A Comprehensive Guide to Installing Shade Sails
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Installing shade sails can transform your outdoor space into a stylish and functional area, but achieving the perfect setup requires careful planning and execution. In this comprehensive shade sail installation guide, we’ll walk you through the shade sail setup process, highlighting the essential tools for shade sail installation and providing a detailed step-by-step shade installation approach.
There are 5 steps in creating a custom made shade sail structure:
- Planning your structure
- Installing your fixing points (posts/brackets etc.)
- Measuring your area
- Ordering your shade sail using our online ordering system
- Installing your shade sail
Follow these steps carefully and you will have a wonderful shade environment.
Step 1 – Planning Your Shade Sail Structure
There are many, very important considerations when planning your structure, and in fact this is the single most important aspect of the whole process. Proper planning will ensure that your sail structure performs in the way it was intended.
1. Movement of the Sun
The sun rises daily in the east and sets to the west. As the seasons progress, it also moves from low in the sky during the cooler months to high in the sky during summer. Your structure should be planned to provide maximum shade protection during the height of summer, or summer solstice, as this is when it will be needed most.
2. Sail Design & Architectural Twist
Sails work best when they are designed to have a “twist”, or architectural hypar effect. This is where the fixing points are created at different heights, such that the sail is then twisted in order to fit. A flat sail is harder to tension correctly, and can catch water during heavy downpours. We recommend diagonally opposite high and low points to avoid these problems.
3. Sail Size
In order to fully tension the shade sail, we require a space between the sail and fixing points for rigging tensioners, and also catenary curves in the sides of the sail. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you install your fixing points reasonably further apart from each other than the actual shaded area you desire. As a general rule, your sail will begin about 300mm (12”) away from the fixing point.
4. Fixing to Existing Structures
Caution is imperative when considering fixing to existing structures, such as your house. In instances of poor weather and strong winds, the loads placed on fixings by the sail are enormous. To ensure that your existing structure is adequate to handle such loads, you may need to consult a local engineer or qualified builder.
5. Steel vs. Timber
We recommend you use steel posts for your sail structure. Steel is stronger, will not overly deflect, and will not rot. Rust factors can be compensated by using galvanised or powder coated steel. If you are prepared to remove your sail periodically, timber posts can also be successfully used.
6. Post Footings
An old conservative engineering principal is “1 third in, 2 thirds out”, which means posts out of the ground by 2400mm (8’) need to be at least 1200mm (4’) into the ground. Correcting a post that has leant over due to an undersized footing is difficult. Even a small movement compromises the ability to tension the sail. As a general rule, hole diameters should be around 350mm (1’2”).
7. Underground Services
Ensure your area is clear of underground services, such as sewage and water plumbing, or electrical cabling, prior to digging holes for your footings. Damages to services can be dangerous, and expensive to correct.
8. Local Authorities
You should also check with your local authorities as to relevant building regulations that may be a factor in your development of a shade sail structure. Once you have properly planned your structure, it is time to move on to installing your fixing points.
Shade Sail Installation Video
Common Shade Sail Layouts
