Quick answer
To replace the fabric on a folding-arm awning: measure the roller tube width and the arm projection, order an acrylic canvas to the same dimensions with pockets for the tube and the front bar, extend the awning fully, strap the arms so they cannot snap shut, free the old fabric from the tube and the front bar, feed the new one into the slots, roll it up by hand with the awning open and adjust the limit stops. Never release an arm without a strap.
What you need
- Two stable ladders or a small aluminium tower scaffold
- Two ratchet straps or thick rope to lock the arms
- Allen keys and open-ended spanners (10, 13 mm) for the tube brackets and limit stops
- Flat screwdriver, pliers and Stanley knife
- 5 m tape measure
- Work gloves and a second person
- Solution-dyed acrylic canvas, 300 g/m² (Sauleda, Docril, Dickson Orchestra) with sewn pockets for the tube and the front bar, made to measure (awning shop, or Leroy Merlin to order)
- Plastic rods or flat bars for the fabric pockets, if not included
- Silicone spray for the tube slots
- Spare stainless steel fixings for the front bar
Step by step
- 1
Measure the old fabric and the awning
Measure the fabric width edge to edge (not the awning) and the length from the roller tube to the front bar with the awning fully open. Measure the roller tube diameter and the width of the slot in the front bar too. Note whether the fabric has a valance. With those measurements any awning workshop will make the canvas in 7-15 days.
- 2
Choose the fabric
For the coast, solution-dyed 300 g/m² acrylic canvas with a water-repellent finish: Sauleda, Docril or Dickson. It takes the sun without fading for 8-10 years. Avoid printed polyester (it fades in two summers) and PVC on folding-arm awnings (too heavy for the springs). Light colours keep the terrace cooler.
- 3
Extend the awning fully and strap the arms
Open the awning all the way. Pass a ratchet strap around each arm, joining the upper and lower sections at the elbow, and tighten until the arm cannot close. This is the key safety step: an arm with no fabric snaps shut with the force of a 30-50 kg spring and will break a finger or a hand.
- 4
Free the front bar from the fabric
At the ends of the front bar there are caps or screws closing off the slot. Remove them and slide the fabric out of the bar by pulling it to one side; if it is screwed in, remove the screws. On awnings with a valance, the valance sits in a second slot.
- 5
Free the fabric from the roller tube
With the fabric loose from the front, turn the tube by hand (or with the motor on lower, carefully) until the fabric unrolls and you can see the pocket that sits in the tube slot. Remove the caps or screws from the ends of the tube and slide the fabric out of the slot. If the tube is very high or heavy, lower it by releasing the brackets with the help of the second person.
- 6
Feed the new fabric into the tube
Insert the rod in the rear pocket of the new fabric into the roller tube slot from one end, centring it. If the slot is dirty or rusty, clean it and spray silicone first. Refit the end caps.
- 7
Feed the fabric into the front bar
Slide the rod in the front pocket along the slot in the front bar, centre the fabric and refit the caps and screws. If the awning has a valance, sew it on or slide it into its slot now.
- 8
Roll up, release the straps carefully and adjust
Roll the fabric up by hand or with the motor, checking it goes on straight and without creases; if it runs off to one side, unroll and re-centre. With the fabric taut, loosen the arm straps slowly and one at a time: the arms now pull on the fabric and tension it. Adjust the limit stops on the motor or the crank so the awning closes without the fabric going slack or the arms straining.
When recovering pays off and when you need a whole new awning
Replacing just the fabric pays off when the frame is sound: the arms open and close straight, the springs still have force (the awning tensions itself as it opens), the roller tube is not bent or rusted inside, and the motor or crank works. A made-to-measure 4x3 m acrylic canvas costs 150-250 € in material, against 600-1,500 € for a new awning installed.
It does not pay off when the arms are bent or one spring has lost its force (the fabric goes slack on one side), when the wall brackets move or the anchors are rusty, when the tube is pitted by salt air, or when the awning is 15-20 years old and spares no longer exist. In those cases a new canvas lasts one summer and then you are back where you started.
| Symptom | What it is | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric split along the folds, faded, with holes | Worn-out fabric | Replace the fabric (150-300 €) |
| Fabric slack on one side when open | One arm spring with less force | Replace the arm (90-160 €) before fitting fabric |
| New fabric creases as it rolls up | Bent tube or fabric off centre | Re-centre; if the tube is bent, replace the tube |
| Awning does not close fully | Motor limits badly set or fabric too long | Adjust the limit stops |
| Black mould on the fabric | Fabric stored damp or untreated | Clean with mild soap; if it is ingrained, replace |
Common mistakes when replacing awning fabric
- Releasing an arm without a strap. The arm snaps shut. It is the most common serious awning accident, and it happens every summer.
