Shade sails are in general a great thing and are probably more useful than awnings or gazebos, but if you make a wrong choice when buying one for your backyard, it is most likely that you will remove it after a few days only, which would mean it was a total waste of money and you surely do not want this to happen. Getting a shade sail is a very stylish solution for keeping important areas such as the place where your car is parked, a dining area or your children’s playground safe, out of sunshine and protected from the awfully harmful UV rays, so there is another huge reason not to pick a bad one. If you are about to buy a shade sail, you might be interested in reading this whole article, since it will provide you with essential information about them.
So many options
Of course, just like with any other product on the market, there is infinity of offered models that come in various shapes, sizes, designs, colors and all of these things define the price. Every sail is made of 3 elements – the corner fixings, the edging and the shade cloth, so you will basically need find the one that fits your needs, but always keep in mind that mostly the price reflects the quality of the shade sail, so you will basically need to create some kind of balance between the money you are going to spend and the features or simply aim for the most expensive one, which is not always the best solution. However, the advice is not to try and save money at all costs, because a quality shade sails are extremely durable and can last for years. Also, even though making a shade sail on your own sounds incredibly fun, you better not do it, since it can never be as good as the one made by professional companies. They can also be an amazing addition to your property, since they can greatly improve its appearance and give some real elegance to it. Low quality shade sails are truly bad at dealing with hot weather and sometimes can be terribly hard to install or take down, which is a real nightmare.
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The edging
The borders are crucial for the stability of the whole shade sail and if they are bad, during windy weather they can snap, making your sail fall and maybe damage stuff underneath it. Anyway, the shade sails are under tension at all times, which means that the edgings are the parts that get damaged the most and quickly, so if they are poor, it might happen that the borders fall, even if there is no wind at all. There are two types of edges available and you will get to choose between those that can be turned-and-sewn and the layered ones with dual bands of sturdy nylon. The latter is the better option because, judging from our experience, we can tell that they last much longer.
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The cloth
The fabric used for making a shade sail can remarkably change its characteristics, but sometimes it can be really hard to tell whether it is poor or not, especially if you do not have more than 2 of them to compare. When examining the cloth, make sure that it is made of high polyethylene (HDPE), because it is really good at protecting you from the sun. HDPE will also make you feel much cooler while under it, since it allows the passage of air, blocks the sunlight and UV rays up to 90%, and it is very stable, so the wind can never blow it away. Maybe it is a good idea to look up some shade sails online, because there is always a clear product description, unlike when visiting a store.
The corner fixings
The corner fixings are actually rings and cables that keep in place a shade sail. You need to attach these to posts or walls and in order to have a high stability of your shade sail, you will need to make sure that you get large and thick D-rings or triangular ones made of high-quality materials, such as stainless steel, because you do not want them to start rusting after a month or so or open up due to stretching and surprisingly fall down. As for the cables, you absolutely want to avoid the ropes and instead go for the steel and rust proof cables that can more easily handle the tension and therefore last much longer.
Choosing a high quality shade sail can be really tricky, but the key is to know what you are looking for, the right materials and better models, so if you get to know these, you will not have trouble finding the right one. However it might be a bit costly, but it is totally worth it, since it will last longer than a few bad ones and you will get a warranty just in case, which does not come with the poor shade sails.