The Shade Sail Boutique - UK

513/EN/SEOP6

The history of the shade sail through the ages

In the middle of the 20th century the Australian population had one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. When scientists began to understand the link between many of these cancers and exposure to the sun's harmful UV rays, the government of Australia decided that they had to take action. They invested in public awareness campaigns to inform people of the risk of spending too much time in the sun, and encouraged businesses to develop solutions. One of the solutions developed as a result of this was the shade sail. Now used widely in Austrlia, South Africa and the USA shade sails offer proven, afordable protection against UV.

Many As long ago as 3000 BC the ancient Egyptians removed the sails from their boats to create shade. On festival and holidays they removed the sails and suspended between trees or other structures to create a shaded area below. Documents show that this practice occurred during many generations. Many towns and cities were located along the Nile or its tributaries and boats were used to transport goods. Boats, and therefore sails, were plentiful and readily available nearby so when the ancient Egyptians wished to create shade for large public gatherings,they simply used such materials as were readily available nearby and so the use of boat sails to create shade became a common event. Using boat sails in this manner occurred throughout modern history and in different cultures. AS well as the ancient Egyptians, the Romans also used sails in exactly the same way. Contemporaneous documents detail how even the Colosseum in Rome was often bedecked with boat sails suspended above the crowds to help keep the spectators cool and to protect them from the direct sunlight. The practice was widespread among most cultures, especially those with shipping fleets or lots of boats transporting goods along rivers so it is little surprise that the Greeks were also well known for this practice.

A few thousands of years after the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans used shade sails, the Austrlian's decided to reuse the idea but this time with one very big difference, they would use a new fabric built using HDPE strands that would block and absorb Ultra Violet light.

Gale Pacific, the parent company of Coolaroo, created this new synthetic fabric which has the ability to block the sun's harmful UV rays. The fabric was created by knitting together these synthetic strands to form a woven cloth. This cloth replaced the traditional sail fabric, creating something that looked similar to the traditional sail of a boat, but using technology from many thousands of years after the concept was first used. As well as blocking the UV, the new Shade Sail incorporated other important design features. Firstly the sides were curved, This allowed the fabric to stretch when it was installed creating a tensile structure that would not move in the wind. This is very important as shade sails can have large surface areas (frequently 25m2 or more) and were it move in strong winds then it would exert significant pressure upon the fixing points and upon the fixings themselves. By stretching the fabric until it is taught, the structure will not move and so a constant force is exerted on the fixing points rather than a variable force based on the wind conditions. This means that the shade sail can be left in place in all but the most severe weather conditions.

As the shade sail is made of knitted fabric rather than the solid fabric sheet used on traditional sails, air is able to pass through. This has two advantages, first it means that any hot air trapped under can rise and escape (the trapping of hot air was a major problem when using boat sails), and secondly the knitted fabric allows any breezes to pass through the fabric so that those sheltering underneath can benefit from the coolest shade possible.

The modern shade sails are designed to be stylish as well as functional. As well as twisting the fabric to create interesting designs, many people now install multiple sails together to create a individual and unique design, whilst still proving the high levels of UV protection.

Why choose a shade sail rather than other solutions ?

A shade sail not only offers customers a proven and reliable protection from the sun's harmful UV rays, but is also much cheaper than the alternatives available on the market today. While every shade solutions creates shade, very few deal with the UV problem, and it is the UV which we now know is the most important to block. So a standard canopy will block sunlight, but will not block the UV. We all enjoy being outside on hot summer days, but the world is becoming more and more aware of the health risks of too much exposure to the sun. Installing a shade sail is simple and it can shade any area including your seating area, perhaps part of a swimming pool, a child's play area or paddling pool. Another common usage is to create a car port to protect vehicles from direct sun light. Since appearance in the 1970's, the new generation of shade sails has had a big impact. Australia's experience with the shade sail clearly demonstrates the products high levels of UV protection and it is now a common defense against the harmful effects of the sun worldwide.

Where can you install a shade sail

Shade sails are now used world wide in both commercial and residential environments. In residential environments, shade sails are most often often installed to create a shaded area in the garden. Usually they cover a terrace or roof garden. but they are more and more commonly used to create a car port, sheltering vehicles from the sun during the hottest parts of the day.

Shade sails are designed to be stretched between fixing points. To function effectively therefore, the attachment points need to be strong enough to allow this stretching. For a triangular shade sail, three solid attachment points are required, for a square or rectangular shade sail our attachment point are required for a square shade sail or for a rectangular shade sail. such as a post or a fixing on a solid wall

When planning your shade sail installation you will need to consider how the sun moves across sky and what times of the day it is most important for you to have the shade you need. The sun is at its strongest at midday and in the early afternoon, and this is usually when shade is most needed. You should also consider the movement of the sun in the afternoon and perhaps adjust the position of your shade sail to also provide shade later in the day, perhaps when you are sitting outside with a glass of wine.

