Shade Sails

Tension Shade Sail or commonly called Shade Sail is one of model canopies style that recently very popular used for shading function because it is very stylist, adaptable to the existing building, simple structure with artistic design, and give aesthetic add value to the building or area where the shade sail installed.

Materials, The Fabric
For this product we have two kinds of materials or fabrics with various colors that usually we use for the sails itself, which is gives the option to the customer to choose which ones is needed and appropriate function to be applied or installed at certain places or areas. There is Non-water Repellent fabric and the other one is Water Repellent fabric.

The Non-water Repellent Fabrics we call it as Shade Cloth or Shade Nets made from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) combined with the Ultra Violet (UV) stabilizers and color additives for durability. And superior fabric is Comtex® a heavy duty, fire rated knitted HDPE shade fabric designed for large tension membrane structures and architectural shade sails. This fabric is lead and phthalate free, recommended for larger commercial installations with unsupported spans of up to 30 meters. Both of this fabric are knitted cloth with porous that designed perfectly for outdoor fabric for shading that give maximum protection from the harmful effects of the sun UV rays and allows air circulation through the porous of the shade sails. When it installed canted in proper tension most of the water rain will shed to the perimeter with a mist as spray effect through knit, if installed flat the water will puddle in the middle of shade sails and eventually drain through the porous.

In aesthetics shade sails also as a decoration or embellish the building or nearby areas beside as a shade function, in this line Shade Cloth or Shade Nets and Comtex® provide various colors more than 12 fashion colors with each shade factor and can block between 90% – 96% of the UV rays. Available in 3.80 meter and 4.0 meter widths can make it in any shape, with extra wide fabric means will reduce unnecessary joins on the shade sails and that’s makes smooth, neat, and better looking.

Water Repellent Fabrics, for the customers who want the shade that give protection from the sun, rain or even  a wind we have the solution to use very versatile fabrics, already recognized, proved and trusted for many years in awning industries there are Sunbrella® and Dickson®. This fabric is ultimate in beauty and durability, made of acrylic fibers with pigmentation added prior to extrusion, which is very strong, UV resistant, water resistant, mold and mildew resistant, not fade or degrade of color, easy to clean and available in hundreds of styles solids, textures and strips colors to be select for your fashion.

Since this fabric is water repellent so need more extra attention to apply it as shade sail, to optimize the water dispersal dripping down need a slope at least 15 degrees and should be in proper design, small mistake or failure to fulfill this condition will trap the water in the middle of the sails when it saturated and heavy may tear or damage the fabrics and failure in installation.

Accomplishment Shade Sail
Shade sail ideally use in outdoor area as a protection from the sun and also rain. Embellish and make your property look great and get the shade function for the patio, a deck, pathway, pools, carport, and boat deck or even for outdoor public areas with wider area such as restaurant, child playgrounds, sport center and etc. To realize all of it must be carefully set from the planning, design, prepare for anchor fitting structure and precise installation.

Thorough Planning
When you are thinking about something to build or intend to cover an area with shade sail, planning is the most important, some points to be consider such as which area will be covered, where will be installed, how the shade sails attached, what about and how strong the structure for mounting points, all aspect should be well planned and also take into account the direction of the sun, as you want to protect and provide the maximum shade for your area. Thorough planning will ensure that shade sail’s structure performs in right way and the shade sail provides the benefits as your intended.

Proper Design
Now you have a plan as an idea then the next step is the design, but you don’t have to worry because we provide the sketch concept in 3D and 2D drawings design with advance *free survey, The 3D sketch concepts drawing can be viewed from several angle and also can be setting in different time and date to accurately determine where the shade will actually fall at certain time and date that will gives you image insight how will look like when it completed installed. Proper design includes adjusting the shape and size of the sail to the area that will be installed the sail, placement of mounting fitting points, strength of posts structure and certainly in terms of design architect and aesthetic that will give visually stunning and elegant impression.

Actually shade sail can be made in various forms depend on the area that will covered, generally rectangular and triangular shapes or a combination of both with overlapping system by adopting the architectural twist design that gives “hypar” effect where one fitting points higher than the others. Well…in this case required accuracy and precision in design that meets several requirements such as: shade sail can be installed with great tension (not loose or wrinkled), provide space for the flow of water to drip down and most importantly can provide the appropriate function as a shade and beautify the intended area.

 

Great Structure with Reliable Hardware
After the proper design has made and approved, it is time to prepare the structure and hardware for fitting. Shade sail can be installed on suitable existing structure (trees, house, and pergolas) or install a free standing post as new structures using steel, timber or even a concrete which should be embedded into ground to get a strong footings.

