A Simple Guide to Outdoor Shade Sails (2024)

When the hot Australian summer months approach, spending time outdoors can be unpleasant without the proper shade and coverage.

With an outdoor shade sail, you'll enjoy a beautiful aesthetic and plenty of shade to keep yourself and your guests comfortable and cool.

If you're considering a shade sail at home, read on to learn more about choosing and setting up these helpful home accessories.

Do You Need Council Approval For Shade Sails?

Depending on your location, you may need to obtain council approval before attaching a shade sail to your home or patio. In general, youlikely won't need to obtain approval, but there could be some exceptions.

For example, if your shade sail is exceptionally large, it's always best to ask beforehand. When you check with your local council inadvance, you can avoid the worry or stress about potential issues in the future. Consult with your local council and ask them about sizelimits, design or style requirements, and more to ensure you're able to use a shade sail.

Some councils require that shade sails are no longer than 20 square meters in size and three meters in height. The sail should also notextend past your home's facade in most localities. Anything beyond those guidelines may require prior approval, so it's always best toconfirm before you look for a shade sail for your home.

If you're still not sure about sizing, feel free to contact us and we can help you work it out.

What Size Outdoor Shade Sail do I Need?

The size of your specific shade sail can vary depending on the shape and design that you want to install. Always ensure that the shade sailwill provide you withample coverageover anuncovered outdoor space, such as a concrete patio.

You'll also want to make sure that you have enough room for maximum tensioning at the corners. Corners that are not taught can wear theshade sail down faster, and you also won't have a tight, secure fit which can cause the material to buckle.

Make sure that the sail starts approximately 30 cm or 0.3 meters from each anchor point. If you're using multiple sails, there should beapproximately a 45 cm or 0.45-meter gap between each one to keep them from rubbing together on windy days.

As for the actual size of the sail itself, many options come in predetermined sizes and shapes such as triangles, squares, and rectangles.You can also opt for a custom-sized shade to meet your exact specifications. As long as the shade sail provides you with the coverage youneed, you'll enjoy a cool, comfortable outdoor space.

Measure your patio, deck, or porch to get the total dimensions before you decide on the size of your shade sail. Next, measure the distancebetween each attachment point to give you a clearer idea of the dimensions of the shade sail itself. The final size will be smaller than thetotal dimensions of your patio or deck since you'll need to keep that distance of 0.3 meters between each anchor point.

How to Install a Shade Sail on a Deck

Once you've determined the proper size of your outdoor shade sail, you'll need to decide on the location of each anchor point. To install ashade sail on a deck, you'll likely need to add posts to each corner to hold the sail in place.

Posts should be made of thick wood and secured either by anchoring them to the deck itself or in holes filled with concrete (footings) onthe ground. You may also use a large tree, fence post, or fascia depending on how your deck is oriented. Steel is another option for shadesail posts, but attaching them may require different parts.

Once all of your mounting posts are secured, you'll need to add the hardware and make sure that each connection is facing toward the centreof your shade sail. Tighten each connection securely, then lay your shade sails out in the correct configuration or orientation.

Begin by connection each corner ofyour shadesail to the fixingor anchor points. Hook each one up loosely, then slowly start to tension them using a strapping tensioner. As you tighten the sail, it willbegin to look taught and rigid without any wrinkles, which means it's ready to be enjoyed.

How to Fix a Sagging Shade Sail

If your shade sail starts to sag, you can re-tighten it and bring it taught. One way to do this is by using a wire rope that runs through apocket sewn in the perimeter of your sail. Simply pull the wire rope on each corner until the shade sail retightens and all sagging isremoved.

Another method to fix the issue is through height variation, where the sails are installed at alternating high and low anchor points. Thiscreates something called a hyperbolic parabola. The opposing high points pull the sail up and out, while the lower points pull it down andout to keep everything tight.

You may also use tensioning hardwaresuch as turnbucklesor pulleys.This hardware should be included with the installation, and you can use it to retighten your sail whenever it sags or becomes loose.

Enjoy a Cool Summer with Shade Sails

It's easy to get the comfort level you need to beat the Australian heat with an outdoor shade sail. Not only do these sails look beautiful,but they're an easy way to enjoy a cooler, shaded outdoor space any time of year.

Make sure you install durable and secure anchor points before installing the shade sail. Select the proper size and hardware to install yoursail and experience the ultimate in cool relaxation.

To explore our range of products, be sure to visit our website orget in touchwith us today for moreinformation.