The Shade Sail Boutique offers the best quality shade sails

Having become firmly established as the sun protection of choice for many households and businesses in Australia, South Africa and the USA, the shade sail is becoming increasingly popular in other parts of the world, especially in Europe. A shade sail offers customers an inexpensive way to transform their garden or outdoor space, allowing them to spend more time outdoors protected from the harmful effects of the sun, even on the hottest days. As well as the health benefits, shade sails can also enhance your home in other ways and many people now design bespoke installations using multiple shade sails to create something unique for their home.

The science strongly suggests that UV protection is especially important for younger children. Using a shade sail to create safe shade covering a children's paddling pool or play area allows your children to play happily and safely outside for many hours. For teenagers, who often loose track of time when playing with their phone or reading a book, a shade sail can also be of benefit, especially is they want to avoid the painful looking pink color often seen in this age group in summer months.

For commercial environments a shade sail can be used to create an outdoor area for staff if they wish to have a break from their office desk. Many people like to work outside occasionally if they area able, perhaps having meetings with colleagues or maybe just having a coffee break.

You should always invest in the best shade sail

Once the shade sail became commercially successful, cheaper imitations began to appear on the market. These copies focused almost exclusively on price and paid little attention to quality and maintaining the high level of UV protection of the original products. Whilst competition based on price is a good thing for consumer with most products, where a product, such as a shade sail, is designed to protect from serious health consequences, then it can be a very serious problem. The original shade sail was created to give customers reliable protection from the sun's harmful UV rays. The cheaper copies do not block UV reliably. Like sun tan lotions, whilst there are many different manufacturers selling products at different prices, we all want to buy products that we can rely on and which we have faith will protect us. With a shade sail the protection needs to be reliable over many years.

The HDPE fabric used in all of our shade sails is of the highest quality. Each individual strand has been created to ensure that it offers the best levels of UV protection over the long term. The sides of our shade sails are reinforced so that they have the strength necessary to withstand harsh weather conditions. The metal fixings at each corner are also strong enough to withstand strong winds and as they are made using marine grade stainless steel, they will not rust and discolor the fabric.

Welcome to the Shade Sail Boutique

The Shade Sail Boutique offers customers the very best range of Australian shade sails with the best UV protection built into every fiber. We know about shade sails and we only promote shade sails that we would be happy to use to protect our own loved ones.

Does the UV blocking percentage vary and is it important ?

The UV blocking percentage is very important. Science has proven the harmful effects of the sun's UV rays and we should all try to limit our exposure. The best shade sails block 95% plus of the sun's rays and give you the best protection outdoors.

Do all fabric colors block the same percentage of UV rays ?

Whilst the general level of sun block will be similar for the same fabric, darker colors will block a little more of the suns harmful UV rays than lighter colours. More important that the colour is the fabric itself. The best quality shade sails will continue to block the sun's UV for many years, whilst inferior brands will have their UV protection deteriorate after a relatively short period of time.

Is a light or heavey weight shade sail best ?

Having a lighter fabric can be important when it comes to the stresses that the shade sail will be subjected to, but the strength of the fabric is more important. A light but strong shade sail installed properly with tension applied along each side will cope with bad weather conditions and will not put excessive pressure on the supporting structure.

Is the popularity of the shade sail increasing ?

Shade sails have increased rapidly in popularity around the world over the last 20 years, a pattern which is only increasing. The need to protect against the harmful effects of the sun is becoming more important to people and as the shade sail offers a simple, cost effective way to provide this protection, its popularity increases.

What colour should you choose?

The choice of colour is largely a personal issue but certain situations do favour particular colours. For children' play areas customers generally choose bright and cheerful colors, often with several different colors used together. By combining a number of shade sails, customers can create their own individual designs.

Are shade sail the cheapest way of creating safe shade ?

When you add together all of the costs associated with the installation of a shade sail (or several shade sails) and then divide these costs by the lifetime of the product, a shade sail can be very inexpensive. When compared to other solutions, the shade sail is usually by far the cheapest solution for creating safe shade. Many homes now feature shade sails instead of more traditional solutions such as building with wood or stone.

How to maintain your shade sail

Shade sails are low maintenance. Occasional cleaning using a hose pipe may be required if it becomes dirty, and you should regularly check the fasteners at each corner of the shade sail to ensure that the tension is correct. This is all that is necessary to ensure that your shade sail will last for many years. How to install your shade sail Shade sails are relatively simple to install, and any DIY enthusiast should be able to do this. Please consult our installation guides for more information.

The shade sail fabric

Shade sails block a percentage of the sun's UV rays and this percentage should be displayed on the packaging. Choose a good quality shade sail that offers a high amount of UV protection. When making your selection it is important to check that the fabric has a guarantee against UV degradation, otherwise you could find that the UV block deteriorates rapidly. Most quality shade sails offer a 5 year to 15 year guarantee on their fabric. In hot climates it is also best to have knitted fabrics that allow air to pass through as this helps you stay cool.

