Germes Guide

Awning guide
cleaning, fitting, choosing the fabric

Cleaning, removing stains, fitting, measuring and choosing the right awning fabric: 17 guides on awnings, covering the rope tension awning, the folding awning and awning fabric in general. The care pages are split by how the fabric is dyed, the installation pages by the type of fixing. The dimensions come from our sewing workshop in Westoverledingen.

Clean an awning Made-to-measure rope tension awning
At a glance

Four topics and four rules for awnings

Choose your topic. Each card jumps to the matching list further down, where you will find all the guides with their answer in one sentence.

Agora awning fabric in the colour Sand

Cleaning and care

Deep cleaning, mildew spots, green growth, waterproofing and rain: what the awning fabric can take.

5 guides
Installation kit for the angle mounting of the rope tension awning: adjustable brackets, screws, rope tensioners and rope locks

Fitting and measuring

On the fascia board, between or under the rafters, under the balcony ceiling: this is how the awning sits securely.

5 guides
Parts of a rope tension awning: rope, sliders and bar

Build it yourself and re-cover

Sewing panels, making a rope tension awning yourself or re-covering an old awning.

3 guides
Folding awning under a patio roof

Knowledge and comparison

What an awning is, which fabric suits and when a sail or parasol is the better solution.

4 guides
Rope tension awning in a cloud look with cloud strap: two straps at the sides keep the cross tubes apart

Fabric, panels, cloud strap

Four rules from our sewing workshop that you should settle before ordering a rope tension awning.

4 rules
Cleaning and care

Cleaning an awning, removing stains, protecting the fabric

How you clean the fabric depends on how it is dyed: solution-dyed acrylic tolerates more than Dralon, polyester or Olefin. Wash only when needed, because every wash gradually wears away the protective finish.

Clean an awning: gentle on the fabric, stains out Brush off loose dirt, then use lukewarm water with washing-up liquid at 1:20 and a soft brush, rinse thoroughly and dry in the shade.
Remove mildew spots from an awning: different for each fabric Mildew spots are mould. Agora and Sunbrella tolerate a 1:20 bleach solution, Dralon does not.
Remove green growth from an awning: algae and moss Green growth sits on the surface like mildew. What helps depends on the fabric, and a pressure washer is not part of it.
Waterproof an awning: when it helps and what harms Awning fabrics are water-repellent from the factory. Water above 30 degrees and every wash weaken this finish.
Leave the awning out in the rain? What the fabric can take An awning is not a storm or rain roof. In rain, strong wind and storms, you retract it.
Fitting and measuring

Fitting, fixing and measuring an awning

The rope tension awning and the folding awning need load-bearing points, usually the rafters of a patio roof or pergola. The installation pages are split by the type of fixing, and the measuring guide tells you which dimension to enter in the configurator.

Fitting and fixing a rope tension awning: step by step Ropes first, then the panels: on the fascia board, with angle rope tensioners between the rafters or with stainless steel rope tensioners.
Fit an awning yourself: which fixing suits Fascia board, angle bracket or stainless steel rope tensioner: your roof decides which variant suits.
Fixing an awning to roof rafters: between or under Between the rafters, about 8 drill holes per bay and invisible when retracted, under the rafters about 4 and visible.
Awning on a balcony: ceiling mounting of the rope tension awning Under the balcony ceiling, the rope tension awning runs as it does under rafters. The ceiling must bear the pull.
Measuring a rope tension awning: width, length, look The width is the clear dimension between the mounting points. We deduct 10 mm for the tube and end caps.
Build it yourself

Making, sewing and re-covering an awning

If you build your own or re-cover an old awning, plan from the panels: dimensions, tabs for the aluminium tubes and the spacing between the tubes must all fit.

Make a rope tension awning yourself: dimensions, fabric, accessories Fabric panels with concealed, sewn-in aluminium tubes that run on tensioned ropes: which dimensions and parts you need.
Sew an awning: make panels with tube tabs yourself Tabs for the aluminium tubes at a spacing of 38 to 41 cm, plus a valance of 15 cm.
Re-cover an awning: replace the panel, matching fabric With the rope tension awning, each panel is remade individually. The spacing of the tubes must match the existing awning.
Knowledge and comparison

What an awning can do and what the alternatives are

Before you plan an awning: these four pages explain the designs, compare the fabrics and show when a sail, a curtain or a parasol suits better.

