Tensile Shade Sails – the Ultimate All-Year Protection

June 12th, 2019 · Published to Canopies, Shade Sails by Steve Lewis

Tensile Shade Sails

Tensile Shade Sails – Made by Global Shade and installed by Ashadya Shade Sails & Blinds

No doubt you know what a shade sail is, but you’re probably wondering what a tensile shade sail is, am I right? If I were to say a waterproof shade sail, then you’d know exactly what a tensile shade sail is.

Simply put, tensile shade sails are shade sails made from PTFE-coated fibreglass and PVC-coated polyester, which gives them unique waterproof qualities. Whereas, standard shade sails are made from shade cloth, a knitted high-density polyethylene, which is not waterproof.

If you’re looking for a shade solution for your home or business that not only provides shade from the hot summer sun but also protection from the winter rains, then tensile shade sails are the solution for you!

Continue reading as I explain some of the other characteristics of tensile shade sails which make them the ultimate choice for all-year protection.

  • Cost: Expect the fabric (alone) to cost $70-100/M2. As a comparison, standard shade cloth is around $35-55 /M2
  • Material: tensile shade sails are generally made from PVC coated with PVDF. They can also be made from Teflon coated PVC, perforated PVC and HDPE knitted shade cloth
  • Waterproof: tensile shade sails are 100% waterproof. They offer great rain protection which is why they are commonly used in commercial applications such as sporting complexes and hospitality businesses.
  • UV Protection: tensile shade sails offer a 100% UVR block rate, regardless of the fabric colour (standard shade cloth offers higher UV protection for darker shade cloth colours).
  • UV Resistance: tensile shade sails with heat reflective or nanoparticle coating can attain a UV life of up to 20 years.
  • Colours: The colour range varies depending on the tensile fabric.
  • Heat Reflectively: tensile shade sails manufactured from white fabric reflects up to 85% of heat away.
  • Translucency: tensile shade sails have 7 to 54% translucency depending on the pigment of the fabric.
  • Fire: tensile shade sail fabrics are rated to Australian Standard AS1530 Part 2; materials that don’t melt or shrink and Part 3; Ignitability, flame propagation, heat release and smoke release are determined simultaneously by means of a vertical heat source.
  • Strength: tensile shade sail fabrics offer very little stretch, just 0.05%-1.5% (in comparison, standard shade cloth offers 3-6%). For this reason, we recommend that tensile shade sails are only installed by licensed shade sail installers
  • Cleanability: tensile shade sails need little maintenance as they self-clean with rainfall. They can also be wiped clean. Good maintenance will prolong the life of the shade sail.
  • Life Expectancy: tensile shade sails will generally last as long as 10 to 20 years depending on the fabric. This is on par with quality standard shade cloth.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an affordable solution to provide all year protection, then tensile shade sails are the perfect solution. They are made from waterproof materials and offer high UV protection to block out most of the sun and all rain. Because of this, they are often used in commercial applications such as over grandstands at sporting fields and arenas and over outdoor eating areas at cafes and restaurants.

To purchase tensile shade sails in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast Adelaide, and Perth, or anywhere in between, contact Global Shade. We can custom manufacture tensile shade sails from the industry’s leading fabrics including Ferrari 502, Polyplan 680 and Valmex 580S. You can find out more about these fabrics by visiting the Fabrics page of our website.

Call 1800 724 407 to order a 100% waterproof tensile shade sail today.

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