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The Ultimate Shade Sail Guide The Canopy Experts Guide to Shade Sails

0800 389 9072 www.ablecanopies.co.uk

WELCOME TO THE ULTIMATE SHADE SAIL GUIDE

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of shade sails, including their key features, available options, and the benefits they can offer your organisation. Shade sails are permanent, contemporary structures ideally suited to environments such as schools, hospitals, parks, and leisure settings Offering both style and practicality, they are an excellent solution for creating effective outdoor shade and shelter. Also known as sail shades or sun shades, these versatile structures can be tailored to create unique, eye-catching designs that enhance any outdoor space. Each installation can be fully customised through: Ÿ Shape – Available in square, rectangular, and triangular designs Ÿ Colour – A range of fabric and post colours to complement or enhance your setting Ÿ Design – Multiple sails can be combined to form striking, bespoke layouts Please note: This guide refers to commercial grade shade sails only, not domestic products.

SAIL SHAPES Fabric sails can be supplied in a range of different shapes, the most popular are square, rectangle and triangle. When creating a shade sail array, each sail can be an identical shape or different, to create a diverse and stylish shade structure. Please see the examples below which show the different sail shapes available.

Rectangle

Triangle

Square

SHADE SAIL DESIGNS The design possibilities created by installing multiple shade sails together are endless. You can create different designs using single or multiple sail shapes. Below are some examples of shade sail designs that really stand out as statement structures and enhance their surroundings.

Plus, so many more... Have a design in mind? Get in touch with us to see if we can bring it to life. 3

Newton Prep School, London Fabric: Standard Colour: Amazonia Size: 1 no. 6m x 5m,1 no. 5m x 5m, 4 no. 6m x 6m 4

COLOUR OPTIONS Shade sails are supplied with a choice of different fabric colours that range from calming and neutral to bright and vibrant. This enables you to create the ambience you require whether it be a relaxing time-out zone or a fun play area. Colours can also be chosen not only to create a specific mood, but also to match your branding or school colours.

TYPES OF APPLICATIONS Shade sails can be used for a wide range of different applications as shown which includes amphitheatres, outdoor dining areas, walkways, care home shelters, playground shelters and much more.

7 FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING YOUR SHADE SAILS 1. Fabric Quality and Colour Choice Shade sail fabric varies in quality considerably and the quality of the fabric will affect the life span and appearance of your shade sail. The greater the weight of fabric offered (gsm), the more durable the material will be, so it is best to chose a sail which is at least 320gsm. The colour choice is just as important, as you may wish to match your branding colours.

2. Fire Performance For commercial settings, the fire performance of a product is important. Different sail fabrics can offer different levels of fire retardancy, so it is always advisable to compare.

3. Life Span & Guarantee Expected life spans give you an idea of the minimum number of years a product is expected to last. Guarantees should be looked into closely - paying attention to the terms and conditions; a longer guarantee may look more appealing, but it may cover less issues.

4. UV Protection Shade sails are designed to create shade from the sun, so it is essential that your new structure offers high UV protection, particularly in schools, care homes and hospitals.

5. Maintenance The less maintenance a structure requires, the better. Higher quality fabrics will require less cleaning and will look newer for longer. Some lower cost sails may need to be retensioned every so often, whereas high quality sails will not require re-tensioning.

6. Trustworthy & Recommended Company Make sure you order your shade sail from a reputable supplier, ensure they are accredited to recognisable organisations and have customer testimonials they are happy to share with you.

7. Relevant Experience Settings such as schools and hospitals, require installers who have experience working in busy areas and will keep disruption to a minimum. Ensure the company you choose has DBS checked fitters and HSE certifications, particularly if your setting has children or vulnerable persons on site.

Breaside Prep School, Kent Fabric: Standard Colour: Natural Size: 2no 5m x 5m 8

8 WAYS SHADE SAILS BENEFIT SCHOOLS & EARLY YEARS SETTINGS 1. UV Protection

2. Cooler Play Areas

Shade sails block up to 96.5% of harmful UV rays produced by the sun, helping to keep children and teachers safe.

Shade sails provide a cool, shaded area in the playground that children can sit under to cool down and to reduce the risk of sunstroke.

3. Ventilation

4. Pleasant Eating Area

The standard, non-waterproof shade sail fabric is constructed from a knitted fabric which has tiny mesh holes allowing airflow through the fabric. This means that pupils will benefit from a pleasant breeze.

Shade sails can create pleasant & cool outdoor picnic or dining areas, with or without tables and benches.

5. Brighten up Outdoor Areas

6. Style Options

Shade sails are available in a wide range of colours including vibrant, funky colours and calming pastel colours.

Shade sails offer an endless selection of design options making your shade sail choice completely bespoke to you.

7. Create a Shaded Outdoor Leaning Area

8. Attractive Events Shelter

By investing in a shade sail, you will be offering your staff the chance to relocate their lessons outside making them much more comfortable on sunny days.

You can create an attractive events shelter from multiple shade sails which can be used for large events and displays, keeping your visitors sheltered and shaded.

5 REASONS TO ADD SHADE SAILS TO HEALTHCARE SETTINGS 1. Time Out Area

2. Fresh Air and Exercise

A sheltered outside area provides an escape from the clinical hospital environment that some patients or visitors can find overwhelming and offers them a cool, sheltered area to sit when it all gets a little too much for them.