The quality of the shade sail available on the market vary considerably but it can be very difficult for most people to differentiate with the naked eye . We would always advise that you buy the best shade sail from a reputable manufacturer, with high levels of UV protection and a long lasting manufacturers warranty so you can be sure that the UV protection will last.

Choosing the shape and dimensions of your shade sail

Begin by measuring the area that you wish to shade from fixing point to fixing point. Once you have the maximum measurement of each side, reduce each length by around 15% to 20% to allow for the fixings and for the stretching of the shade sail. Each dimension of your shade sail should be less than these lengths.

Many people choose to install their square shade sails with each corner of the shade sail fixed at a different height to create a twisting effect. This will not only create and interesting design when it is tensioned, but will also create a slope which will encourage rain water to flow towards the edges.

When deciding upon where to erect your shade sail, remember that the sun will move across the sky from east to west during the day. You need to decide when the shade will be most important. In the middle of the day the shade created will be directly underneath the shade sail, but later in the day it will be offset.

The Shade Sail - UV Protection with air flow

The shade sail was developed to only to create shade, but to block UV ; in fact the main reason for the development of the modern shade sail is UV protection. Although this is a subtle difference between the shade sail and other shade solutions, it is very important.

Following on from the high levels of uv protection, the secondary objective was to create the most pleasant environment possible under the shade sail in the hot Australian summer weather. The solution was to create a knitted fabric from the HDPE strands so that hot air is allowed to rise through the fabric instead of accumulating underneath as happens with impermeable Fabrics. As well as hot air escaping, cooling breezes are also able to pass through. Using a more traditional fabric such as used on awnings traps hot air beneath making the 'shaded' area much less comfortable than the surrounding area.

Uv Protection - Skin Cancer a growing problem

A Shade Sail is a inexpensive, simple solution designed in Australia specifically to protect against the sun's harmful UV rays.

It has been firmly established for many years that prolonged exposure to the sun is a major factor causing of skin cancer. Once a major cause of the problem was identified many countries began to take action to reduce the number of people suffering from skin cancer. The modern shade sail was developed in Australian to meet this problem head on. The modern shade sail first appeared in Australia in the 1970s when skin cancer was a major national problem, in part due to the australian's great love of all things out doors. The scale of the problem saw the Australian government sponsoring projects to combat the rising levels of skin cancer and the modern shade sail is now used extensively to protect Australians against the sun's UV and the harmful effects this can cause. Since the introduction of the shade sail and other uv protection solutions across Australia two things have changed .... Firstly the number of people who contract skin cancer has markedly decreased ... and secondly shade sails are now in widespread use in both commercial and private environments.

Shade sail - Elegance at affordable prices

Shade Sail Boutique offers our customers the very best quality shade sails. They are made using the best fabric developed by the world leading manufacturer Gale Pacific, and feature reinforced edges and high quality marine grade stainless steel fixings.

Our range of shade sails offers you outstanding uv Protection and will enhance your home by extending your usable space into the garden. They will protect you from the sun's harmful UV and look good for many years.

If you want to create a bespoke installation, then installing multiple shade sails close to each other is becoming more and more popular. For example please see the photos on our 'inspiration' web page. Even a single shade sail can be installed in such as way as to create an interesting design. "Twisting" square or rectangular shade sail can create interesting shapes and the use of stainless steel rope or chain can allow the distance between the sail and the fixing point to be greatly increased, allowing your shade sail to float over an area far from its fixings ......

Shade Sail Boutique, the best choice

All of our shade sails are of the highest quality. We stock shade sails from only the best manufacturers who use only the best fabric, with very strong reinforced borders along every edge. Fixings are made from marine grade stainless steel (316) to ensure that they will not rust. The Best UV Protection is woven into every HDPE strand of our shade cloth sails and is designed to protect for many years. Cheaper shade sails often have their UV protection applied by coating the fabric once it has been manufactured. This significantly limits both the UV protection it will give and the longevity of these products. Coolaroo fabrics come with a 5, 10 or 15 year warranty against UV deterioration so the UV protection they provide is guaranteed.

Top quality Shade Sails

Our shade sails are made by leading Australia manufacturers and are designed to protect against the sun's harmful UV rays.. Don't compromise, buy the best.

• Can be left in place all summer. The reinforced edging are designed to withstand high winds
• Easy to install - see our Installation guides for more information. We can supply all of the stainless steel accessories necessary for your installation
• We offer a variety of shapes and sizes adaptable to most requirements.
• We are an internet retail with no shops or associated overheads. We offer customers great prices, top quality products from the worlds leading manufacturer, outstanding service and fast delivery.