S Series

I’d purchased a small lakeside cabin a couple of years ago. It had a covered porch across the front which blocked the light from getting into the cabin, so I had the roof removed. The difference was amazing. Lots of light streams into the cabin, and it feels and smells so much better. I decided I wanted a retractable awning so I could shade the windows on hot days. I checked reviews for different products and selected the one from Advaning’s S Series. Other consumers said it was light, simple to install, durable, and the canopy fabric was heavy. I found none of these comments to be accurate except installation wasn’t too difficult with extra hands to help; I wouldn’t want to do it alone. The frame is extremely gaunt and the fabric is completely transparent and ectomorphic. The striped fabric jazzes up the cabin, and on hot days the shade is appreciated although since it is transparent, we don’t get much shade. I hope the aluminum won’t corrode, and I’m not sure how the fabric will handle the winter; I may store it in the cabin to make it last longer since I didn’t buy the optional hood cover.

My husband and I have been looking for a retractable awning for our deck for some time. We’d spent hours listening to salespeople and online reading reviews for different models. We finally settled on the S Series. The reviews said it is lightweight, easy to install, and durable but it certainly is none of these plus the polyester fabric has worn very thin. We waited for a sale to bring the price down, and then made our purchase. The awning came in a skinny, brown dinged up cardboard box with all the parts (except the bolts) necessary to mount it to the wall. It doesn’t have the protective housing, so my husband mounted it below the soffit to protect the fabric. The hand crank opens the cover without difficulty, but it’s very difficult to close even for my husband who bench presses 300lbs. The striped canopy adds to the look of our patio and seems durable. We’re hoping to enjoy protection from warm sunny weather. For our replacement awning, we really like the Venezia model from Retractableawnings.com as it keeps out birds, bugs and squirrels and looks to be superior quality.

Found the S Series awning from Advaning on sale at a discount store. It was a great price, so I bought it. When I got it home, I went online to check the reviews, which were not so good. I just hoped mine wasn’t the lemon. The box was banged up, but when I opened it, the awning looked fine. The packaging was intact so it may not have been a return and it had the instruction manual. The mounting brackets were straight forward, but make sure you measure accurately, so you have some wiggle room when sliding in the main bar. The crank rolls the awning out with difficult. A brick wall isn’t very forgiving. The aluminum arms open and support the front bar at the angle you set. The solid boring beige canopy is acceptable, I’d have preferred the stripes, but beggars can’t be picky. It covers the deck, window and sliding door from the sun which is what I wanted it for.

I purchased S Series after reading ratings. It was more expensive than some, but not as expensive as others. The testimonials spoke about its installation, lighter weight, durability, and quality of the fabric. Now that the awning has been installed for about a year and a half, the higher cost was not worth it as the paint on the frame has already begun to peel and the fabric has begun to mildew. Installation wasn’t difficult (well…maybe a little). I mounted it just under the soffit so it would have some protection from the weather. I don’t want the fabric to rot or any metal to rust, but we’ll see. The awning opens with difficulty with the manual crank, and the aluminum arms support the front bar at the pre-set angle. However, you can change the pitch to reduce the sun’s glare as it sets. You need to return it to the pre-set angle before closing, and it’s easier to do if you half close the awning. It is also more difficult to close than open. After the season I’ll let you know if it was worth the extra cost, but so far I don’t think so due to the paint peeling and poor caliber fabric.

Bought this manual awning as a housewarming gift for my sister. It was on clearance, so the price was right. According to the reviews, it’s easy to install, the fabric of reasonable quality, and easy to operate. I didn’t want an electric one as the house has no outlet on the deck side. Installation took a bit longer than planned. You want to leave enough room under the roof to attach the awning to the mounts. The canopy opens and needs a lot of effort, so my sister will build up some muscles closing it. The adjustable angle is a nice feature, not sure how often my sister will use it though. The aluminum arms work quietly but are very flimsy for supporting the fabric weight. The fabric is also thin and as I discovered recently doesn’t even shed rainwater from a sprinkle. In fact, water runs through the fabric. The striped fabric gave the deck a fresh look and brought a smile to my sister’s face, so maybe it’s worth it…..I guess. We’ll see!

We choose the S Series awning for our sun-drenched west facing patio. We’d read reviews on different models before making our selection. Our plan was to install it under the eaves, below the roof, where it would be protected from the weather. We would then be able to roll out the canopy to keep the sun off the deck and windows and enjoy the outdoor space. We liked the Easy Pitch feature since it would allow us to lower the front bar and block more of the setting sun. Installation wasn’t as easy as expected. Make sure you have enough room to turn the manual crank; it works better when vertical than on an angle. Once installed, the awning rolled out with difficulty and the pitch adjusted downward. Raising the pitch takes effort, especially if the canopy is fully extended. Retracting the awning partially before adjusting the pitch makes it a wee bit easier. You may want to do some strength exercises so it’ll be easier to retract the awning too. Seriously! The awning is very difficult to open and close

I picked up an S Series retractable model with solid fabric canopy. The color went well with the house and patio furniture and added a new dimension to the old deck. The awning doesn’t have a cover to protect it, so I mounted it up under the roof to protect it from the weather. Installation wasn’t too tricky, but make sure everything is level before drilling holes. Once installed, the canopy opened with a lot of effort with the crank. The arms and entire frame look lightweight and cheap and the whole thing is made in China and some people say they’re fine; I’ll wait and see. Some of the testimonials commented on how difficult the awning is to extend after it stays retracted for a while – these testimonials were correct! Changing the pitch downward is difficult, and I agree with other reviewers that it isn’t easy to raise if the canopy is fully extended. It covers the deck and the patio furniture; hopefully, I’ll get lots of use out of it, even though it is difficult to both extend and retract. Had I known the awning was made in China, I would never have purchased it – everything I buy made in China falls apart and never lasts!! Buyer beware.