Custom made Shade Sails with Sunbrella near Waterproof Fabric

Questions & Answers about Sunbrella Shade Sail

Q:

What is a shade sail, and how does it work?

A:

A shade sail is a modern, tensioned fabric canopy that provides effective sun protection for any outdoor space. Inspired by a ship's sail, it is made from durable, UV-resistant materials like high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or acrylic canvas. The sail is anchored, with about 150lbs of tension, at its corners to poles, walls, or other sturdy structures, creating a stable and wind-resistant cover. Known for their aesthetic appeal and versatility, shade sails are a popular solution for creating comfortable outdoor recreational environments in both residential and commercial settings, including patios, decks, pools, playgrounds, courtyards and dining areas.
(Source: Enhanced by BackyardCity.com)

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Custom made Shade Sails with Sunbrella near Waterproof Fabric

We offer Custom Shade Sails in Marine / Awning grade Sunbrella fabric to fit almost any size and shape in several colors. Also known as Sun Sails, shade sails make beautiful additions to your patio, backyard, or other outdoor areas, and they provide excellent protection from sun and its harmful UV radiation. It is the perfect shading alternative instead of a traditional pergola or covered porch. Flying, colorful and curvaceous, shade sails make an attractive addition to any property, and with the right design can enhance the existing property with architectural and artistic flair and style.

Use this form to request a Quote
Custom Shade Sail Quote Form

Our Sunbrella Shade Sails feature Marine Grade Sunbrella Awning breathable fabric to keep you cooler and more comfortable in hot weather. This state of the art material provides a UV protection factor of up to 98% and is unaffected by moisture and natural temperature extremes. Sunbrella fabric is a solution dyed acrylic that is fade and water resistant. The near waterproof fabric also resists stains, mildew, and rot. The perimeter of each sail contains seatbelt type webbing for increased strength and durability. Each corner has a welded, solid, marine grade, stainless steel attachment ring to aid in attaching to a structurally sound fixing point. 10-Year UV warranty on fabric - 2 years FULL!

Comparison of Shade Sail Dimensions with Attachment Points — 240in represents the
Anchor Point Dimensions

218in would be the smaller
Shade Sail Dimensions

All custom shade sails are designed with a reduction of approximately 10% of your attachment point measurements in many cases. This is done to allow enough space for the mounting hardware, fabric stretch, and to tension the sail. All final shade sail measurements will be approximate due to tolerances during the fabricating process. Due to the limited available Sunbrella fabric widths, there will be seams approximately every 40-57 inches.

The perimeter of each sail is designed with a gentle curve inwards towards the center of the sail to control fabric tension. This inward curve will have a maximum depth, or gore, of approximately 6-10% of the length of that side of the shade sail. Therefore, when tension is placed on the shade sail, the fabric will not wrinkle. Shade sails, when installed properly, do not sag or flap in the wind.

CAUTION: If the area you wish to shade is much longer on one side and not very wide on the other, the inward curve could protrude far enough into the sails shape to make long/skinny Rectangles with very little shade area in the middle, or with Triangles it will made the long corner into a skinny strap, possibly making it useless for shade, but could be an interesting decorative/design feature. So please be careful when designing your shade sails.

Note: Sunbrella material is water resistant, it must be mounted at an angle of at least 20 degrees to allow water run off.

Determining the amount of Slope/Angle for your Sunbrella Shade Sail

Sunbrella fabric is water resistant, and Shade Sails made from this fabric have to be installed with at least a 20 degree slope to allow water to run off and not pool on top. Below is a simple equation and example to determine the amount of vertical drop from one attachment point of the sail to the opposite attachment point of the sail to allow water run off. A 20 degree slope can be estimated - if one corner is attached and you walk to another corner, then the sail must change height 3.6ft every 10ft you walk.

If you have a shade sail that is a 15 foot square the amount of angle/slope will be 5 feet 5 inches. You can determine this slope amount by using the equation: Sail Length x .36 = Amount of Slope

15 Feet x .36 = 5.25 Feet which is about 5 Feet 3 Inches.

Therefore it is best to attach two points of your sail 5 Feet 3 Inches lower than the two higher points to allow water run off.

CAUTION: If the area you wish to shade is much longer on one side and not very wide on the other, the inward curve could protrude far enough into the sails shape to make long/skinny Rectangles with very little shade area in the middle, or with Triangles it will made the long corner into a skinny strap, possibly making it useless for shade, but could be an interesting decorative/design feature. So please be careful when designing your shade sails.

