Sunesta Awnings

My 20 ft wide Sunesta awning has been in service for a couple of years. When one side began to sag, I tried to adjust the set bolt in the shoulder and discovered it was bent. I tried to order a new one from Sunesta, but they said I needed to replace the entire shoulder….at the cost of $225…not covered by my “lifetime warranty”. I am not impressed.

Purchased a 20’ awning and sunshades on June 30th. Was told they would arrive in 2 weeks, maybe a couple of days later due the July 4th holiday. They finally arrived 1 month later, however, parts were missing and 1 large sunshade did not have the proper parts. Was told everything would be there in 1 week. Over 2 weeks later the parts arrived but nearly another week elapsed before the installation could be completed. We paid a premium price and all the Sunesta Awning factory did was make excuses for the delays. The installers were professional but there was little they could do without the correct parts. There are other awnings out there and I would highly recommend that you do your research before you commit. We went with a local retailer mainly because we had done business with them previously. Don’t buy a Sunesta retractable awning or retractable shades! Very expensive and too many headaches.

Somewhat satisfied with the awning. Try to get it serviced. Over the last month, I have called the installer, Bill Lloyd Awnings in Avalon, NJ 3 times to get it serviced. No return phone call. Called Sunesta office in Florida 2 times, left messages, and no return phone calls. On the 3rd time, a gentleman answered the phone and rudely asked me to call Jonathan, the regional manager to get my problem solved. I have left 2 messages with Jonathan and guess what….He did not return my calls. I am spending more time at this house due to pandemic and I have an awning that doesn’t work!

The installation process of our Sunesta appeared to be really easy for the Sunesta dealer installation crew – so easy that I wish I would have done it myself and saved $1,200. The warranty that comes with the product is surprisingly pretty thorough and covers everything it seems you would need but obviously we hope we never have to use it. Since we started using awning we have been surprised by how little effort it takes to use it. It seems like the materials they use are pretty good and the installers walked us through what weather we could and could not use the awning in. No surprise that when it gets really windy or starts to rain, it becomes hard to roll it up (thus the 3-star quality rating) but it seems to stand up pretty well to light rain with no issues.

I ordered a 20’ Sunesta retractable awning with a 13’ projection to cover my home deck. The metal frame was brown to match the house trim. I had the pros from a local dealer install it, so if anything went wrong, they could fix it. The install looked easy, and they gave me a quick lesson in how everything worked. The articulated arms look funny opening and closing and are noisier (they make a grinding sound) than I thought they would be, as is the motor. I was shown how to adjust the pitch, but I’m not sure I remember, and the instruction manual doesn’t help me. The fabric is supposed to be colorfast and won’t fade. I’m hoping that holds true, especially for what everything cost – expensive!

Our Sunesta motorized retractable awning has been in use for about six weeks. It covers the patio well, but the fabric sags in the middle. The awning operates fairly easy but has a glitch or two when extending. Not sure if it has to do with the folding of the arms and is normal, or if something is wrong and needs to be fixed. I probably should call the installer. The motor is noisier than expected (sounds like gears rubbing), and the metal arms and housing scratch easier than they should for the price I paid. I could complain more but I won’t. It is nice to sit outdoors and not get burnt.

Although my retractable awning purchase was quite expensive, I am somewhat impressed with the quality of the Sunesta motorized patio awning. We’ve been enjoying it for about 6 weeks now. The 18-foot wide retractable awning extends the full 14-feet of our patio, providing shade at the push of a button. The whole operation is quick and quiet! The fabric appears durable and according to Sunesta shouldn’t fade or develop mold or mildew issues for at least 5 years. I appreciated being able to purchase a brown frame which matches the house trim and gutters much better than the white and off-white most other manufacturers offer. The professional installation went quickly, and they cleaned up after themselves! Wish I could get the kids to do that! I also included the wind sensor for added protection. I’m thinking about getting one for my parents now!