Grommets as drain holes in canvas awning?

In news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Square Peg spewed forth:

Another solution you might try is to get a couple pieces of 1" or 3/4"PVC and cut a notch in each end to fit over the frame at the house and the frame at the outer edge. Cut the PVC slightly longer so that when you put it in it bows the awning upward, which would make the water shed off and not puddle in the middle. Because the tension should hold them in place, you could easily remove them when retracting the awning

Reply to
ChairMan
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Thanks. Great information.

As you say, I'm not worried about "compromising" the canvas as it has very little load when not full of water.

Is there anything you know of that I can do without taking the awning down? It's a motorized unit with spring-loaded arms. I can see springs and arms flying around the yard. It's also on the second floor.

However, there are four large windows just underneath the roller mounting housing. I can easily reach the first foot or two of canvas.

You mentioned something about "resinated sailcloth". Is there some kind of resin I can get that would seal any loose edges if I just punch a few small holes?

Thanks

Reply to
Square Peg

If it is Sunbrella (likely) or other acrylic canvas, "open" edges will fray terrible unless they are covered (i.e. grommet or edge tape), OR are "heat treated" as or after the edge is cut. For a one-off repair, a small soldering iron (25w or 40w, commonly available at hardware and home supply stores, or electronic stores such as Radio Shack) can be used to "cut" and heat treat at the same time. A regular gun type soldering iron can be used, but with care, for the heat is high and quick. A small soldering iron would be the quickest and easiest solution. Just plug it in, let it warm up, and punch some holes. However, I'd watch it like a hawk, for "cut and heat seal" edges are known to come apart sometimes. .

The edge on Sunbrella, and any non-acrylic canvas, *can* be sewn over by hand, much the same as hand-sewing a button hole on a shirt, only it doesn't have to be all that neat. Time consuming, and you'd need to wrap your arms around both sides of the canvas, but it would work. Don't use regular cotton or polyester or uphoulstry thread, as they will come apart in the sunlight in short order. Go to a marine canvas house or awning fabricator and "donate" some money to their "coffee fund" for a bunch of outdoor thread, and maybe some sailmakers needles. A sailmaker's palm (about $20) is a good idea as well, though you may be able too get by with heavy leather gloves, or hold a piece of soft wood in your hand.

What also *can* be done is to use regular sewing Dritz Fray Check, though I'd watch that like a hawk as well to make sure it doesn't fray. (I don't know how Dritz stands up to sunlight. FWIW, many resins don't like sunlight at all, with the final surface painted for sun protection.)

If I could get the awning down, I would use cheap brass grommets. If I couldn't reasonably get it down, I would use "button holes" as my first choice. The "heat and punch" of a small soldering iron -- though the quickest -- might be cause for concern longer term. If I wanted to use this last, I'd probably call a couple of awning fabricators and ask them their thoughts.

Resin is added to sailcloth to stiffen it for better sail shape and to make the fabric non-porous so the wind doesn't blow through it.

Good luck.

Reply to
jaxashby

Marine canvas supply houses and awning fabricators have sunlight resistent thread, usually in many colors. That is sunlight resistent, NOT sunlight proof. The thread generally lasts a few years in mid latitude climates, much less in the tropics. In a water draining application, the thread could be pretty far gone and still work. Gore- Tex thread, now called Tenara, is guaranteed to last as long as the canvas, but it is EXPENSIVE. Profilen thread is a competitor, and available on smaller cones. Profilen is available (white or smoke color) as "hembobs" (pre-wound bobbins, just the thread no spool needed) for about $6.50 for 44 yards. Profilen hembobs are not likely to be available in any local canvas supply house. Tenara and Profilen are more difficult to machine sew with because of inconsistent tension issues.

*Some* dental floss is PTFE (what Tenara and Profilen are made of), but I can't remember which brands. People have be known to use dental floss in a pinch.

I'd stay away from hemp fiber (or fibre, to our cousins) as the stuff doesn't last, sun or otherwise.

Reply to
jaxashby

It seems to me that for drain holes, the kind of eyelets used on

18th-century corsets would work fine: Punch a hole with an awl, trying not to break any threads, just push them aside. (Some *will* break, but minimize it. It helps to start with a blunt needle, then enlarge the hole with an awl.)

Overcast around the hole to keep it from closing up again. Some re-enactors report that they use only twelve stitches to hold the eyelet open. Do not buttonhole the eyelet; that's fine for ornamental eyelets, but the purls of buttonholing wear away on laces. And, in this case, would inhibit the flow of water.

(Above not from my own experience; such lacing as I've done is done only once, so I just pull the laces through with a big needle.)

I imagine that it would be important to choose a weather-resistant thread. I've heard that hemp fiber is weather-resistant, and it would have the advantage of wicking water through the hole.

Joy Beeson

Reply to
Joy Beeson

Thanks for that...it may not help the OP, but I'll use it. :)

Reply to
cavedweller

You're really an ungrateful, almost nasty guy. You've given crap to two or three people already, you don't apologize when you misunderstand someone who was trying to help you. Instead you insult him. Are you like this in person too?

Reply to
mm

If you don't want someone, who is already annoyed at you, to take something the wrong way, just say "Thanks" and don't use his idea. Saying thanks won't stop others from giving their suggestions.

If you think maybe the idea could be made to work, just say, "That's a good idea, but I don't always open it the same distance..."

What you shouldn't do is start out "I am not going to go out..." Everyone knows the tone of voice that accompanies those words. It means, "What a stupid idea. I'm not going to do something stupid to make your stupid idea work."

Who cares?

Reply to
mm

replying to Charlie, J Lee wrote: Why not just stay in the house? You can tear the damn thing down and sell it , let the new owner know to mount it unlevel and say it pools water unless you rip it to shreds!

Reply to
J Lee

replying to Square Peg, James Belt wrote: I have a sunsetter awning and it ha adjustable arms and it recommends leaving one side lower and have never had water pool. The wind is another story!

Reply to
James Belt

Ahem, twelve year old (12) post. I'm not surprised though. Another squirrel from HomeOwnersHub that cannot read.

Reply to
ItsJoanNotJoann

Yaybut, pretty funny thread. I went back and read the entire thing. flames and all.. ;-D

Reply to
BEI Design

My mistake, it's actually a ten year old thread. It wouldn't be so bad but he's a cross-posting dummy from HomeMoanersHub.

Reply to
ItsJoanNotJoann

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