Standard Sized Quadrilateral Shade Sail

In order to properly tension your Standard-size Shade Sail, you need to ensure that your corners of your Shade Sail align with your anchoring points - meaning they are as close to one another as possible without the need for cables. (If cables are needed to make up for some distance, that is fine as well but you can expect slightly more movement in your Shade Sail when the winds pick up).

The tension in your Shade Sail will come from the perimeter cabling that already sits within the fabric perimeter of the Shade Sail, and the turnbuckles inserted into the cabling system already.

The first step to ensuring your Shade Sail is set up correctly would be to ensure your cable clamps are tight against the cable. During installation, you would have already tightened these, but it’s a good starting point to ensure your Shade Sail maintains rigidity. (See here for Standard-size Shade Sail installation instructions)

The second step to ensure your Shade Sail is tensioned correctly would be to turn your turnbuckles. It’s important to note that the nuts on either side of your turnbuckle thread are loosened outwards first. This allows your turnbuckle to grip more thread. Turn your turnbuckle until the resistance becomes too heavy. Lock your nuts back against your turnbuckle mechanism. They should both sit flush against your turnbuckle and be tight. This ensures your turnbuckles don’t turn loose in storms and that your Shade Sails maintains its tension and high-performance.

If the distances between your anchor points, considering the fact that they should be at different heights, don’t end up matching one of our Standard-size Shade Sails, you should then browse our Custom-size Shade Sails. They’re custom made to fit any space and any size. For optimal performance, the corners of your Shade Sail should always connect directly to the anchor point hardware. You can use some cabling to make up for additional distance, but we don’t recommend relying on this method because it allows for more movement in your sail. When in doubt, reach out to one of our Shade Architects who will be more than happy to assist you and ensure you get it right! 

Simply put - VERY important! Shade Sails perform best when under immense tension. Tension allows the cabling in the perimeter of the Shade Sail to increase the Sail’s rigidity, allows the Shade Sail to not crease and allows for a smooth, aerodynamic shape to transpire. This is one of the most noticeable aspects to a Shade Sail - that if tensioned properly, will experience almost no movement at all when winds or storms arise. 

Having your Shade Sail correctly tensioned also allows your Shade Sail to shed water and debris better. A Shade Sail that is not under tension is too vulnerable to pooling water, leaves or whatever else might find itself atop your Shade Sail fabric.  The video below illustrates how you can ensure that your Shade Sail is not only installed correctly but is tensioned properly too.