What are awnings? Designs, fabrics, limits An awning is a textile shade that can be retracted and extended.
Awning fabric: acrylic or polyester? Agora made of acrylic and Polysun made of polyester are both solution-dyed. They differ in guarantee and care.
Alternatives to an awning: sail, curtain, folding awning Under a roof a rope tension or folding awning, without a roof a shade sail, at the side an outdoor curtain.
Awning or parasol: patio and balcony The awning needs a roof structure and covers the whole area, while the parasol stands freely.
In practice

What to look for with a rope tension awning: four rules from our sewing workshop

You settle these four points before ordering. You then configure the right awning as a made-to-measure rope tension awning or as a made-to-measure folding awning.

Four fabrics to choose from

The configurator offers Dralon, Polysun, Agora and Olefin. Agora has a 5-year guarantee on colour fastness, Polysun and Olefin a 2-year guarantee on colour fastness, Dralon none specifically. Compare the colours beforehand with the fabric sample.

Plan panels of around 150 cm

Panels of around 150 cm wide are easier to retract and extend evenly than oversize panels from about 300 cm. We divide larger areas into several panels, with one panel per bay where there are several rafter bays.

Between or under the rafters

Between the rafters you need about 8 drill holes per bay, but the awning is invisible when retracted and LEDs in the rafters stay free. Under the rafters it is about 4 drill holes, and the structure stays visible.

Cloud look on a slope only with a strap

For the cloud look we add approx. 5-7 % fabric to the length, with a cloud strap the same allowance. Two straps at the sides of each panel keep the cross tubes apart. From a slope of about 7-8 % the cloud look is only available with a strap, otherwise choose the taut look.

Read on

More shade guides

The awning is one of four families in the shade guide. There are separate overviews for shade sails, pergolas and balconies.

Shade guide All families at a glance: awning, sail, pergola, balcony.
Shade sail guide Fixing, tensioning, care.
Pergola guide Roof, shading, curtain.
Balcony privacy screen guide Ideas and fixing to the railing.
Frequently asked questions

Frequently Asked Questions

We make two designs to measure: the rope tension awning and the folding awning. The rope tension awning is made in our workshop in Westoverledingen, Made in Germany. We do not make folding arm, cassette or vertical awnings. The cleaning guides apply to awning fabric in general, the dimensions and installation to our two designs.

The fabric panels have concealed, sewn-in aluminium tubes. The tubes hang from tensioned ropes on sliders, usually between or under the rafters of a patio roof or pergola. You push the panels open and closed by hand with the operating pole, and there is no motor or power connection. When retracted, the bundle of fabric sits about 30 to 35 cm deep under the roof.

On the rope tension awning, the panels with aluminium tubes run on tensioned ropes. On the folding awning, the fabric panel hangs with sewn-on velour tapes, spaced about 40 cm apart, from hook-and-loop profiles that slide in two tracks. You operate both by hand with an operating pole, and both need load-bearing points, usually a roof structure.

The configurator offers four fabrics: Dralon, Polysun, Agora and Olefin. Agora, made of solution-dyed acrylic, achieves a lightfastness of 7-8 out of 8 to ISO 105-B02 and has a 5-year guarantee on colour fastness. Polysun and Olefin have a 2-year guarantee on colour fastness, Dralon none specifically. Dralon and Agora come from Spain. Olefin is denser and not recommended for larger awning areas.

We make a panel up to 320 cm wide and up to 700 cm long. Panels of around 150 cm are easier to operate, and we divide larger areas into several panels that run individually. The number of rope guides depends on the panel width: two under 145 cm, three from 145 cm, four from 300 cm.

An awning is not a storm or rain roof. You retract the rope tension awning and the folding awning in rain, strong wind and storms and park the bundle of fabric under the roof. Agora and Olefin are water-repellent: normal rain beads off, but water seeps through in persistent or heavy rain.

Sources

Last reviewed: 23.10.2026 · Reviewer: Germes-Team

Your made-to-measure awning

We make your rope tension awning to your measurements, with the fabric and look of your choice and the complete installation accessories.

Made-to-measure rope tension awning Made-to-measure folding awning