What Is the Best Thread for Sewing an Awning?
Quick answer
Sew any awning that stays outdoors with PTFE thread (Gore Tenara, Sailrite Lifetime or Coats Helios P). Sailrite's own sheet gives UV bonded polyester up to 10 years in a mild climate but 2 to 3 years in a harsh one, with no warranty, while the fabric it holds together carries a 10-year warranty that covers the fabric only. On a 12 by 10 ft retractable cover, PTFE thread costs about $10 to $12 against about $3 for polyester, so the price gap is a few dollars of thread, not a reason to choose polyester.
PTFE thread is the best thread for an awning: Gore Tenara, Sailrite Lifetime Thread or Coats Helios P. It is the only kind sold with a warranty that runs for the life of the fabric. UV bonded polyester is cheaper, but Sailrite's own data sheet says its V-69 and V-92 polyester "typically last up to 10 years outdoors in mild climates and 2-3 years in a harsh environment", and that it "does not carry a warranty". Sunbrella awning fabric carries a 10-year warranty. In a sunny or coastal location, polyester seams can wear out years before the cloth they hold together. The extra cost is smaller than most people expect. On a 12 by 10 ft retractable cover we work out the thread at roughly $10 to $12 in PTFE against about $3 in polyester.
This page sets the thread options side by side, explains what the warranties really cover, and says when polyester is still a fair choice. For choosing the fabric itself, see the best awning fabric for your situation.
Awning thread options compared
The figures below come from the maker and dealer documents listed under Sources. Prices are Sailrite's list prices on the day we checked, October 2026, for one color of each spool. Cost per yard is our arithmetic: spool price divided by spool yardage.
| Thread | Fiber and size | Spool and price | Cost per yard | Stated life and warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gore Tenara (regular) | Expanded PTFE, Tex 92 | 8 oz, 1,595 yd, $163.95 (clear $156.95) | About $0.10 | US warranty: not damaged by sun, weather or water for the lifetime of the fabric |
| Gore Tenara (heavy) | Expanded PTFE, Tex 138 | 8 oz, 950 yd | Not priced here | Same warranty |
| Sailrite Lifetime Thread (formerly Profilen) | PTFE, Tex 92 | 8 oz, 1,650 yd, $140.85; also 4 oz, 825 yd | About $0.085 | Sailrite: lifetime guarantee, outlasts the fabric |
| Coats Helios P | 100% PTFE | Not listed by Sailrite | Not priced here | Coats gives no lifespan and states it "can make no guarantee of results" |
| V-92 UV bonded polyester | Polyester, Tex 90 | 4 oz, 1,000 yd, $22.95 | About $0.023 | Up to 10 years in mild climates, 2 to 3 years in harsh ones; no warranty |
| V-69 UV bonded polyester | Polyester, Tex 70 | Various | Not priced here | Same statement; breaking strength 10.6 lb, V-92 "about 30% stronger" |
| Nylon | Nylon | Various | Not priced here | Trivantage recommends it only for fabric "not exposed to the elements" |
Per yard, PTFE costs about 3.7 times as much as V-92 polyester (Sailrite Lifetime) and about 4.5 times as much (Tenara). That is a little below the "five to 10 times" figure Marine Fabricator quotes for Tenara and similar PTFE threads against typical polyester and cotton threads. Per awning, it is a small sum, as the worked example below shows.
The gap between fabric life and polyester thread life
The fabric is not usually the first part to fail. Sunbrella's 10-year limited warranty, effective January 1, 2021, covers its shade and marine fabrics against becoming unserviceable through "loss of color" or "loss of strength" from sunlight, mildew and atmospheric chemicals. For the first five years it adds up to $65 per linear yard toward labor. It is a fabric warranty, and it says nothing about thread or seams. Sattler and Dickson also warrant their acrylics for 10 years (see Sunbrella vs Sattler vs Dickson).
Set Sailrite's polyester figures beside that. Even in a mild climate, the best case for polyester only matches the fabric warranty. In a harsh climate, polyester runs about 2 to 3 years against 10. In Marine Fabricator, Kristi Bidinger of Quality Thread & Notions warns against polyester thread for projects meant to last longer than two or three years, and the same article notes that many threads "can lose as much as 50 percent of their strength" in their first year in the sun. Read the two warranties together. When polyester seams open in year four on a fabric still in warranty, the fabric maker owes nothing, because the fabric has not failed. On our cost page, re-stitching a canopy costs about $150 to $500 (see awning repair cost), usually with the canopy taken off the frame.
