Custom-Made Shade Sails
(usually takes about 2-3 weeks
Free shipping & attaching hardware included with our Custom sails!

We offer two types of custom Shade Sails

(A) Commercial quality with "Webbing reinforced" type construction in custom sizes and colors. Sewed with "Tenara" thread. These are just as strong as the cabled sails and easier to install. In most cases we prefer our customers to use these type.

(B) Commercial quality with Stainless steel cabled perimeter and extra reinforcement. Made to fit the space. Requires some skill during installation. Continuous cable with clamps Sewed with "Tenara or Solarfix" thread. Continuous cabled sails often require extra "D" shackles to fit their larger corner rings. (We always help with these details at the time your order is placed.

Pricing & Mail Ordering Custom Shade Sails To Your Specifications
(Click Here) For Quote and On-Line Order Form

Continuous cable

Order On-Line or Calculate Cost (click here)

DISCLAIMER (Read carefully) The following installation suggestions are offered as a courtesy to mail order purchasers and to facilitate accurate ordering of the product. Shade Sails does not and cannot know the specific intentions of purchaser stress factors, variables for the area such as soil, wind condition and exposure, existing structure strength, local access codes, etc. The following is offered only as a highly generalized summary of installation methods used successfully by Shade Sails in the past. Shade Sails makes no extension of warranty by these general guidelines and disclaims any responsibility for the installation, design of installation, engineering requirements, code compliance or any other installation related matter. Shade Sails offers these services on an individual contract basis and purchaser has elected to purchase the sail only as a more economical alternative.

Shade Sails are made to fit very accurately to their attachment points. Therefore it is important to follow these instructions:

1) Plan your installation. Check with your local building Dept. Many installations require a building permit. We are not responsible for obtaining permits or for engineering your installation.

2) To Help you visualize the Sails, you can use string stretched between your planned attachment points. Remember the sail do not have straight lines at the edges, they are constructed with a gentle curve that deflects about 10% over the length of each edge. We have found the best looking installations have bold changes in height from one corner to the next, and that overlapping sails or multiple sails give a more interesting look. Design Parameters.. click here

3) The attachment points should be installed first. Then the sails are made to fit. Therefore, install your posts with eye bolts, plates, eyes or straps to the house, tree or whatever you have chosen to support them. Remember, there can be substantial wind loads. (from 10 to 18 lbs. per square foot of sail). The sails have stainless wire or heavy webbing around their perimeters and can handle high wind loading. These loads are divided between the corners, but it is important that what they attach to be adequate for the loads they can produce.

For our posts, we usually start with 4" schedule 40 steel pipe (galvanized) or temporary power poles (treated) that are 6" or larger for our posts. They are usually embedded in a concrete footing, 3 ft. to 6 ft. deep and 1 ft. to 1.5 ft. in diameter. As the sails get larger or higher then the post size should be larger.
We can provide engineering services (for a fee) to determine these details.

Corners of buildings are excellent attachment points and we have designed a special corner clip for that application (see hardware page).

Also, it is often possible to connect to remote structures with wire spanning the distance but this should only be used to extend one corner of the sail any significant distance.

4) The sails have a stainless steel ring at each corner that must be attached to your fixing point. This can be done in a variety of ways; the best method is to use "D" shackle and turnbuckles. When you have your measurements we will make recommendations as to what attaching/tensioning hardware to use and their locations.

5) Measure accurately from the outer edge of the eye of one attachment point to the next. On four sided sails we need diagonal measurements as well. Also supply us with the heights of the fixing points.
See our measuring instructions below..

Order On-Line or Calculate Cost (click here)

6) Choose a color. Custom Fabrics and Colors... (click here)

7) To calculate the cost of the sail, add the perimeter dimensions together and divide the total inches by 12 to get feet...Commercial customs = ($21 per linear foot for Comtex or Monotec). Then add $70 for each webbing style corner or $100 per corner for cabled style sail. Or use our automated custom order page to price or order a sail. (Prices subject to change without notice. (Sails with perimeters larger than 80' may need special fabrics and should be reviewed by us first. Sails with perimeters over 80' cost more and should only be installed by a qualified installers) *Free shipping on Custom sails!* (Shipping and handling as well as marine grade stainless steel shackles and turnbuckles are included in the Custom Sail price.)

9) We supply the marine grade stainless steel shackles and turnbuckles to attach the sail to the fixing points or eyes.. Therefore it is essential you use our eyes or fixing hardware so that we can be sure that our turnbuckles etc. fit onto the eyes without extra pieces.

Custom Shade Sails usually take under 3 weeks to complete.

No refunds on Custom Orders.

See Hardware Page for available stainless steel hardware. Note that you need to get your fixing points up before measuring. After we receive the order form we will determine what shackles and turnbuckles will be required and where to locate them.

Click Here for Info on steel posts

Design Parameters..A Must Read! click here

Custom Fabrics and Colors... (click here)

We use either Solarfix or Tenara thread at more than $100/spool!

Measuring for Custom Sails
Order On-Line or Calculate Cost (click here)

To insure proper fit of a custom sail you must follow the directions.

Measurements should be to the nearest inch. (round down)

First, you have to install the fixing points (eyes). Estimating their size and location is not enough and will result in a bad fit. This means the posts must be in the ground and their eyes or fixing points installed.

Use our hardware. Using other hardware can often create problems with compatibility. The hardware we sell is compatible with each other. That is the turnbuckles, shackles and eyes all fit together and are also sized with similar load ratings. If you use a non-compatible component you may need additional components to “bridge the two and this will also cause a misfit. Using welded pad-eyes can be accommodated, but specialty shackles (long or twisted) may need to be added, usually adding to the cost.

