Shade Sails
Shade sail design ideas
Shade sails come in a wide variety of designs according to shape, size, color, material used, and style. You can choose from ready-made or customized shade sails. To help you decide on the type of shade sail to get, consider the following factors:
Shapes and sizes
While shade sails are available in different shapes and dimensions, they are often customized to perfectly match the area to be covered. A domestic installation usually makes use of a triangular or rectangular shade sail. A triangular shade sail is attractive, and it can be used to accent your garden area. But if you want a shade sail that can cover a larger area, get a rectangular shade sail instead.
Ready-made and customized shade sails are available in different dimensions. The smallest shade sail measures three meters in length and three meters in width. A large shade sail usually measures eight meters in length and five meters in width or larger. A rectangular shade sail measuring five meters in width and eight meters in length is ideal for a spacious yard, while a shade sail measuring six meters in length and six meters in width is perfect for a patio.
When installed, shade sails are still farther stretched between several fixing points, making their actual sizes vary. The stretching is done to ensure that water or leaves would not be trapped in the center of the shade sails. Most designers give their shade sails distinctive twisted shapes by accentuating the difference between the low and high diagonal fixing points.
Styles
The best and most common style in installing shade sails is giving the corners of the shade sails a significant difference in height. One corner should be much higher than the other. This style gives the shade sales a more striking look and provides an angle that offers more protection from the sun, rain, and wind.
Another popular installation style for shade sails is the overlapping effect. This is done by installing a series of shade sails to form an overlapping effect. This installation design provides a dramatic sculpted look. It also provides more protection and cover from flying debris compared to installing a single shade sail.
Materials used and colors
Most shade sails are made of woven mesh shade cloth that can block out at least 90% of the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. This material is also effective in partially resisting water to keep it from penetrating the shade sail. However, if you want complete water resistance, get a shade sail made of PVC vinyl material. It should be made as a whole piece to ensure its durability and strength. A shade sail made up of pieces of cloth material stitched together does not offer much sturdiness.
The shade sail colors are more than just for design or style. They also affect the penetration of light and heat through the shade sails. Dark-colored shade sails tend to absorb the dominant temperature in the surroundings, while light-colored shade sails reject the dominant temperature. If the temperature is very hot, a black shade sail produces an even hotter environment, while a white shade sail lowers the temperature down. On the other hand, if the temperature is cold, a black shade sail produces an even colder environment, while a white shade sail produces a warmer one.
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