fran wrote:

Has anyone had any experience with Sunsetter awnings? They are about
$1000 cheaper than the local company, and I get real leary when I see
a 50% price difference.

I am looking at the motorized version to shade a deck that faces east
and southeast, forming a heat pocket that is unbearable in the summer.

TIA

fran

OK, your relevant issues here a

1. What material is the awning proper made from, and how well
does it stand up to sunlight?
2. What material are the support pieces made from, and are they
strong enough to do the job?
3. What material are the moveable pieces, particularly in the
motor made from?

One of the most common ways to save money in items like this is
to make the motor gears out of some form of plastic. The problem
with that is that plastic gears wear faster and break faster than
metal ones. What I'd do is go to the local company and ask them
why their product costs a grand more than a Sunsetter. If the
sales person says 'better quality', try to nail down just WHAT
that means, and whether or not it's worth the extra cost.

When I'm comparing two things of differing quality, I figure out
my replacement time, and then go from there. If item A costs
$100 and item B costs $50, the quality of A had better be such
that it's going to last twice as long as B, or it's not worth the
difference. The one caveat to this is convenience. There are
some things where the convenience-of-use of one model is so much
greater than that of another that it's worth the price difference
even if they last the same amount of time.

Chris Owens


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