Motorized

Got the brochure for Sunsetter, and it said that if I ordered by a certain time I could get $350 off and they would throw in some patio lights. After the first call, some guy came out quickly and then immediately put in the order. The one thing that was bad was the installation. A guy just showed up in a truck and dragged the awning into the garage. When the installers came out and unpacked the awning, there were spots all over the awning. Sunsetter agreed it was defective and sent a replacement (I had to pay to ship), but the whole thing took quite a while to get done. It does get cooler under the awning, but not anywhere near as much as the vendor claims it should.

I gave my widowed mom a motorized Sunsetter awning for her patio. I picked the laminated vinyl so she could sit out and listen to the rain, something she likes to do. I went with the motor since some of the reviews commented on the manual being difficult to turn. Installation into the brick was frustrating because it didn’t come with the bolts or the drill bit, so I had to buy them. The frame has started to rust after only 2 months. The fabric sags a lot, so we adjusted the pitch, trying to prevent the water from pooling – that didn’t help. Adjusting the pitch angle is a pain, and the water still collects on the vinyl cover – mom uses a broom to lift the canopy to dispel any water. The motor is noisy, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s somewhat happy with the awning, even though I’m definitely not.

The 14’x10’ motorized retractable awning I ordered from Sunsetter arrived in a rather thin packing tube. The tube was badly damaged from rolling around in the delivery truck, but everything inside seemed fine but was not after opening the tube – the frame and arms were badly scratched. The installation took about half a day. I had difficulty finding the studs behind the siding. The motor is far noisier than anticipated when it extends or retracts the woven canopy. The beige aluminum lateral arms support the front bar, but pitch adjustment isn’t easy. Also, the awning material sags more than expected when fully open. Our remote works fine through the window, but not through the wall, so has to be moved to use. The wireless wind sensor that came with our awning is overly sensitive, so we don’t use it as Sunsetter was of no assistance when we called for help

I ordered a motorized SunSetter awning to go over the rear doors of my catering business. The plan was to park the van beside the doors and then extend the canopy over the top of everything. Installation was difficult. Everything was done from ladders, so we’d have the height needed. The plan was a success, however, the arms are noisy and look flimsy, so hopefully, they won’t fail. The laminated fabric is waterproof, but it sags so water pools and I am very worried about it collapsing.

It’s the end of the season, and we just purchased and installed our Sunsetter motorized retractable awning. The cost of the motorized model was out of our budget but it comes with a guarantee – hope that if we come across any issues the manufacturer will get us covered. I mention this as Sunsetters customer service is known to be poor. When the arms open, it is noisy. We should have shade on most of our patio. It supposed to work as the company and some reviews state. I think I’ll have to add more retractable awnings once the weather warms up. The quality does not look to be very good so I’ll most likely use a much better brand like RetractableAwnings.com for the additional retractable awnings.

I ordered a motorized Sunsetter awning from a local supplier. After about 9 months the arms started to separate from the main awning frame. Sunsetter told me that they are not responsible as the dealer is “independent” and he installed it. Apparently, Sunsetter does not have vetted dealers that are trained and certified as I found out this guy is a local sanitation worker installing “on the side” for extra money. The woven fabric selections all seem to complement the beige aluminum frame, so don’t expect whites. My wife picked the Merlot color, her favorite wine too. Our deck is 24’x14’, so we picked the 20’x10’ model as Sunsetter does not offer a larger width than 20’. I would have liked the protective aluminum hood, but the cost was getting a bit much, especially when other awnings have it included. The remote operates from inside or out, which is good, as long as it doesn’t get misplaced as it is very small. The motor extends the fabric at a reasonable speed, however, it sounds loud when extending and retracting. I would have appreciated a canopy that covered the full 14-foot deck depth but Sunsetter does not offer it that large.