American Light Design Motorized Awnings
Cross-Arm Motorized Awning
The semi-cassette build for narrow-but-deep spaces — up to 12 feet of projection from openings as narrow as 8 feet.
Specifications
| Sizes | 8'–13'5" wide × up to 12' projection |
|---|---|
| Housing | Full semi-cassette housing |
| Warranty | 10 years — hardware, fabric, motor (non-prorated, transferable) |
| Lighting | Integrated LED arm lights |
Perfect for
The mechanism
How it works
Standard folding arms need width to generate projection — the arm has to have somewhere to fold. Cross-arm geometry solves the narrow-and-deep problem by crossing the arms, so an 8-foot-wide opening can still reach 12 feet out.
It carries the full semi-cassette housing and the same LED arm lighting, so nothing is given up other than the width range.
Townhouse decks, side patios, and narrow courtyards are the classic applications — spaces where a conventional awning either does not fit or projects so little that it shades nothing useful.
Why it's worth it
What this system gives you
Up to 12 feet of projection from openings as narrow as 8 feet.
Same weather protection as the flagship style.
Dimmable lighting for evening use of a small space.
The same 30 in-stock and 300+ custom options.
Designed for the decks and courtyards conventional awnings cannot serve.
Non-prorated and transferable on hardware, fabric, and motor.
Ownership
Care & maintenance
Retract the awning in high wind, heavy rain, and snow — a wind sensor does this automatically and is the single best accessory you can add. Fabric awnings are designed to be retracted, not to fight weather.
Let the fabric dry before retracting when possible; rolling a soaked awning repeatedly invites mildew even on mildew-resistant Sunbrella. If you must roll it wet, extend it again to dry within a day or two.
Hose the fabric down two or three times a season and brush off leaves and pollen. Sunbrella cleans with mild soap and water; avoid pressure washers, which drive water into the seams and the roller tube.
Local fit
Built for Virginia, Maryland & DC
Virginia and Maryland summers put west- and south-facing decks out of use from about two in the afternoon. An awning is the cheapest square-footage you will ever add to a house, because it converts a deck you avoid into a room you use.
Our winters mean the awning spends months retracted. Anti-corrosion aluminum frames and a housing that shelters the fabric are what let it come out of March looking like it went into November — and it is why we steer most Mid-Atlantic clients toward cassette models.
Knowledge base
Learn more about Cross-Arm Motorized Awning
Motorized Screen Cost in Northern Virginia (2026): Typical Prices and the Best Systems
Typical installed costs for motorized retractable screens in 2026, what drives the price, and which system fits your patio. Your firm quote is free.
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Is the Cross-Arm covered by the same 10-year warranty?
Yes — hardware, fabric, and motor, non-prorated and transferable, serviced locally.
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How is the Cross-Arm different from the Semi-Cassette?
Same build, different arm geometry — when crossing the arms is the only way to get the shade.
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Motorized Awning Anatomy: Open-Roll, Semi-Cassette, Cross-Arm, and Full-Cassette
The four American Light Design awning styles share the same bones — roller, arms, motor, Sunbrella fabric. What separates them is housing, geometry, and where each belongs.
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Choosing the Right Motorized Awning Style for Your Home
Open-Roll, Semi-Cassette, Cross-Arm, or Full-Cassette — a decision guide keyed to your mounting location, patio shape, and how exposed the awning will live.
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Wind Sensors Explained: Why a Good Awning Retracts Itself
An extended awning is a sail on a lever arm. Here is how a wireless wind sensor protects your investment automatically — and why we recommend one on every awning we install.
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My deck is narrow but deep — can an awning still cover it?
The Cross-Arm projects up to 12 feet from a mount as narrow as 8 — the style built for townhouse decks.
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Motorized Awning Care Through a Virginia Winter
A season-by-season maintenance guide: the fall shutdown routine, the winter rules for snow and wind, and the spring restart checklist that keeps a 10-year awning going for twenty.
View moreThe American Light Design Motorized Awnings line
Retractable shade, assembled in Florida, USA — backed by a 10-year warranty
Our own line of motorized retractable awnings: anti-corrosion aluminum frames, Sunbrella fabrics, Dooya or Somfy motors, and built-in dimmable LED arm lighting on cassette models. Non-prorated, transferable warranties.
