Shade Sail Tension: How Much is Too Much
Tension is not normally a good thing… but for a shade sail it is imperative! In order to adequately hold a shade sail in place, a high degree of tension is required. It is important that on any type of sail, the hardware is tensioned down to avoid any flapping in the wind–which is the most common cause of breakage. This must be done with the proper hardware, as hand-tightening will not be sufficient.
When people install their own shade sails, tension is one of the hardest things to get right. It takes the right hardware and the proper installation, however the process is a simple one. To install the sails, we pull the sail by hand until it is about 6″ from the anchoring point. This gets us pretty close. Then we use a small ratchet strap to pull the sail tight. When we do this we will leave the turnbuckles open as far as it goes when the sail is set up. Then the final adjustments with the turnbuckles can be done. Ideally, the sides of the sails should not be able to push inwards more than 6″ after it is under full tension. If the sail is a commercial cable edge sail, additional adjustment is
needed to tension the cable after on the corners. For commercial applications, professional installation is recommended.
Commercial shade sails are an investment, and need to be set up correctly from the beginning. Installers are trained and when Creative Shade Solutions provides installation services, we ensure that all permits, regulations and safety procedures are followed.
Would you like to learn more about installing a shade sail? Do you have a commercial or residential shade need? Give us a call today at 888.570.SAIL to learn more about which shade sail option is right for you!