Shade sails come in different shapes. You can choose triangular, square, or rectangular shape sails to install on your property. The shapes are not only meant to provide great design to your outdoor space but it is designed to provide specific functions and benefits.

If you are planning to install shade sails on your outdoor space, whether it is your patio, garden, swimming pool, or garage, you should choose the right shape so that the shade will serve its purpose well.

What You Should Look For In A Shade Sail

There are so many factors that you must consider when choosing a shade sail that you will install on your property. If you will not consider all the essential factors, chances are you will purchase the wrong shade sail which will be a very frustrating situation. During your shade sail shopping, you must look into the following factors below and choose a shade sail accordingly.

Size Of the Installation Area

Additionally, you must also acquire some vital information before purchasing a shade sail. The first information you must get is the dimension of the area where you are going to install the shade structure. Using the information that you gathered, you can now pick the shade sail that is appropriate according to the size of the installation area.

The Location Of the Installation Area

Another important factor to consider when going shopping for a shade sail is the location of the installation area. Pieces of information such as how much the area is exposed from the direct heat of the sun or if the area is entirely exposed to rain. These pieces of information will help you know how much protection the area needs from the shade that will give you an idea of what quality of shade sail to use.

The Quality Of the Fabric

How much UV protection the shade sail provides will depend on the quality of the fabric. If you want to block more UV from the sun, you must choose a shade sail that has the best quality. In case you prefer a slight blockage, a lighter and inexpensive type of sail can suffice.

Installation

There are shade sails you can install yourself. There are also the ones that you will need a professional’s help to install your shade. Choose a shade sail that matches your preference. If you do not want to bother yourself with the installation process, then it is best to hire someone to do it for you. But if you are more of a DIY kind of person, a DIY shade sail kit could be your thing.

The Main Purpose Of The Shade Sail

People have various reasons for installing a shade sail. It is important to know you have a clear goal. You will have to choose the shape of the sail fit for its purpose. Otherwise you risk buying a sail that will never achieve your goal.

Which Sail Shape Is The Best?

Aside from the size, fabric, colour, and weight, the shape is one of the important features that you must consider when purchasing a shade for your property. As mentioned earlier, the purpose of the shade sail will greatly impact how you will choose a specific shape.

The shape you choose must serve the main purpose why you are installing the shade sail in the first place. Following are the available shapes of shades you can commonly find in the market along with their purpose and benefits.

Triangular Shade Sails

A triangular shade sail or three-sided shade sail is very flexible. It is the best option if the installation area is small or narrow. Additionally, a triangular shade sail only has one fixing point where it will be easy for you to get creative when installing it.

Compared to square and rectangle shade sail shapes, a triangular shade is less likely to sag and ballon up due to its shape as long as it is properly tensioned. Triangle shades sails provide better tension which keeps it in position for a longer period.

Another aspect to consider with a triangle shade sail is the unlimited design options it can provide. For example, you can create a layering with two or more triangular shade sails. You can play with any design that you can think of when you install the shade on your property.

The only disadvantage of the triangular shade sail is that it is usually too small to cover a large area. You will need two or more shade sails to protect the entire area. Even when combining multiple shade sails to cover a large space, there will still be gaps in between the sails where sunrays may penetrate or the rain might seep through.

Square and Rectangular Shade Sails

Both square and rectangular shade sails have a similar purpose and benefits given the fact that both shapes are almost similar. This kind of shade sails is best for bigger areas as it provides a wider coverage compared to the triangular option.

Square and rectangle shade sails vary in size. Request a custom size based on the specifc area you wish to cover. If you opt for larger shade sails, you should have sturdy fixing points to ensure that the structures can withstand the weight of the shade sail.

The rule of the thumb when installing a large shade sail is to bury the poles at least four feet to ensure that it will not fall but the deeper the better. The correct angle must also be achieved for maximum strength.

If you opt for a square or rectangular shade sail, it is best to install it in a hypar layout to increase the tension and avoid sagging and ballooning up. Hypar is short for ‘hyperbolic parabola’ and has a 3D twisted effect. The hypar design will also help the rainwater slide down instead of accumulating in the centre of the shade sail. Additionally, the hypar design will also increase the longevity of the sail.

Hypar sail layout can also provide a nice style in your outdoor space which is why most people also opt for this layout.

Be Creative

What is nice about shade sail is that you can combine multiple shapes, colour and sizes depending on how you wanted the entire area to look. You can check various layouts for installation designs and ideas. You can arrange the sail in rows or create an overlap to achieve a specific look that will complement the outdoor space that you have.

The unlimited options for shade sails are one of the reasons why most Aussies preferred it over other shade structures. It is recommended that before you purchase a sail and install it, you must first create a layout of your preferred design.

When doing a combination of multiple shapes and colours of shade sails, make sure that each of the characteristics complements each other as the whole design will turn out like a circus if it is not properly done.

Conclusion

When choosing a shade sail shape, you must always consider the functionality, benefits and location of the installation. But at the end of the day, it will still come down to your personal preference.