Custom Shade Sail Edge Options & Maximum Wind Load Sizing

Residential Sail Corner with 1.5 inch webbing

Sail Corner D-Ring with 1.5in Webbing

1.5-Inch Polyester Webbing for Small to Medium Light-Commercial & Residential Sails

This is our standard low-profile edge, designed to give small to medium residential shade sails a clean, lightweight finish. We use premium 0.035-inch thick, UV-stabilized polyester webbing that is completely impervious to mildew weakening and highly resistant to environmental aging. While the raw material tests at a 2,810 lb average tensile strength, we intentionally engineer our sails around a strict 2,200 lb maximum safety buffer per corner to absorb unexpected, heavy wind spikes. For maximum durability, we completely double up the webbing layers at every single corner point. This provides a highly secure, engineered setup for typical backyard spaces.

3-Corner sails up to a maximum of 227 sqft
4-Corner sails up to a maximum of 303 sqft

Starting at Just $5.90 per square foot.

Residential/Commercial Sail Corner with 2 inch webbing

Sail Corner D-Ring with 2in Webbing

Heavy-Duty 2-Inch Reinforced Webbing for Medium to Large Commercial & Residential Projects

Our most popular and versatile edge treatment. This 1.20 mm industrial-grade edge utilizes 100% High-Tenacity Polyester webbing, providing a massive 6,000 lb breaking strength which more than doubles our 1.5-inch option. It features a high UVI protection rating (up to 79% shielding against sun degradation) and retains 98.7% of its breaking strength in freezing climates. To handle the increased structural loads, we completely double up the webbing layers at every single corner point. This is the ideal option for large residential spaces and standard commercial applications.

3-Corner sails up to a maximum of 620 sqft
4-Corner sails up to a maximum of 827 sqft

Starting at Just $6.60 per square foot.

Light Commercial Sail Corner with 1/8 inch steel cable

Sail Corner D-Ring with 1/8in cable

1/8-Inch Stainless Steel Cable for Small to Medium Sails Requiring Structural Code Compliance

While polyester webbing naturally flexes and curves to tension a sail, certain configurations require an unyielding, rigid frame. This perimeter features a premium 7x19 marine-grade stainless steel aircraft cable with a 1,760 lb breaking strength threaded entirely through the hemmed pockets. Instead of relying on fabric edge elasticity, the cable acts as a non-stretch internal skeleton. This framework completely eliminates perimeter edge creep over long spans and is frequently required for smaller commercial spaces or municipal locations under local building code enforcement.

3-Corner sails up to a maximum of 182 sqft
4-Corner sails up to a maximum of 242 sqft

Starting at Just $7.30 per square foot.

Commercial Sun Sail Corner with 1/4 inch steel cable

Sail Corner D-Ring with 1/4in cable

Heavy-Duty 1/4-Inch Stainless Steel Cable for Large Architectural & Code-Compliant Commercial Spans

Engineered explicitly for large-scale, high-load architectural installations requiring maximum tension stability. This perimeter option utilizes an extra-flexible 7x19 marine stainless steel aircraft cable boasting a monumental 6,400 lb breaking strength. This framework provides immense structural integrity, allowing massive public venues and high-exposure commercial setups to safely absorb extreme wind load pressures without distorting the physical symmetry of the shade sail fabric.

3-Corner sails up to a maximum of 662 sqft
4-Corner sails up to a maximum of 882 sqft

Starting at Just $8.10 per square foot.

Note on Cable Perimeters: Cabled perimeter sails are end-user adjustable via two included wire clamps located at one corner. Because shade sail fabric will naturally flex and settle over time while the heavy-duty stainless steel cable will not stretch, periodic edge wire adjustments are required to keep the structure fully tensioned.

Note: Some shade sail shapes and sails with additional corners will have additional costs. There is also a 50 square foot minimum charge for custom shade sails. We strive to offer custom made shade sails at an economical price. In order to offer our custom sails at these prices, they are not engineered to the stringent specifications you may find on a sail costing twice as much. You may find that a length of steel cable or chain is needed to reach the attachment points when installing your shade sail.

SUNBRELLA FABRIC SAIL COLORS
Toast 4628	Forest Green 4637	Pacific Blue 4601
Natural White 4604	Taupe 4648	Jockey Red 4603
Beige 4620	Terra-Cotta 4622	Sunflower Yellow 4602

Additional Special Order Sunbrella Shade Sail Colors

Mounting hardware is NOT included with the sail. They are available at the bottom of this page.

To receive a quote for your Custom Shade Sail, please click on the form found after the 1st paragraph at top of page, print and fill it out. Then either fax it to 901-531-8145 or scan/take a picture with your smartphone and email it to us. It will take approximately 1-2 business days to process and quote the shade sail you need.

All Sunbrella shade sails are made to your specifications. Therefore, all sales are final. No refunds or returns can, or will, be accepted.