The things should be concerned when preparing structures to be mounting point is if using existing structures make sure that the structure is strong enough and able to withstand the loads of the sail both in normal condition and poor weather and sufficient in differing height between one point with the other point. And if set up a post as new structures with footings under the ground make sure the excavation area is clear from electrical installation which might endanger, water plumbing or sewage. Careless in determine and handle will raise additional cost to correct it, that’s why we provide *free survey to avoid such these things.

For your great structures and reliable hardware, we recommend you to use galvanized steel for the posts and stainless steel for the fitting sets, as we use for our shade sail projects. Why we use galvanized steel for post not a timber or column concrete? Our considerations are galvanized steel is stronger than timber and column concrete, galvanized steel also not rusting and not become rot when it embedded into the ground compare to the timber. And for the size of the steel posts is depend on how high the posts and large of the shade sail, the higher the posts and the bigger the shade sail then need larger size posts too, for the footings also will apply the same scenario. In our experience we use galvanized steel posts size in range from 4 inch (10 cm) diameter up to 8 inch (20 cm) diameter and made footings concrete into ground with diameter hole around 60cm, and 70cm-100 cm depth.

To attach the shade sail into structures/mounting points need a reliable hardware, on each corner the shade sail we use stainless steel fitting set to adjust the tightness to get proper tension of the shade sail. Fitting set such as D-Ring, D-Shackle, Carabineer, Expand Screw/Turnbuckle and Eye Nut are made from stainless steel 304 grade, it is austenitic steel contains chromium and nickel metal which is high corrosion resistance, that available in variety of product forms and compatible to each others for our shade sail fitting set. And we also have an alternative sail track fitting and we call it “Aluminum Annex”, this will apply when we face the wall as a structures. Using Aluminum Annex gives more advantages for the shade sail, beside as a structure and sail track fitting as well also produces a flushing along the edge, that’s mean there will be no gap between shade sail and the wall and cover wider area.

Excellent Installation

The structures has been set up then the shade sail is ready to fabricated, to achieve a good look and taut tensile fabric should be start out with shade sail that properly fabricated and installed correctly. First take a measurement accurately from mounting point to other mounting point then proceed cutting the fabric with curve design on each perimeter and give spare space between the corner of the sail and the mounting point, this is to accommodate stretch of the fabric, when it drawn taut on the perimeter will impact tension evenly into the shade sail which prevent loose or flap that will increase load of the shade sail when the wind and not sag in the middle that might trap water.

The shade sail will be sewn using outdoor UV threads with double locked stitched both on the connection seams and perimeter, further on each corner will reinforced with webbing strap and wrapped with double layers of fabric. Our shade sail equipped with stainless wire around the perimeters and stainless steel D-Ring on each corner that will be used to attach the shade sail to structures or mounting point either use carabineer or shackle and expand screw or turnbuckle.

Finally when the shade sail fit and ready to installed our experience team will do for your new shade sail using the appropriate equipments, handle carefully and conscientious step by step attach the shade sail to mounting points and tensioning each corner bit by bit to distribute the loads evenly and ensure that all fittings are properly tightened. That’s our work system to achieved excellent installation and the most importance is to deliver excellent service to your every single requirement.

Maintenance of Your Shade Sail
Please check when installing your shade sail and ensure that your shade sail is installed correctly and tight, it will affect the longevity of your shade sail, if necessary please ask to re-tight this is to minimize the shade sail catching or block the wind and reduce wear and tear. In the heavy windy season or forecasted storm approaching, we recommend take off the shade sail to avoid heavy damage of either on the fabric or structures. Inspect regularly to fitting set, attachment point, structures and fabric to ensure that the shade sail in good and firm condition.

For the long time used the fabric of the shade sail may become dirty because of the dust, water stains, oils or even bird droppings that may attack the UV stabilizers and not nicely look, therefore need special care to maintain the long lasting shade sail function use. Following is how to clean the fabric:

• Shade Cloth/Shade Nets and Comtex use a mild dishwashing liquid or detergent with soft scrubbing brush and rinse with low pressure water hose, don’t blast using high pressure water hose. We do not recommend the use of bleach, dishwashing or detergent that containing industrial chemical such as sulfur, chlorine that may cause damage the fabric.
• Sunbrella and Dickson fabrics simple wash with soapy water using soft bristle brush then rinse thoroughly and if there is tough stains just add bleach for cleaning solution this will not fade the color of the Sunbrella/Dickson (this is the advantage using Sunbrella and Dickson fabric) but please pay attention that using bleach can affect to your hand/body or even disturb the natural environment.