Shade Sails: Outdoor Rooms Take Wing
Futuristic looking yet a terrific complement to both traditional and modern landscapes, shade sails lend a sculptural quality to patios
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
Have you noticed outdoor shades with dynamic, futuristic, architectural forms lately? Shade sails are growing in popularity as they become more available on the market. What's so great about them? "Sail shades lend a strong, artful, sculptural look that they impend on a property," says Tres Jones of Wicked Shades. "They provide protection from UV rays, can lower the temperature underneath by about 15 to 20 degrees, yet don't make you feel enclosed when you are sitting underneath them."
What exactly are shade sails? Typically, they're made of a fabric called HDPE (high-density polypropylene mesh), a form of plastic that is about as recyclable as a plastic milk carton. However, they do not have a plastic look to them because of a knitted weave, tautness provided by the tension and porousness. They generally block 90 to 95 percent of the sun's harmful UV rays.
While forms of tensile architecture (meaning with tension only, no compression or bending) are becoming more recognizable in large-scale commerical projects, such as the Denver airport and London's Millennium Dome, designers are experimenting with all the potential they have to transform residential architecture and landscapes. Get ideas for your own shady outdoor room, from freestanding party tents to more architectural elements.
What exactly are shade sails? Typically, they're made of a fabric called HDPE (high-density polypropylene mesh), a form of plastic that is about as recyclable as a plastic milk carton. However, they do not have a plastic look to them because of a knitted weave, tautness provided by the tension and porousness. They generally block 90 to 95 percent of the sun's harmful UV rays.
While forms of tensile architecture (meaning with tension only, no compression or bending) are becoming more recognizable in large-scale commerical projects, such as the Denver airport and London's Millennium Dome, designers are experimenting with all the potential they have to transform residential architecture and landscapes. Get ideas for your own shady outdoor room, from freestanding party tents to more architectural elements.
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| "The addition of a shade sail can make an existing outdoor living space so much more interesting," says Nathaniel Allen, cofounder of Tenshon, a shade sail manufacturer. Shades are available in almost any size. (Tenshon made a 10,000-square-foot one to cover a sea lion exhibit for a zoo in Louisiana.) You can overlap them to add dimension and more coverage, and use different colors for contrast. |
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| "Shade sails provide a way to experiment with an iconic element in a landscape design," says Allen. And they can provide a temperature drop of up to 20 degrees, he says. "The heat actually rises and escapes through the material's fibers." After being approached by The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Allen and his colleagues created these shades that were in keeping with Wright's original vision at Taliesin West, the foundation's headquarters. |
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| I'm sure you are wondering how much something like this structure costs. According to Niel Otto of NO Equal Design Company, a ballpark figure for this freestanding structure, including shade fabric, is around $4,400. Installation costs can vary widely from project to project and state to state, but structures like this one involve digging foundation holes for the poles and pouring concrete footings. After the foundation for the one pictured here was dug, Otto says, it took two men about two hours to install the 13-foot structure and shade sail. Conversely, he says it took him two minutes and the use of a stepladder to take the fabric down. While most structures can withstand 90-mile-per-hour winds, you will want to remove the sails for hurricanes, as well as during snow and ice season. Homeowners can take them down and put them back up themselves as needed. |
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| Shade fabric warranties start at 10 years, but as Allen points out, that refers to UV degradation, not color fading. "Colors will fade a little bit each year, depending on the climate," he warns. "However, the cost of replacing the fabric will only run about 10 to 15 percent of the total cost of your fully installed structure and shade." Because the shade sail business is relatively new, it remains to be seen how long they last. Allen says he has seen shades last up to 12 years and counting. "This is a resilient product," says Otto. "The raschel knit of the fabric means if it is punctured, the puncture will not spread." The fabric and thread also resist mildew. While some waterproof fabrics are on the market, they don't have the same stretching abilities and do not get this crisp and taut look. |
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| "A similar material originally had agricultural uses as a plant cover, and was typically black," Allen explains. "Companies in Australia started adding color and UV filters to make them applicable for other designs." After admiring them while living in Australia, Allen came back to the States and cofounded Tenshon. |
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Obviously, a single sail like this does not provide full coverage, and protection shifts as the angle of the sun changes throughout the day and the year. "The fun comes in with 3-D computer modeling," says Jones. "I create shadow mapping studies that show how the shade will move around during any time of day, any time of the year."
| Overlapping shade sails add an overhang to this wide-open entrance, blurring the line between indoors and out. |
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| Using a shade sail with four or more points allows for more curves, height variation and dimension. "Because of the tension, it allows for a crisp, tight and clean look," Otto says. |
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| Eggplant-colored shade sails enhance this home's facade and block the sunlight for part of the day. |
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| Overlapping and intersecting sails result is a dynamic addition to architecture. In this case, the sculptural sails relate to the mountain view beyond. |
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| I'm particularly taken with the way these shade sails relate to the rocky desert setting and with the dramatic shadows they throw. They add a whole new dimension to the architecture and landscape. |
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| The shades are certainly not limited to backyard uses and can add excitement to an entry. |
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| While many associate shade sails with modern and contemporary architecture, this one shows how well they can work with more traditional architecture. |
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| "Shade sails can define an outdoor space without boxing it in, and without requiring hardscapes or plants to create an outdoor room," says Allen. |
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| While most projects are custom designs, the sail shade business is moving toward manufacturing more affordable mass-produced structures. This umbrella-style sail is available from Wicked Shade. It requires a footing only for its singular pole yet still has four points that create the dynamic curves and tension overhead. |
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| If your needs are more temporary, freestanding options like the Intrepid Sail Awning from Corradi are available. This structure does not require footings and can be taken down and moved around with relative ease. More: Modern Awnings: Sails Shade the Home Patio Design: Here Comes the Sun! |
Ideabook published on April 22, 2012.
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When we have anyone over who doesn't know about it, we receive a very dramatic reaction to it.
We have it over our pool and everyone always ends up under it. We have actually considered putting up a second one over the other half of the pool.
Our sail isn't all twisted and fancy or multiple shades because we were looking more at function over fashion and we wanted the best shot at being approved by the HOA so we went with the same color of our house and as low as made sense. We needed as much shade as possible both to block the sun to keep it as cool as possible from the Arizona sun and to block as many rays from the children as possible. Ours is about 35' x 35'. I think the company that installed ours was merged/bought/whatever by this company http://www.shadeindustries.com/gallery.php
As you can see, they used very large steel beams set in concrete to hold the sail. The steel beams are set in 5' footings. The sail is removable but you CAN NOT STORE IT even mildly damp. It must be dry. There is a carabiner TYPE of attachment on all four posts but we just never take it down. (if you look at the first photo of this article - with the red & orange sails, our attachment is exactly like that one).
Someone asked about removable posts. My personal, non-professional I only own one opinion is, if you have to do that, make sure you have a VERY strong pin that locks the pole into the sleeve when you are using the sail because it would very much act just like a sail and I could only imagine the wind just picking that thing right up out of there.
If you want to find one in your area I would suggest doing an online search for 'shade sale' or something of that nature and look for a local installer.
youtube has many videos that might be able to help as well.