The Best Shade Sails for Your Home

Shade sails are a simple and elegant solution to your patio shade needs. Patio shade sales are simply a large cloth “sail” covering that is attached to structures (like posts, walls, trees or pergolas) creating a sun shade that blocks between 90% and 95% of UV rays.

How Shade Sails Keep Your Patio Welcoming

The fabric in most sun shade sails is light and breathable, allowing breezes to flow through the shade (helping to lower the temperature beneath it by as much as 15°).

In addition to UV protection, shade sails are water resistant (protecting you in a light rain, though a heavy downpour will soak through). Some backyard shade sails can be had with a truly waterproof canopy, allowing even more protection for your family. Note that for water repellence you should be sure to mount your shade sail on a slight slope.

Lastly, shade sails are more affordable than a shade structure.

On the “con” side of the outdoor sail shade discussion, installation can be a little tricky for your average DIYer. It’s definitely a two-person job, and you have to be sure to have all of the right mounting hardware (usually sold separately) to keep the right amount of tension on the patio shade sail.

Because a professional installer is typically recommended, even though the cost of the shade sail itself may be cheaper than other options, the total installation price (including the fees of the pro) can exceed shade structures.

You can expect a shade sail to last eight to ten years, however environmental conditions can increase or decrease the life of your patio shade sail dramatically. Windy conditions are very taxing on a shade sail’s longevity, and snow can stretch the fabric into an early grave (most manufacturers recommend taking the shade sails down if snow is expected).

Lastly, it should be noted that shade sails are not to be installed over an outdoor cooking area. When you cook, the chemicals and heat in the smoke/fumes can damage your outdoor shade sail.

Choosing Which Shade Sails is Right for You

As with so many things relating to your outdoor living space, there’s no right answer for what size/type shade sail is right for you. Think about the way the sunlight comes in overhead, and the angle it will hit your sail. Think about rainwater, too, and angle your patio shade sail to route the water where you want it (especially so it doesn’t pool in the middle of the sail).

Also, consider that a shade sail won’t quite keep its shape when pulled taught… for instance when installed a “square” shade sale will have gentle curves to each edge because of how the sail is mounted.

As shapes go, it’s easy to find triangular shade sails (perfect for fitting into tight spaces, or connecting end-to-end to create a statement piece), square shade sails, rectangular shade sales or even custom shade sails.

The last thing to consider is the fabric of the sail itself. At Patio Heat and Shade, we don’t believe all sail material is the same, and we offer:

• Polytex Shadecloth – An open weave, fire rated shadecloth offering true UV resistance and light weight at only 7 ounces per yard. Designed for the budget conscious, Polytex offers superb sun protection that last for years.
• Olefin Shadecloth – Olefin fabrics are an excellent choice for customers looking to shade their space on a budget without sacrificing quality. Olefin fabrics are a strong value, and with some basic care they can give you several years of enjoyment.
• Pacifica Shadecloth – Pacifica fabrics are Solution Dyed Canvas grade fabric made using Polyester fibers with our own thread combination. It’s a recipe for a stronger thread, that also holds its color 4 times as long as traditional polyester under the same conditions.
• Sunbrella Shadecloth – Sunbrella is 100% solution-died acrylic fabric and is recognized as the industry leader in outdoor fabrics. These fabrics are built with a foundation of Acrylic yarn, the most resilient and solid material to put under the sun for prolonged exposure.

Whether you select a Coolaroo sail shade or Custom Shade Sails sail shade (try saying that three times fast), you’ve got a ton of options available when it comes to color (with as many as nine different hues to choose from). Make your shade sail a stately accent to your traditional home, or a wild punctuation mark on your contemporary space simply by choosing the right color.

Styling Your Outdoor Space with Shade Sails

Shade sails fit in perfectly with your outdoor living space. Let’s take a look at what it’s like to have worked with us to design the perfect outdoor space for your family.

The cooking has been done, and your family is finishing up a glorious BBQ lunch (served from your outdoor kitchen). You’re relaxing at the outdoor dining table when you realize it’s starting to get a little hot for your taste. You got this – one push of a button and your electric retractable awning slowly extends from its mount near the house, completely sheltering the entire dining area from the brutal effects of the late afternoon sun. Glancing over, you see your Mrs. holding the littlest of your crumb crushers as she slowly bounces her on her knee on the steps of the inground pool, fully shaded by the rectangular shade sail mounted above the shallow end. The baby’s big sister, about to enter middle school this fall, is swinging slowly on your hammock while deeply engrossed in the middle of the Harry Potter book series, basking in the cooling shade of our cantilever umbrella. A slow, sly smile inhabits your face as you think over and over again that, “Life is good.”

Shade Sails Expand Outdoor Living Spaces

Selected and positioned correctly, outdoor shade sails will protect our family from too much sunlight while adding a colorful boost to your outdoor living spaces.

As you are putting together the design for your patio or other outdoor living space, rely on the patio experts here at Patio Heat and Shade whenever you have a question, or if you just want to make sure that what you think will work for you, will actually work. Give us a call at (855) 298-4922 and we promise to treat you like family.