ARE ALL SHADES CREATED EQUAL????
|
At Style Shades we pride ourselves on our product and service and we want you to know we care about the structures we design and create . If this is your first shade sail then you are probably getting your head around the lingo that is used in the trade, the names and purpose's of the parts and materials used, and the many decisions of what colour, fabric type, tensioning device, water runoff, heights and how it will look, etc,etc. So here are a few handy questions to ask A. Does the contractor have the appropriate Builder restricted to special structures (shade sails) license from BSA Qld? This will be important in the event of storm or cyclone damage as the insurer may ask for these details. (Insurers may not insure structures installed by unlicensed contractors). The contractor should have this license number clearly displayed on the quotation. B. What kind of thread is the manufacturer using? There are a lot of threads available. Some threads can break down after only 12-18mths in the tropical north Queensland climate. The best question to ask is if installer will provide a written warranty for the thread and for how long this is for. At Style Shades we use a thread that has a written warranty for the life of any fabric it is sewn into. E.g. Rainbow Shade Fabric -10yrs. C . What kind of edges will my sail have? There are 2 main types of edges in sails-
At Style Shades we use Cable edges. Cable Edges Made by folding a pocket into the same piece of material that the sail is cut from, then running a piece of stainless steel cable around the perimeter of the sail which will when tensioned pull the material through the centre of the sail tight. This technique gives the edges a sharp, crisp and defined edge that looks very modern and is the same color as the sail. Webbing or Binding Edges Made by sewing seat belt type webbing or similar, around the edge of the shade sail. This makes the shade cheaper to produce and quicker to install. It is however hard to match the edge\webbing\binding with the shade cloth color so the edges are in my opinion, not as sharp as a cable sail and the finished product doesn't look as impressive. The other draw back with a webbing or binded edge sail is that if the webbing or binding is sewn on the top side of the sail, it will break down or fade faster than the durable shade cloth and may look dull and faded only months after installed. D. Which method should I chose to tighten my shade sail? The most common methods for this are -
Stainless Steel Turnbuckles Turnbuckles are an impressive looking piece of stainless steel that extends or tightens when the body in the center is turned. They can generate huge amounts of tension. The only down side to turn buckles is that you have to physically get to the turnbuckle to release it this could be at the top of a tall post or on top of a house roof. They could be a little fiddly for some clients as well. Cord Lashing Made from high quality marine grade cord, it is cheap and easy to untie. Simply cut it with a sharp blade\knife etc, and for high posts you can tape\attach your knife to a pole or broom handle and cut it down from below. The down side is that to tighten a sail with lashing can take quite a bit of physical strength. And tying the knot can intimidate some people. If all of this is too much for you or you would like it done professionally at Style Shades we offer the services of tensioning, taking down and putting up of your sail shade. I hope this will help you with choosing the right shade sail for you. If you have any more queries please contact us and we can discuss this with you and help you create the type of shade sail to meet your requirements. Ben Atkinson Managing Director of Styles Shades |