- Working in wind. The fabric becomes a 10 m² sail and pulls on the ladder. A still day, in the morning.
- Measuring the new fabric from the shrunken old one. A 10-year-old canvas has shrunk 2-4 cm; measure the awning, not the fabric.
- Buying cheap polyester. On the Costa Blanca, with 300 days of sun, it fades and tears in two summers. Solution-dyed acrylic.
- Not centring the fabric on the tube. It rolls up crooked, creases and rubs on the arms. Measure from each end of the tube.
- Running the motor while someone holds the fabric. Hands end up in the tube slot. The motor only when all hands are clear.
When to call a professional
A folding-arm awning weighs 30-60 kg, sits three metres up and has springs with enough tension to break a hand. If the awning is over 4 metres wide, on a balcony with no room for two ladders, is a cassette type (the arms sit inside a box and more has to come apart), or one arm has lost force, we do it with a tower or double ladders and leave it adjusted in a morning.
Manitas Costa prices: recovering up to 4 m, 150-300 € with acrylic fabric included; arm replacement 90-160 €; motorisation with a Somfy remote 250-420 € if you want to get rid of the crank while you are at it. We choose the fabric with you from a sample book, have it made to measure and fit it in 7-15 days. Fixed price on WhatsApp from a photo of the open awning and the measurements, 6-month written guarantee.
More in awnings in Valencia, Alicante and on the Costa Blanca and in how much an awning costs installed. We work in Valencia, Alicante, Benidorm, Torrevieja and Dénia.
Which fabric to choose on the coast and how to make it last
The Costa Blanca sun and salt air finish off any polyester canvas in two years. Solution-dyed acrylic (the colour is in the fibre, not on the surface) lasts 8-12 years with little loss of colour. The brands we fit are Sauleda and Docril (Spanish) and Dickson (French); all have catalogues of classic stripes and plains, and versions with anti-mould and water-repellent finishes.
To make it last: close the awning in winds over 40 km/h (a Somfy wind sensor does it automatically if the awning is motorised), avoid rolling it up wet if you can, brush off dust and salt dry once a month and wash with water and mild soap once a year. Never clean an acrylic canvas with bleach or a pressure washer: it destroys the finish.
If you are thinking about a new awning instead of recovering, in types of awnings for terraces, balconies and windows we compare folding arm, cassette, vertical and sail for every situation on the coast.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace the fabric on an awning?
Up to 4 metres wide, 150-300 € with made-to-measure acrylic fabric, making up and fitting included. Larger awnings or ones with a valance are quoted per m² of fabric. If one arm has a weak spring, it is replaced first for 90-160 €; there is no point fitting new fabric on arms that do not tension.
Which fabric is best for an awning on the coast?
Solution-dyed 300 g/m² acrylic canvas (Sauleda, Docril, Dickson) with a water-repellent finish. It takes the sun for 8-12 years without fading and salt air does not harm it if it is cleaned. Polyester fades in two summers and PVC is too heavy for the arms.
Can I replace the awning fabric myself?
With two people, two ladders, straps to lock the arms and a windless day, on an awning up to 3-4 m, yes. The danger is in the arms: never release one without a strap, it snaps shut with enough force to break a hand. If the awning is a cassette type or on a balcony with no room, better to let us do it.
How long does awning fabric last?
A quality acrylic canvas, 8-12 years on the Costa Blanca; in areas with less sun, up to 15. Polyester, 2-4 years. What finishes it off is sun, folding while damp and wind. Closing the awning in wind and not rolling it up wet doubles the life of any fabric.
How do you measure awning fabric?
With the awning fully open: roller tube width from end to end (less 1 cm each side), and length from the tube to the front bar plus what goes into each slot (about 5 cm each side). Note the tube diameter and whether there is a valance. With a photo and those measurements we make the exact canvas.