The design of your shade sail is one of the most important parts. If you’re planning on doing it yourself here are some tips to ensure your satisfied with your shade sail. From start to finish we’ll walk you through how to design a shade sail.
Edge Metres Not Area
Most sail-makers don’t measure a shade sail in area, but rather in edge or perimeter metres. Custom made or irregularly shaped sails are easier to measure along than edges, rather than trying to calculate the area. Most companies will also price their sails in perimeter metres. Edge metres are a simple and accurate way of costing the stitching and perimeter cable as well as the shade fabric.
Quick Guide to Shade Sail Hardware
With a custom made shade sail, any variety of shapes and designs are possible. There is no need to limit yourself to basic shapes like squares and triangles. Your design can be any shape to fit into your space and provide the shade you need. Shade sails are highly versatile but there are some design limitations and practicalities to keep in mind.
You must angle waterproof sails to allow water runoff. Water pooling on a sail can significantly damage the fabric and reduce the life of your waterproof sail. There are two main types of waterproof sail, PVC fabric, and shade fabric with a waterproof coating. For waterproof shade fabric, for every four metres in length, you should have one metre in height. And for PVC fabric, for every five metres in length, you’ll need one metre in height.
Waterproof sails are not always feasible because of the amount of pitch needed. You should consider the lowest amount of clearance needed under your sail and if you can make up the extra height. If you don’t require 100% waterproof sails, remember that tightly woven shade fabrics can still provide an amount of rain protection.
So how will you actually put up your new shade sail? Once you have an idea for space and the design we can think about fixing points. You don’t need to fix your shade sail to free-standing posts. There is a range of options for mounting your shade sail off your roof or suitable wall.
Depending on the size and weight of your sail the types of fixing points you use will vary. For long-life and weather-resistant components ensure they are made of marine-grade stainless steel also known as 316 grade stainless steel. This heavy-duty quality material will resist rust and wear in any weather. The bigger the sail the more fixing points are also required. Refer to the table below for the recommended number of fixing points per edge metre.
| Edge Metres | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 |
| No. of Connection Points | 3-4 | 3-5 | 4-6 | 5 or more | 5 or more | 6 or more |
If you are not able to use the recommended number of connection points it becomes even more important that you consider the size and strength of the posts and hardware you use.
Remember that your shade sail can still catch the wind like any other sail. On most small to moderately sized shade sails, the design, fabric and connection points prevent any serious uplift. We recommend for waterproof sails larger than 25m2 that the structure is designed or approved by an engineer before you proceed. If you have a particularly large shade sail or have any concerns it’s always best to seek professional advice.
Once you’ve planned out your shade sail, it’s time to get your measurements together for your sail-maker. Draw a simple and clear diagram and label it with your edge measurements from fixing point to point around the sail. For most shade sails this diagram doesn’t need to be professionally drafted.
We request diagonal measurements across the area of the shade sail for sails with four or more fixing points. These diagonal measures are key to ensure our custom sails perfectly fit your space. We can use these to cross-check measurements and ensure the sail is exactly as designed. This means we are able to guarantee the fit. We will remake the shade sail and resend it to you at no charge, if your shade sail doesn’t fit after providing us with all requested measurements.
Those in other countries can click here for a metric to imperial calculator.
Custom shade sails are the perfect way to ensure your sail suits your unique needs and now you can design a shade sail yourself. We make designing and installing your very own custom shade sail is easy. Our sail-maker has been hand-fabricating shade sails for the Australian market, and Australian weather, since 1988. Backed by our unrivalled 10-year warranty on fabric and stitching, you can rely on our high-quality sails.
This photo shows a shade sail post that was inadequately designed and installed into concrete that lacks the strength to withstand the forces exerted by strong winds. Click this link if you require shade sail engineering and certification.
If DIY isn’t your thing and you want expert design or installation Custom Made Shade Sails can still help. Contact us today for your free quote.
If you lack experience in designing custom shade sails, feel free to reach out to us for assistance. You can either call us or use our contact form. We prefer to provide guidance from the beginning rather than address issues after the fact.
For instance, this photo demonstrates an incorrectly installed roof mount that causes rubbing against the roof’s sharp corner.
We are eager to help you avoid such design errors and ensure a durable installation.