Note: "Harsh environment" is not defined on the Sailrite sheet. We treat high-altitude and low-latitude sites (the desert Southwest, Florida, Hawaii) and any salt-spray location as harsh, the same places our awning lifespan guide and coastal awnings guide single out for early seam failure.
What the Tenara warranty actually pays for
Gore's US warranty (document TEN-043-R2, April 2023) promises that Tenara thread "will not be damaged by exposure to sunlight, weather or water during the lifetime of the fabric with which it is used". The remedies go beyond the thread. Gore will replace or refund failed thread and will "pay for an authorized dealer for the reasonable and customary expense to re-stitch any article that was entirely stitched with" Tenara. Few awning buyers know that a thread warranty can pay for the re-stitching labor.
Three conditions in the wording matter when you order:
- Entirely stitched. The labor remedy applies to an article sewn wholly with Tenara. A cover with PTFE on the main seams and polyester on the valance does not qualify. Ask the shop to write "all seams sewn with Gore Tenara thread" on the invoice, and keep it.
- Abrasion, cuts, fires and improper sewing are excluded. A seam worn through where it rubs an arm or a hood edge is abrasion, not UV failure. Our fabric replacement guide already advises keeping seams out from under the arms, and this exclusion is another reason to.
- It is the US document. The terms quoted here are Gore's United States warranty; outside the US, ask for the local terms.
Sailrite describes its own PTFE Lifetime Thread as carrying a lifetime guarantee and outlasting the fabric it is sewn into. Ask your fabricator for the written terms of whichever brand they use. Gore's is the one we could read in full.
How much the thread costs on a real awning
Coats' thread consumption guide puts a 301 lockstitch, the standard lockstitch a sewing machine makes, at 2.5 inches of thread per inch of seam, plus 10 to 15% waste. Coats calculated that at 18 stitches per inch, much denser than awning work, so treat the result as a ballpark rather than a bill of materials.
Worked example
Awning: 12 ft wide, 10 ft projection retractable, re-covered in 46 inch fabric. That is 4 panels and 3 seams, with about 11 ft of fabric per panel once roller wraps are included.
Stitching: 3 seams with two rows each (66 ft), two side hems (22 ft), front bar pocket (12 ft), valance attachment (12 ft) and valance hem (12 ft). Total about 124 ft, or 1,488 inches.
Thread: 1,488 x 2.5 = 3,720 inches, or 103 yd. Add 15% waste: about 119 yd.
Cost: Tenara 119 x $0.103 = about $12. Sailrite PTFE 119 x $0.085 = about $10. V-92 polyester 119 x $0.023 = about $3.
The thread choice is worth about $7 to $9 on this cover, against a re-cover cost of roughly $500 to $2,000. Double the thread estimate to allow for heavier fabric and the gap is still under $20. So "PTFE is expensive" is true for a spool and almost irrelevant for an awning. If a quote shows a much larger premium for PTFE thread, ask what else is included, since the thread alone does not explain it.
Why both answers circulate
Both answers come from reputable sources. Sunbrella's sewing guide recommends polyester: "UV-resistant outdoor polyester thread" for outdoor projects, and V-69 (Tex 70) bonded polyester for professional and industrial work. That page covers Sunbrella fabric in general, including cushions and furniture that spend much of their life in shade or indoors. Sailrite's "up to 10 years" for polyester is also accurate, but it is the mild-climate best case. Thread sellers, meanwhile, argue for PTFE in every case.
The answer for an awning comes down to sun hours. An awning seam faces the sky for its whole working life, which is the harsh case on Sailrite's sheet. For a fixed awning, a cover that stays out all season, or any awning in a sunny or coastal climate, polyester's own maker figures fall short of the fabric's warranty, so PTFE is right. Polyester is a fair choice only when the seams see little sun or a short life is planned. That covers a retractable in a mild climate that is closed most of the day (rolled up, its seams sit in the roll or the cassette), a temporary event cover, or a canopy you expect to replace within a few years anyway.
Thread and fabric pairings
- Solution-dyed acrylic (Sunbrella, Sattler, Dickson): PTFE, Tex 90 class for residential covers. Sailrite describes regular Tenara as similar to a Tex 90 thread and heavy Tenara as similar to Tex 135. See Sunbrella awning fabric for care rules that also protect the seams.
- HDPE shade cloth: Trivantage recommends PTFE thread for HDPE shade fabrics.
- Vinyl and vinyl-coated polyester: where vinyl is sewn, avoid dyed polyester thread: Trivantage warns that "the pigment can transfer to vinyl surfaces".