Patients can get some fresh air and gentle exercise with a stroll around the area, which may help to improve recovery time.

3. Escape from a Busy Environment

4. Enjoy the Sun

An outside area offers a quiet and calm place to think, relax and re-charge – great for both patients and visitors.

Enjoy some sunshine – patients can top up their vitamin D levels and enjoy a sunny day in the fresh air. Shade sails will provide a cooling shaded area on hot, summer days.

5. Safe Place for Children to Play An outdoor area is the perfect place for children to play or watch nature; whether they are a young patient or visiting children who may be bored or scared of the medical environment.

Image Credit: East Kent Hospitals

A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR SHADE SAILS Our Able Shade Sails are manufactured from the best materials available on the market. The fabric is a high quality knitted polyethylene fabric that has a superior impact tear strength in weft and warp and will not rot or absorb moisture. The posts are made from high quality steel and are galvanised as standard to offer a long lasting product that is protected against rust.

Features & Benefits: High UV Protection - Sails blocks up to 96.5% of UV rays Ÿ 340gsm Knitted Polyethylene Fabric - Will not rot or absorb moisture Ÿ Lock Stitched - Sail fabric is lock stitched using advanced technology to allow for more air movement and better c of cool breezes Ÿ Choice of Colour - Available in a range contemporary fabric colours Ÿ Waterproof Fabric Option - For protection from all weathers Ÿ Choice of Shapes - Square, rectangle and triangle sails are available Ÿ Galvanised Posts - Posts are galvanised as standard, for ultimate corrosion protection Ÿ Curved or Straight Posts - Posts can be curved to create interesting designs which really stand out Ÿ DBS Checked Fitters - Able Shade Sails are installed by our trained and DBS checked teams of fitters Ÿ Excellent Fire Performance - With a flammability index of 1, ignitability index of 13, spread of flame index of 8, heat evolved index of 3 and smoke developed index of 6 Ÿ Easy Maintenance - The fabric requires only periodic cleaning. For lasting results, the sails should be hosed down with water occasionally to retain visually stunning aesthetics Ÿ 10 Year Warranty- The fabric has a 10 warranty against UV degradation Ÿ 25 Year Life Expectancy - The galvanised steel framework has a life of up to 25 years Ÿ

Installation Process: The posts are installed into the ground first to allow them to set. Approximately 14 – 21 days later, we will then install the shade sail fabric.

Bourne Elsea Primary School, Lincolnshire Fabric: Standard Colour: Cherry Red Size: 6m x 6m 12

Shade Sail Fabric Colour Options Able Shade Sails are available in a range of standard colours, with the option to upgrade to dual colours and waterproof fabric as shown below.

Dual Colours

Standard Colours

White

Natural

Desert Sand

Driftwood

Bluebird

Sky Blue

Cherry Red

Deep Orchre

Aquatic Blue

Navy Blue

Yellow

Turquoise

Charcoal

Black

Steel Grey

Gun Metal

Aquamarine

Bright Green

Stone

Brunswick Green

Rivergum

Orange

Chameleon

Citrus

Macaw

Sunburst

Topaz

Capri

Maldives

Santorini

Amazonia

Cobblestone

Goldrush

Savanna

Waterproof Colours Soltis 502

White

Enamel White

Boulder

Tin Green

Spring Green

Garden Green

Tennis Green

Antelope

Sandy Beige

Pepper

Sand

Poppy

Burgundy

Raspberry

Concrete

Anthracite

Black

Marine

Revival Blue

Alpine Blue

Peacock

Porcelain

Lemon

Buttercup

Peach

Orange

Rust

Midnight

Titanium (metallic)

Aluminium (metallic)

White (metallic)

Sand

Vanilla

White

Light Grey

Grey

Dark Beige

Brown Clay

Flexlight 6002

Black

Anthracite

Green

Taupe

Vanilla (opaque)

White (opaque)

Light Grey (opaque)

Taupe/Vanilla (bi-colour)

Compare our Shade Sail Fabric As shown overleaf, our shade sails are available in four options, including two waterproof and two non-waterproof fabrics Please use the comparison table below to explore each option in more detail and find the perfect solution for your requirements. Standard

Dual

Waterproof: Soltis

Waterproof: Flexlight

Waterproof

Yes

Colours

Fire Retardancy

Flame retardant option available

Euroclass EN 13501-1 B-s2,d0

Allows Air Flow

Yes

Weight

340gsm

350gsm

590gsm

630gsm

Tear Strength

194N in warp and 282N in weft

327N in warp and 245N in weft

25 in warp and 22 daN in weft

20 in warp and 20 daN in weft

Warranty

12 years

10 years

7 years

Metallic Colours

None

Opaque Colours

None

Dual Colours

None

UV Protection

Up to 96.5%

Up to 93.6%

Up to 100%

Finish

Textured

Smooth

Textured

Canopies & Covered Walkways

Cycle & Waiting Shelters

Awnings & Playground Accessories

Shade Sails & Tensile Structures

Able Canopies are the canopy experts. We provide safe and stylish weather protection that transforms outside spaces. We have completed 1000s of successful school installations across the UK, and work directly with customers such as school and hospitals, as well as schools and with main contractors & architects. To ensure consistent high quality, we control the design, manufacture & installation process. Which means we have many customers who come back to us time after.

0800 389 9072 www.ablecanopies.co.uk sales@ablecanopies.co.uk