It’s 40 degrees Celsius in mid-January, and you are stuck inside with the air conditioning cranking. A top eatery experience you recently attended in the city flashes into your memory, and you recall clothlike protection. What was that sun protection again you were pondering? Commercial shade sails? You snap back to the reality in front of you. You have a newly renovated alfresco area you are eager to test out with your friends and family but with the UV ratings hitting 12 by 2 pm and knowing the concrete flooring beneath absorbs heat you are concerned this will be their first and last visit. Stepping out, your body begins producing sweat. It is dripping from your head to your toes out there, and along with the sunshine relentlessly striking the open space, you cannot envision a worse space to bring your guests into.
Furthermore, you have checked your recent sales for the month at your cafe in the CBD, and sales in the last month have been dipping. Google Reviews are showing customers expressing frustration on the lack of outdoor seating protected from the sun. Cool and shaded spaces are a checkmark as your customers scroll through The Urban List for Sunday brunch inspiration.
The predicted forecast in the news is talking about an out-of-season heatwave, and you know your social and business pillars will suffer if you do not take action now. When seeking out a solution, umbrellas, retractable awnings, café blinds, or even extending the roofline may come to mind. However, shade sails can be used equally as well for both commercial and residential applications in providing an affordable and long-term solution from the effects of the harsh Australian sun.
Living in Australia for the past 40 years, you are no stranger to sun protection being ingrained into you since you were young. And your young kids now know the rules “no hat, no play”. From taking your kids to daycare and the frequent play dates to the outdoor playgrounds, you are no stranger to large shade sails spanning the lengths of an entire play area or when enjoying an ice cream at the outlet shops down the road. But Murray down the road just communicated a sale at Bunnings for a 3 metre by 3 metre cantilever umbrella, and your sister-in-law just received council approval for a retractable awning. So, then why not follow suit, and what even are the benefits of residential shade sails?
Umbrellas are great as they can be easily moved, but they typically come in standard sizes and colours only. This could mean the design and manufacturing of this umbrella upon production did not have your alfresco space in mind. Sure, well it could be workable, this umbrella may provide you with only 50% shade coverage of your space. And digging into it further, you actually need complete coverage to your rectangular-shaped alfresco area. Therefore, a standard umbrella will not do you justice. The beauty of residential shade sails is they are completely custom ordered and locally sourced, so you can craft your residential shade sails to suit your specific space colours and textures. And have the security of local production- this means higher quality check requirements and local communication if anything goes awry down the pipeline.
Secondly, residential shade sails provide greater functionality. Have you ever had an umbrella with a large stand and tripped over it with its massive base? Or had to remove a dining set as the pole of the umbrella sits over the table. Further, they can be a burden to constantly move and when you have a long table, moving in and out with a large umbrella stand is cumbersome.
In contrast, with the option of residential shade sails being custom made, you can plan exactly how your table will fit, ensuring you can easily move in and out without hitting their connection points. Further, since they are customisable, you can have multiple residential shade sails to cover an awkward layout or a large space, ensuring you always have maximum protection. And with the use of the highest-grade materials, you can ensure their durability.
So, with your 40th birthday quickly approaching, in the coming months, you need to start planning out the logistics now. How are you going to entertain on your alfresco area, ensuring a smooth transition from après cocktails until the sunset? The retractable awning was another one of your considerations, but your sister-in-law- Sue, just chewed your ear off with the delay in the installation and the difficulties she struggled through on install day. This needs to be an easy and straightforward outcome.
Did you know that residential shade sails install is easy enough to perform yourself or source out a local handyman once the structural integrity has been confirmed? Depending on your setup, you may be able to attach the shade sails to an existing structure and/or combine them with fixing points-such as steel that is easy to set up.
A few things to keep in mind when considering residential shade sails. While shade sails are one of the aesthetically pleasing solutions to protecting you from the sun, they are not all weatherproof. Come rain, they do not provide a waterproof solution. If your main priority is sun protection, this could be the right solution for you by providing 96% UV protection, but if you are seeking a year-round outdoor abode, it might not be the best solution for you. But do keep in mind with of the majority of us living near the coast in Australia, the practicality of enjoying that alfresco space come winter with harsh winds and rain pounding down- sometimes even on an angle, may not be realistic.
Another consideration in pursuing residential shade sails is you may need to consult with your local council on their codes and if a building permit or development permit may be required before sourcing, purchasing, and installing. We suggest first scrolling through your local council website and when in doubt, please give us a ring, and we are happy to guide you through this process.
