Sail Shade for your Garden

The steel cable is not clearly visible, if not for the
 chunky turnbuckle.

You want to put a nice little coffee table in your garden to enjoy your morning coffee and newspaper but don’t want the hot sunlight? OR need to protect the car from the tropical heat of the sun?  Or to protect the lovely KOI fishes in the fishpond from direct sunlight?  If you only wanted the shade but not a permanent structure in your garden or courtyard, then  Sail shade provides the solution.

Shade Sail  is commonly used in USA. UK  and Australia during summer time. Malaysians are following this trend now.

Off the shelf shade sail from Houz Depot

Why  is this shade called SAIL SHADE?

While there are differences of opinion and names do vary from place to place it is increasingly common to define a shade sail as…. “a fabric membrane tensioned between three or more anchor points”.  This is about the simplest description possible for something that can get quite complicated. (*Courtesy of Shade Group) A shade structure is now regarded as something like a shade sail insofar as it has a fabric membrane but it is tensioned over or supported by a frame. Sometimes a shade sail will be described as a “shade structure”.  There are a number of reasons for this, the main one being that they see a shade sail as a “construction” therefore the reasoning goes ..if it is constructed it must be a “structure”.  However sometimes it is a simple case of mistaken identity or ignorance.  Looks like a floating shade sail over the fish pond Sail or Permanent Structure(Canopy) You need to first determine your priorities – often this is a case of effectiveness versus aesthetics.  Good design can blend both.  You want a permanent fixture or a temporary one. There are certainly technical limitations with materials, site restrictions, regulations and prudent design parameters.  Cost is also a serious consideration.  The next question might be to determine if shade only or waterproof is needed.   Generally a PVC shade sail or shade structure will be noticeably more expensive than a similar shade cloth version.  People often think waterproof PVC is better but upon closer examination shade cloth (shade only) is more than sufficient for their needs.

SHADE SAIL MUST be installed FIRM AND TIGHT so as to reduce windflap in the shade fabric. SHADE SAILS that are loose and sloppy will cause premature failure due to stress.

The shade sail comes in three different shapes, namely triangle, square or rectangle.  The sizes varies.

Installing shade sail DIY is easy if there are available anchor points in your garden. The pillar, column and railing of your house can provide ready anchor points. Anchor plate with U hook may be required on certain column and pillar, to fasten the steel cable.

Anchoring plate fixed on the fencing pillar

Fixing poles for anchoring the Shade sail can be disastrous unless this is done with proper footing to withstand the tension of stretching the fabric.

Shade sail are readily available in Malaysia from shade specialist, Houz Depot or Ikea. Alternatively, there are many on-line suppliers from USA, UK or Australia.

Material required for fixing my shade sails(triangular shape sail) are:-

1    1)     26 feet of Steel cable                                                                   RM8.40(USD2.55)

       2)     3 units Turnbuckle (or tension buckle)                             RM5.00(USD1.51)

       3)    12 pieces Steel cable clamp                                                    RM3.60(USD1.09)

       4)  2 units Shackle                                                                             RM4.00(USD1.21)

       5)    2 units U hook anchor plate.                                                    RM4.20(USD1.27)

       6) 1 piece Shade Sail 3.5m X3.5M X3.5m (triangular shape). 

                                                                                                                        RM135.00(USD40.90)

The accessories for fixing temporary shade sails.
Steel cable, turnbuckles, Anchoring U-hooks,
cable clamps and rawlplug(for fastening
anchoring plates)

Tools required are:-

    1) an electric drill for fixing the anchor plates

    2)  a Plier & a screwdriver for fixing cable clamps and turnbuckles.

Total cost of fixing the shade sail is RM160.20(USD48.55)

Professional shade suppliers quoted RM1.800 for a similar size shade sail. This sum is inclusive of  3 pieces of mild steel pole of 8 feet high for anchoring. I do not want a permanent structure in my garden. So the anchoring poles are redundant. But the shade specialist refused to do the job  without using poles. This is Malaysian suppliers’ attitude.

This shade sail is anchored on the fencing pillar and house column.

Just twist this turnbuckle to tighten or loosen
the cable tension and unhook the shade sail
from the cable.

DIY shade sail installation,  without the anchor poles cost only a fraction of the price quoted by the professional shade suppliers. There is no difference in term of tension and  aesthetic  value. Yet there is no permanent structure in your garden. See how this shade sail can be fixed  and removed easily. Just tighten or loosen the turnbuckle attached to the end of the steel cable.

One shade sail over the fish pond and the other for car.