have been trained. Ask for information on previous work and ask for pictures of actual     installations carried out by them.
Ask what types of fixings will be used; different wall surfaces require     different fixings.
Ask whether special brackets are required and what these will look     like.

CARE OF YOUR PATIO AWNING

If manually operated do not force or over-wind the mechanism.
If electrically operated do not leave the remote switch outside where it     may get wet.
Clean leaves or loose dust off regularly.
If the patio awning gets wet open it to dry at the earliest opportunity.
Do not leave the patio awning out if strong winds are expected.
Do not leave the patio awning out in heavy rain or in snow.
Keep insect sprays or other chemicals away from the fabric.
Never put fingers or foreign objects in the way of the mechanism.