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As the chill of winter begins to give way to spring breezes, we’re reminded that it won’t be long until the rays of the sun begin their blazing assault on our skin. When this happens, our families begin to look for shade so they may continue to enjoy the great outdoors more safely without the direct rays of the sun.
There are many ways to shade yourself from the sun, including using umbrellas and awnings… but we’d like to talk with you about our favorite way to block the summer sun. Imagine if you had an umbrella that was HUGE and didn’t have a pole in the middle of it to block your fun. This device would stretch across the outdoor spaces you hang out in, ) keeping you cool and comfortable while being anchored to existing poles, trees, houses, garages or other structures.
What we’re talking about here is a Shade Sail.
Here at Patio Heat and Shade, we pride ourselves on being your patio experts, and our experts love the versatility of the shade sail. We’ve collected seven of their favorite shade sail ideas to keep your family cool and collected (the “calm” is really all up to you) throughout the summer. Let’s take a look at our favorite sun shade sail installation ideas!
Frequently you’ll find in-ground pool corners with a purpose – steps to ease the little ones into the shallow end, or a playful waterfall that beckons all to come just a little bit closer. The problem with these high traffic areas is that your family can easily get sunburn or even sunstroke while in the pool, if you don’t have a way to shade them from those harmful rays.
You’ll find a perfectly placed shade sail (in this case, one of our triangular shade sails) to not just offer superior protection while still enjoying your pool to its fullest, you’ll also find it cuts down on debris in your pool and improves your privacy.
If your kids are as active as mine are, keeping a specific corner cool isn’t going to be good enough. What you need is a large rectangular shade sail to cover your whole pool.
When considering the sun sail shade ideas that make the best sense for you, do you think you need the largest shade sail option? We’ve got ‘em in stock as large as 12’ x 18’ to cover your entire space. “Little Liam and Olivia” can frolic all day long under the protection of their very own solar eclipse, provided by a perfectly placed shade sale from Patio Heat and Shade.
One of our favorite patio shade sail ideas is to use a square shade sale to cover an outdoor dining area. Square shade sails will not only provide you with sun protection, but light rain can also be repelled (although a torrential downpour will probably permeate the fabric, light rain is easily repelled). Notice though that the BBQ grill is outside of the shade sail area; shade sales can be harmed by the gasses coming off your outdoor cooking space, so make sure your shade sail is free and clear before putting on your pit master apron!
I learned this one the hard way. We had a 1,200 gallon Coy Pond in direct sunlight, with a beautiful two-tiered waterfall keeping the fish happily oxygenated. I found that after cleaning the pond, it took about a minute and a half for the algae to grow to full maturity again, thanks to the blazing sunlight hitting the pond directly for 15 hours a day.
I could have significantly lessened this time-consuming maintenance issue had I only the sense to install a shade sail over the pond to reduce the direct sunlight. If we decide to ever put in a pond again, you can be sure it’ll have a commercial shade sail protecting the fish and aquatic plants and helping me keep what little sanity I have left…
Shade sales are an inexpensive way to keep your little ones safe all summer long.
As we’ve seen, shade sails are super versatile… and we’ve only scratched the surface. Personally, I hate getting into a car/oven in the middle of the summer and would love to put up a shade sail to keep my car cool as the sun blazes down.
Don’t think of shade sales as permanent fixtures – small, brightly colored shade sales can be put up temporarily in spaces as needed to keep your family and guests comfortable. Here, a garden bench is a perfect resting place… but consider a patio swingset, a small table, or even a single chaise-lounge relaxation oasis kept safe from the sun’s rays by a small shade sail.
I don’t have to tell you that kids get so involved in their own make-believe world that they don’t pay attention to their environment. For our next backyard shade sail idea, consider placing a small shade sail over the high activity areas (sandboxes, swing sets, flat patio areas where little bikes can roll freely) to keep your little ones revved up without fear of overheating or sunstroke.
Covering a large patio requires a unique shade sail idea – Use multiple, brightly colored shade sails to cover an expansive area. Multiple square shade sails can easily cover an area with 6-8 picnic benches, to keep your guests at a large gathering cool all afternoon long. By using multiple colors, you can create a festive, happy mood all while keeping your family up to 15° cooler, making your party the hit that that you dreamed it could be.
My wife tells me that different flowers and plants need different sun/shade provided to them (yup, I had no idea) and a shade sail would be perfect for those plants that need partial sunlight, while keeping all the plants in the same garden. You can even use a shade sail to protect your indoor spaces from the direct rays of the sun by placing them strategically over key windows or doors.
Here at Patio Heat and Shade, you’ll find fantastic shade sail options in so many sizes, fabrics and colors that you’re sure to find one that exactly meets your needs… and if you’re not sure what those needs might be, we’re proud to say that we have the best patio experts in the business waiting for your call. Trust us with your backyard needs, we promise to treat you like family.