Shade Sails
Stay Cool and Protected with a Shade Sail
Shade sails are an easy, attractive way to create shade in your backyard. These simple pieces of fabric store very compactly, making them a wonderful option in areas where they won’t be needed all year round. By blocking UV rays, shade cloths help you stay cool and out of the sun on hot summer days. They’re a great way to add shade to outdoor dining areas, patios, and kids’ play areas.
What is a shade sail?
Shade sails are woven pieces of fabric that are meant to be hung overhead in outdoor spaces. They’re designed to create shade without the need for a permanent structure, giving you UV protection while letting the breeze flow around you.
A great shade sail is lightweight but durable, with reinforced edges that last through multiple seasons. These shade cloths are often made from nylon or other tightly woven synthetic fabrics, which helps them resist sun fading and hold up to the elements outdoors. You’ll often find them with D-rings on each corner, allowing you to hang them directly or to loop a lightweight rope through the rings to the nearest convenient point in your yard.
What do I need to make a shade sail work?
Unlike freestanding umbrellas with a base, shade sails depend on nearby structures to hold their place. You can tie a shade sail to various objects like trees and posts, and they can be strung from permanent hooks for easy setup. Because shade cloths don’t come with their own stand, they’re extremely compact in storage and are convenient to transport. In areas where you plan to create shade every summer, or where you have no other points of contact to affix fabric to, some users choose to install mounting posts for their sails. These posts are built and installed similar to a fence post, letting you create overhead coverage exactly where it’s needed.
In order to minimize wear from the wind, your sail should be taught when hung. However, they do not need to be completely flat. You can also angle your shade sail for better coverage, curving down the corners or angling them from a railing to a rooftop.
How do I pick the right shade sail for me?
To pick the right shade sail for you, consider the space or spaces that you plan to use it in. Then, look at your needs. Different designs may come with or without additional nylon rope or a carrying case, and are offered in a range of colours.