Shade Sails: A how to guide. By Horizon Sailmakers Shade Sails and Tension Structures are far more complicated than you may think. In order to be effective they should be designed and installed by experts. With 20 years experience designing and installing Shade Sails and awning systems for Australian homes, Horizon Sailmakers offer unparalleled expertise in the engineering and shaping of fabrics and structures. To help you, they have put together some basic information here for your use. Shape WHY HOLLOWS IN SIDES? It is important to explain the need for the shape of the sail to have hollows cut into the side. As is shown below, this allows the cables within the hems of the sail to pull the centre of the sail outwards and prevent sagging. As can be seen in the diagram (above), this also leads to some loss of Shade Sail Area and coverage (shown in grey). Furthermore, the loss will be greater as a percentage of total area for a triangle, actually an extra 50% of the loss of area experienced by a four sided shape of the same total area. WHY DIFFERENCE IN HIGH AND LOW DIAGONAL HEIGHTS? A smart design will also accentuate the differences between the height of low and high diagonal fixing points. Doing this will breathe life into the shape of the sail and give it "twist". Fabrics WOVEN MESH SHADE SAILS Providing around 93% UV protection and guaranteed against Sun degradation for 10 years some options have greater strength and durability than others. Look for a tightly woven, monofilament mesh as it is far easier to maintain and clean. Also ensure that the sails have double stitching and cabled hems, providing far improved performance over competitors' sails utilising webbing. WATERPROOF SAILS Where customers are looking for a waterproof shade sail solution (i.e. Carports, house extensions, entertaining area etc) then a PVC material is far more preferable than an acrylic canvass. Such sails should be fully welded construction (no stitching) and PVDF coatings ensure superior cleanliness. Next steps… As there are very rarely 'standard' requirements, construction issues and designs need to be accounted for. Before the manufacturing process commences it's helpful to spend some time with the manufacturer to ensure that they fully understand your needs. For more ideas, you may visit our website at www.horizonsails.com.au.