Shade Sails

Shade sails can transform a sun-drenched area by providing great shade coverage in a stylish, modern design. Their eye-catching shape can be sculpted to suit any situation and type of architecture.

A well designed shade sail provides maximum shade, releases heat and is structurally strong. At East Coast Shade Design, we only use high grade, professionally finished sail cloth cut and finished by a sail maker - it makes all the difference to the finished product.

• Up to 99% UV protection depending on the colour you select
• Allows filtered light and won't trap the heat
• Custom designed to suit your area and needs
• A cost effective way of adding great outdoor space to residential and commercial situations
• A great solution for shade over a pool - view our page outlinin some further detail and considerations for shade sails around a pool

Applications include:

Outdoor residential settings

whether in the garden or over a pool

Playgrounds, schools and child care centres

providing necessary UV protection

Outdoor eating areas

very popular in terms of low maintenance and good looks

Other commercial situations

such as car washes, resort, car parks

Shade Sail Options

Frequently Asked Questions - Shade Sails

Click on the question below to find out more.

Do shade sails need council approval?

We get asked this question quite often when clients are considering a shade sail for their domestic premises. Do the council require development approval? Unfortunately, the answer is not a definitive one for every situation.

The requirement for council approval will depend on the structure, the size, materials, permanency of the structure and which council you are in.

We always recommend contacting your council to determine their requirements. You should give them the following information in order for them to work out whether formal application for development is required.

• Size of structure 
• Height of structure
• Materials used in the structure
• Whether the structure has retractable elements
• Whether the structure is permanent
• The location of the structure in relation to your house
• Any other relevant information
• Details of the installer and any quotes that have been received
• Value of the project 

Due to the varying approaches and requirements we don’t supply council approval services as part of what we offer, but are happy to answer your questions and provide any information that you may need.

What’s the best shade design for over a pool?

Shade over a pool is probably our most often asked for solution. 

Having a cool, shaded spot to head to in the pool in our hot and glary Aussie summer is a very welcome relief.  In order to achieve the right balance of aesthetics and shade – or form and function – then we need to ponder a few considerations:

1. How do you use your pool area?
   Is it an area that you also want to have shade over a seating or eating area? Or is it shade over the water that you need?  Who uses the pool – is it the toddler in the shallow area or the teenagers hanging in the deep end? Who uses the pool or the ages of children can determine where the shade is best placed.

2. Orientation
   

   Where does the sun and shadows travel over the course of the day – do you want shade in the morning or afternoon – what is your peak time using the pool? If the area changes during the day perhaps a rotating outdoor umbrella may work where the umbrella can swivel to suit the sun direction. 

3. Is it permanent? Do you want to be able to retract the shade solution?
   

   Retracting the shade solution in winter will extend the swimming season for you by up to a few weeks a year depending on the area of the pool that is covered. This is when a retractable outdoor umbrella may fit the bill. It allows you to close and even completely remove the umbrella during the months of the year that you want more sunshine.
   
   A permanent structure such as a shade sail is a set and forget and will often provide more coverage than a retractable solution by the nature of the structure.

Other considerations:

• Materials and warranties - make sure they are suitable for the job. Marine grade stainless steel, UV resistant thread etc - these will make the difference and result in a quality result.

• Posts can be hot dipped galvanised with a powder coat finish. This provides corrosion ressitance and a high-quality finish.

• Access for installation - can we get the product into place easily? Some of the structures and posts can be 4+ metres long. Can we get around corners, move the materials into position without the use of cranes or removing fence panels. 

• Another thing to think about is timing. Its tempting to leave the finishing touches to your pool area until a bit later due to the recent investment int eh pool, however you may find that it is cheaper for us to install at the same time as pool areas are being prepared. You may be able to utilise the same resources to dig footings. Often the cost will be cheaper if consideration is given to installing the structure before tiles are laid as concrete footings can be arranged in conjunction with the other development going on. Are your pavers down already? Mmm…much easier to dig footings and install a structure before we are dealing with finished tiles or decking. 

• Depending on the structure and for example for a large shade sail, the requirement for footings can be a couple of metre square holes dug into the ground. Yes, the tension on these structures are huge and not something that you can attach to a thin post or fence paling! 

• If considering a shade sail over the pool - Tim says "Keep it low and large". The reason is that your head is down at ground level when in the pool, so there is a large hight under the shade.

Lots of information here to consider so feel free to contact us with any questions or to discuss your situation.