To guarantee proper fit, you need to measure the space the Shade Sail will occupy. That is to say the space between the fixing points. Therefore, measure from the outside of each eye at its apex that faces the center of the sail.

Do not… measure from inside the eye or the face of the post!!

If you are doing a 4 or more sided sail then we need diagonal measurements as well.

Measure each edge per the sketch below

MEASUREMENTS: (measure from the outside of the eye at the point closest (apex) to the center of the shade sail)
Enter edge dimension in inches

Diagonals for quads (required).
A-C ________
B-D ________

Generally we use 2 turnbuckles on triangles and 2 on quadrilaterals.

The other corners are connected with a “D' shackle.. We compensate for the size and location of turnbuckles. (Not you)

Hardware ("D" or Twist shackles and Turnbuckles) for attaching and tensioning are included. 2 ea. turnbuckles per sail. Cabled sails have additional "D" shackles that are required between corner rings and TBs. You must supply your own fixing eyes. Attaching hardware is included & will come with the custom Shade Sail.

Also, it is often possible to connect to remote structures with wire spanning the distance but this should only be used to extend one corner of the sail any significant distance.
When ordering or measuring for a custom sari with a wire leader, you need to install string lines first so that you can determine the size and shape you will need. We find it best to use a string with a loop on one end mocked up the same length as the cable you intend to have. Then run a string from the the sail's fixing eye through the loop on the mocked up cable's loop and to the other fixing point for the sail.. Make sure the mocked up leader string is making a straight line toward the center of the sail by sliding the loop along the string that is mocking up the sail edges. You do not want the leader cable pulling on one sail edge more than the other.
You then measure to this point that is to be your sail's corner. Be sure to order cable, or chain the approximate length you intend as a leader. You will want a turnbuckle on it to add tension and probably a shackle for the connection to the sail. It is best if the leader is made up in the field to get the best fit.

Note: If you order a sail with a leader let us know by e-mail which corner you have measured this way,

Heights of the fixing points above grade.

Please provide the fixing points heights. These can be rough measurements, say to the nearest half foot..
Fixed to post / Fixed to building
A= ________ ______ ______
B= ________ ______ ______
C= ________ ______ ______
D= ________ ______ ______

Not all shapes or sizes will give good results. Contact us if you need advice. donc@shadesails.com

Order On-Line or Calculate Cost (click here)

Hi, (Aug 21, 2006)
Just wanted you to know that we got the shipment and put up the shade sail today. It fits perfectly,
and your instructions were easy to follow. Thank you! We are very pleased with our purchase. We
used the sail over an atrium in our Eichler-style house. It looks perfect. All modern and sleek. I don't
see any pictures of installations like ours. Thanks again. We are extremely satisfied customers. And
it took a lot less than a month!
Trudie Folsom

Dear Don,
The Shade Sail we received on Thursday 05/12/05 went up this morning without a hitch -- It took
about an hour. I've included some photographs. The quality of the light under the Sail is really
wonderful, and the design lets the trees get a little less than half a day direct sunlight, which is just about perfect. Thank you for your help with this project -- I wanted to let you know we are very
pleased ...
Sincerely, Michael S.

"I don't mind you using the photos. I have more detailing the hardware etc. I also intend to take some when it is in full sun. I am rather proud of the fact that this job was designed and installed by me, the homeowner. I am sure that would be inspiring to others if the photos made mention of this. A Thank You to all involved. J. B.

Don,
I just wanted to get back with you after installing the sails. The installation was very easy and they fit perfectly. I have included a couple of shots of the finished install. The sails have already generated a lot of interest in the neighborhood and I am sure I will be referring you in the near future. If you ever need a reference for your sails do not hesitate to provide them my name.
Thanks again for your help in ordering and pointers on the install.
Sincerely,
A. C.

Plans...
We have some stock engineering plans for either a 20' or 15' hyperbolic parabola based structures. plans are available with either single hyperbolic shape or a chain (multiples) of them. These plans are suitable for getting permits in most States and have been prepared by a licensed structural engineer. They include drawings, calculation package and are "wet stamped". $750

20' Hyperbolic Parabola Kit..... $1699
Includes: 20' Shadezilla square sail in choice of available colors..
A set of sealed engineering plans suitable for get a permit.
Fixing tensioning hardware.. all you need to fix the sail to the posts as called out in the engineering.
Not included... Steel pipe columns, and footings.
The plans show 14' high points and 8' low points along with footing details.

We can also make custom shade cloth panels with grommets
around the perimeter..... E-mail us a sketch for pricing.

* Shipping of custom shade sails is included in the price of the custom sail. However, this is for the 48 contiguous state of the USA and ther may be additional charges for HI, AK or for other countires.

Custom-Made Shade Sails (usually takes about 2-3 weeks *Free shipping & attaching hardware included with our Custom sails!*

We offer two types of custom Shade Sails

Pricing & Mail Ordering Custom Shade Sails To Your Specifications (Click Here) For Quote and On-Line Order Form

Measuring for Custom Sails Order On-Line or Calculate Cost (click here)

Custom-Made Shade Sails
(usually takes about 2-3 weeks
Free shipping & attaching hardware included with our Custom sails!

Pricing & Mail Ordering Custom Shade Sails To Your Specifications
(Click Here) For Quote and On-Line Order Form

Measuring for Custom Sails
Order On-Line or Calculate Cost (click here)