- RV vinyl awnings: replacement fabrics such as Lippert's Solera universal vinyl use "heat-welded, leak-resistant seams", so thread does not come into it. See RV awning fabric replacement.
- Color: on Sailrite's V-92, only the black and white are solution-dyed, and "other colors may fade from exposure to the sun". Gore reports a light-fastness rating of 8 for Tenara, which it calls the highest score possible. Clear PTFE blends with most fabrics. For what solution dyeing means, see solution-dyed vs piece-dyed fabric.
If you are sewing it yourself
- Check your machine's hook. Sailrite recommends Tenara only for rotary hook machines, because its silicone wax finish "can make the thread tricky to sew". Its own PTFE Lifetime Thread works in both rotary and oscillating hook machines, including the Ultrafeed.
- Match the needle. Gore lists Nm 90 to 140 (US 14 to 22) needles across its Tenara range. Sunbrella suggests 90/14 for lighter fabrics up to 110/18 for heavier canvas-style fabrics.
- Lengthen the stitch. Sunbrella advises the longest stitch length the machine allows: about 4 mm on most home machines and 8 to 10 mm on heavy-duty ones. Avoid heavy backstitching in one spot.
- Skip the seam wax. Coats notes that PTFE and bonded polyester threads are water repellent, "so there is no need to wax the seams".
- Use PTFE in the bobbin too. The Tenara labor remedy covers articles stitched entirely with Tenara, and a seam is only as durable as its weaker thread.
Bottom line: Specify PTFE thread for every seam on an awning that lives outdoors. Polyester's own maker gives it 2 to 3 years in harsh sun against a 10-year fabric warranty, and PTFE adds only about $10 to a typical residential cover. Reserve UV bonded polyester for mild, mostly shaded or short-lived jobs, and never use nylon outside.
Where this answer stops applying
Lifespans here are the makers' stated figures, not results from our own tests. Sailrite does not define "harsh", and no maker publishes years for PTFE beyond "the life of the fabric". Prices are one dealer's list prices in October 2026, and industrial buyers pay less per yard on larger cones. The consumption estimate uses Coats' general ratio, not an awning-specific one. PTFE also does not stop seams failing from abrasion, poor seam design, or needle holes letting water through. Thread alone does not make a cover waterproof (see waterproof vs water-resistant awnings). If your awning is already failing at the seams, our awning repair guide covers whether to re-stitch or re-cover.
Frequently asked questions
Is PTFE thread worth it for an awning?
Yes, for any awning that stays outdoors. On a 12 by 10 ft retractable cover, PTFE thread costs about $10 to $12 against about $3 for UV polyester. Polyester is rated up to 10 years in mild climates and 2 to 3 years in harsh ones, with no warranty, while Tenara is warranted for the life of the fabric.
What size thread is used for awnings?
Sailrite's sheet places Tex 90 (V-92) polyester with heavy canvas, marine fabrics and sails on industrial machines, and Tex 70 (V-69) with decorative outdoor and marine fabrics on home machines. Both PTFE lifetime threads Sailrite sells come in Tex 92, and Sailrite describes heavy Tenara as similar to Tex 135.
Does the Sunbrella warranty cover the stitching?
No. Sunbrella's 10-year limited warranty covers the fabric becoming unserviceable through loss of color or strength. It does not mention thread or seams. Thread is covered, if at all, by the thread maker's warranty, which for Gore Tenara includes paying a dealer to re-stitch an article sewn entirely with Tenara.
Sources and further reading
- W. L. Gore & Associates: GORE TENARA Sewing Thread Warranty (US, TEN-043-R2, April 2023) and GORE TENARA Sewing Thread product page
- Sailrite: V-69 Thread vs. V-92 Thread data sheet
- Sailrite: Selecting the Right Lifetime Thread, Tenara Lifetime Thread, Sailrite Tex 92 PTFE Lifetime Thread 8 oz and Tex 90 (V-92) UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz (prices checked October 2026)
- Glen Raven: Sunbrella 10-Year Limited Warranty (effective January 1, 2021) and How to Sew with Sunbrella Fabric
- Trivantage: Thread guide
- Coats: Awnings need to stand up to the elements and Thread Consumption Guide
- Marine Fabricator: Thread technology: Polyester vs. PTFE (Andrea Swensson)
- Nomadic Supply: Solera universal vinyl replacement fabric (Lippert)
How we write our guides: figures are typical US ranges checked against manufacturer documentation, published standards and installer pricing. Read our editorial standards. Spotted an error or outdated detail? Request a correction.