Come Up With a Great Design
The first step to building a perfect shade sail structure is to determine the area you need to cover and the overall shade you require. A strong shade requires a certain degree of shape and twist to ensure that it keeps its tension and does not flap in the wind. This is achieved using alternate high and low fixing points to twist the sail. This design is known as Hypar. You can also choose any type of 3-dimensional shape that’s appealing to you. Do you want to add posts and create a 5-6 post sail? You can do all these things if you stick to your sail maker and engineer’s recommendations. It is advised that you avoid three-sided sails.
Sun Shadow
The direction of sunlight varies during the day and also from season to season. Thus, when designing your shade sail, it’s important to consider the path of the sun. This will help you determine the most appropriate place to position your shade. For instance, if you design your sail structure for ample coverage during midday, it cannot be as effective during the afternoon. To correct this, you need to increase the overall footprint of the shade on the east and north-eastern sides.
Consider a Retractable
A retractable sail is a good option if you want the flexibility of controlling the amount of shade at a particular time. It is great for shade and added comfort during summer. It is similar to a fixed sail, only that you can retract it whenever you want. This pull-back option allows for better temperature control during the cooler months or in the afternoons when the sun goes down. A retractable shade also ensures your home doesn’t miss out on natural solar heating during winter.
Select a Fabric
Next, you need to select the fabric of your shade sail, and this depends on several factors. You want to choose a durable fabric structure that will serve you for a long time. A structure that can increase airflow and give a welcoming relief. We have been working with commercial95, and they have high-quality, heavy-duty, strong outdoor fabric for permanent shade solutions. Their products maximize sun protection; they combine durability and strength to ensure maintenance-free longevity and performance. You can check them for the best fabrics.
Choose Color
You need to choose colors for the shade fabric and post or frame-powder coating. When choosing colors, you will notice that you will have a variety to choose from. Typically, each fabric comes with a set of colors to choose from. Lighter colors show more dirt than dark colors. Dark colors can result in less available light beneath them, but the difference is not very significant; it almost goes unnoticed. A quick tip; choose a color that matches your outdoors for aesthetics. If you are getting new metal work, you will have to choose a powder coating finish. It improves appearance and corrosion resistance.
Have it Made Right
Have a professional do you a shade sail that fits. This is because all shade materials stretch under tension, and to achieve this, they must be designed and manufactured in 3-Dimensional software programs. This way, you will obtain a robust shade with an improved lifetime. It is very difficult for non-professionals to pull this up. It is advisable to install all posts and fixing first, then take exact measurements from point to point the make a custom sail. This is because installing concrete posts to fit a standard-size sail always ends in frustration. You end up with a sagging, flapping pile of mess.
Planning and Construction
You need to take time and effort planning for your shade sail. This way, you will get a much better-looking shade and something that works from day one with minimal maintenance and lasts a long time. Some problems that might occur are structure, not to specification, or incorrect footing sizes, and post heights. Although they might seem minor, they can later cause huge issues such as; unflattering appearance, sail flapping, unwanted noise, shortened lifetime, and catastrophic failure. Shade sails seem simple; hence very easy to underestimate what it takes to design and construct a good shade. So, you might wonder, can I put the shade structure myself? It is not advisable to put the shade structure yourself for the reasons mentioned. However, a handyman can help at certain stages of the construction. Working with a professional is the best way to get quality service.
This is how you go about building a sail shade structure. As you have seen, it is not rocket science if you follow the steps keenly. However, you don’t have to be worried because we got you here at Shade Pro. We are experts in providing permanent shade solutions, and we make working with us worth your while. We have been in this business for eighteen years and pride ourselves in providing quality shade solutions to our clients. We have worked with several commercial and residential clients, and they have loved our services. Contact us today. Let us transform your outdoor spaces!
