Once you have an idea of the general area you would like to shade, it’s time to start planning where your shade sail will be attached to. Unlike standard shade sails, which come in set sizes, custom shade sails can be made to fit your specifications exactly, which gives you much more flexibility with your design. If it helps, you can run a piece of rope from where you think your posts/attachment points will go to get a better idea of the area that will be shaded. There are several important things you should consider when planning out your shade sail.
- Catenary Curve – Please note, the edge of a shade sail is not straight; all our tensioned Shade Sails are manufactured with a 7% catenary curve. 7% is the standard curve and represents the lowest ‘dip’ at the midpoint. For a different amount of catenary curve, please contact our office. For a full explanation of catenary curve please see our FAQ.
- Post Height Variance – We strongly recommend varying the heights of your attachment points to allow for better aesthetics, more efficient water runoff and better performance in wind.
- Waterproof – Most shade fabric is not waterproof, out of the four fabrics we offer, only one is waterproof. Commercial Light, Commercial Heavy and Dual Colour fabrics are not, a fine mist will come through your shade sail in the rain. If you would like your shade sail to be waterproof, please select our waterproof fabric.