When you think about shade sails, the first thing that comes to mind for many are the cheap and flimsy shade sails that you can purchase off the shelf from home hardware centers. However, did you know that there are superior solutions available that can last up to 10 times longer and withstand heavy winds? How is this so, you may ask? By simply ordering custom shade sails, which are manufactured using a robust shade fabric from Rainbow Shade.

Rainbow shade is no novice when it comes to shade sails. In fact, we have been supply quality shade fabrics to the leading shade sail manufactures across Australia for the past 30 years. Shade sails offer the ultimate shade protection against harmful UV rays and those made from our PVC waterproof fabrics can even offer 100% protection from the rain.

Continue reading this article to find out all the fantastic options available from this great shade solution.

According to the Specialised Textile Association, shade sails can be made out of various fabrics. The most popular is shade cloth fabric. Shade cloth is a lightweight fabric made from HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). HDPE can provide 80-97% UV A & B protection and reduce temperatures beneath the sails between 10-30 degrees. This in itself is impressive.

Another popular shade sail fabric is waterproof PVC. As the name suggests, waterproof PVC is used to manufacture waterproof shade sails. It is a lightweight material ranging from 400gsm to 1500 gsm and generally offers 10-15 years of service. Waterproof PVC is made from polyester and gets its waterproof properties from a PVC coating.

At Rainbow Shade, we offer three shade cloth fabrics that are ideal for shade sails; Z16, eXtreme 32 and DRiZ and one waterproof PVC fabric, Serge Ferrari.

Z16 is currently celebrating 21 years being the worldwide leading shade cloth brand. Released in 1995, Z16 revolutionised shade fabrics and has built a solid reputation for its dependability around the world. This shade sail fabric is lightweight and versatile, yet strong enough to offer the durability and longevity that consumers have come to expect from a quality product. In fact, Rainbow Shade offer a 10 year limited warranty on this very popular shade sail fabric.

eXtreme 32 is another great fabric which is commonly used in the manufacturing of shade sails. Known for being a more heavy duty fabric to its Z16 counterpart, this commercial grade fabric offers superior strength and up to 95.8% UV-R Protection. It too is backed with a 10 year limited warranty.

For the ultimate shade – and rain – protection, we present DRiZ; our most popular fabric used in the manufacturing of waterproof shade sails. DRiZ is a combination of Z16 with a unique waterproof coating. It offers up to 100% UV-R protection and is extremely lightweight, just 280 gsm – much lighter than waterproof PVC fabrics.

However, for commercial strength applications you simply cannot compete with our waterproof PVC fabric, Serge Ferrari. With over 60 years of development behind it, Serge Ferrari offers a quality architectural PVC fabric range ideal for commercial shade sails. With a 10 year limited warranty and features which include flame retardant, UV stabilized and High Tensile/ Tear strength, it’s no wonder why this is the preferred solution for so many commercial applications.

Shade sails are a fantastic shade solution. They are able to provide vital protection from the harmful sun as well as the rain. Shade sails also offer so much flexibility in terms of application. They can be used as to provide playground/park shade, as residential shade sails, commercial shade sails, waterproof shade sails, car shade sails, pool shade sails and much, much more!

Conclusion

Shade sails offer the ultimate shade protection. Not only are they much more affordable than a permanent structure, but if you opt for a custom shade sail that is manufactured using a Rainbow Shade fabric, they can last in excess of 10 years. Moreover, you have a great choice of quality shade fabrics to choose from. Fabrics such as Z16, eXtreme 32, DRiZ and Serge Ferrari will ensure you have a robust solution for which ever application you require.

If you’re after quality shade sails, get in contact with Rainbow Shade. We distribute our shade fabrics across Australia including the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and Darwin.

When you choose a Rainbow Shade fabric for your shade sails, you can rest assure you’re getting the ultimate shade protection.