How to Make Shade Sails
Details
Details
The latest trend in shade! Shade sails are beautiful, structural awnings that look like a work of art and provide excellent shade for your patio, pool area or other outdoor living space. Build your own DIY shade sail with the help of our video tutorial. Creating your own sail lets you customize the design to provide the most shade for your space. It also allows you to select the best quality materials so you know that your shade sail will last season after season.
When building a shade sail, you’ll need to carefully plan out the project before you begin. Decide what shape of shade you’d like to make (rectangular or triangular) and how many panels you’ll use. Laying out lengths of rope in the exact size and shape of your desired shade can be very helpful so you can see exactly how the shades will fit in the space.
Next, think through where your shade will be hung. Will it attach to your home, posts installed for support, a tree, or a combination? It’s very important to be sure that all of your attachment points will be able to stand up to the stress of a tensioned shade and that they are all structurally sound. If you’re unsure, we recommend consulting a structural engineer. Additionally, don’t forget to check with local authorities for any relevant building codes or permits that might be required for your shade sail.
For our shade sail here at Sailrite, we decided to create two overlapping triangular panels that attach to 6 x 6-inch wooden posts that we had installed in the ground. Post installation is not covered in the video, but here are a few pointers if you will be installing posts for your shade’s support.
For the shade material, we chose to use Polytex® fabric. This material is designed especially for shade sail applications, so it will stand up to tension. It’s also conveniently 150” wide, which means less seaming for larger sails. Phifertex®, Soltis®, Sunbrella® Shade and Parasol™ fabrics are all great options for shade sail projects as well. The Sailrite Fabric Calculator is a great tool to use to help you plan how much fabric you need. It will also calculate for you how to lay out your fabric panels and how much hollow you need to add to each side to create the shape of the sail.
Only one attachment method and shade sail design is outlined in the video, but the principles can be used to make a variety of shade sail styles. A variety of mounting hardware is available here at Sailrite to help you install your shade sail to several types of attachment points.
Watch our in-depth how-to video to learn step-by-step how to create your own custom shade sail.
Note: Materials and tools for installing posts are not included in these lists, as there are many different installation methods and post types that can be used.