While the 40th birthday in March is the focus, the next main event on the cards is your anniversary in late September where you are secretly planning on renewing your vows in front of your friends and family. Given this being a different time of the year, it is important to consider the evolution of the sun over the year and what your goal is with your residential shade sails. You may need to do some research on your city or local region. For those living in Perth, Australia, in September the sun will rise in the east, arching north to the west in the evening, and this is similar during March. This will result in similar sun coverage requirements for both events! But for example, in December the sun rises south of east and set south of west. Our suggestion is to diarize the sun movements when you are seeking to maximize sun protection. Take videos or photos during the days and times you are seeking protection. While this may feel burdensome, this will guarantee you optimise the result of your new residential shade sails!
Other reasons to consider residential shade sails?
- Maximises shade in the spaces you love-theses areas will be cooler in the summer
- Provides privacy from those overbearing neighbours
- Protects the outdoor furniture you invested in
- Allows you to comfortably and safely spend more time outdoors
- It’s an aesthetically pleasing solution
- Affordable solution
- Will add value to your home or investment property on resale
Recommended places to use residential shade sails:
- Pools
- Alfresco dining areas
- Protection at entryways
- Near your doghouse or where your pooch may frequently lay to keep them cool!
- Covering your plants that might need partial sunlight only
- Covering a pond area
- Areas to protect your assets include vehicles, bikes, boats, and caravans
You are now well on your way to ensuring your upcoming hosted events are a success! But as your social pillars may be fulfilled, your business needs are pressing. You’ve worked tirelessly, brick by brick ensuring your café is well-positioned in the market, has strong branding and deep ties within the local community. The freshly sourced local offering has been well received and you are constantly praised for your unique blend of coffee beans. Now, what can you do to address the comfort of your patrons, and increase their linger time?
Commercial shade sails can be just the solution, ensuring your branding is seamlessly transferred and present. Depending on your structure and interaction with the city sidewalks, and neighbouring businesses, you could look at adding commercial shade sails to add additional sidewalk seating or to create an Instagram-worthy back patio area. This could lead to further linger time of your patrons and additional seating which means more sales for you!
While investing today, you can ensure your customers continue to return and tell their friends about their experience without- the full force of the sunshine. Furthermore, when you think sails, this might bring about hot summer days trapped in a circus and jog your memory of how stuffy it was in there. This was etched into your memory never to return on a hot summer’s day. However, there is no need to think about a repeat of those circus days. Alike residential shade sails, commercial shade sails are crafted to maximise your comfort. This means they have been tested countlessly, to uncover what we offer today. They perform excellently with a breathable cloth and careful placement of the attachment and structures that hold them up to ensure excellent airflow and feeling of expansive spaces.
With sixteen colours to choose from, this can provide further branding opportunities for you to make an impact on your customers! If we cannot accommodate the colour of your choice, we can work with you to source it and find ways to incorporate your branding on the final product. With the use of commercial-grade cloth and finished with twin needling stitching, you can find comfort in the longevity of your investment.
Now you have narrowed down your solution in pursuing commercial shade sails for the front of your café and back when Mary – your friend from your local hospitality group rings in an anxious voice. She just spent $10,000 last year sourcing shade umbrellas and is now feeling frustrated. She requires further shade protection than the umbrellas could provide and aesthetically the umbrellas did nothing to elevate her casual pub space- located along the pristine east coast beaches. You pipe up in excitement sharing your new commercial shade sails project. She is appeased with the concept but then stipulates she has already spent $10,000 and with all the COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions this year, there isn’t much money left in the bank. You calm her nerves and offer comfort in their affordability for business owners.
But then another qualm pipes up. One of the main points of difference I can point to our success of the oceanside eatery is the intimate space that offers natural points of interaction amongst strangers. I cannot risk losing this with the 2020 and 2021 financial years being the worst yet. You agree these interactions are vital to your business’ success and provide insights into how commercial shade sails maximize functional spaces, utilising connections to existing structures and/or with minimal steel columns.
“Wow, this sounds so great!” she shrieks and then further adds “I love how we can be so supportive in providing relevant and thoughtful solutions to maximize our customer experiences with the beautiful spaces we love to share.”
Other reasons to consider commercial shade sails?
- Risk mitigation
- Protect your stakeholders
- Maximise the time your customers spend outdoors
- Maximise your useable spaces and increase your sales
- Provide aesthetically inviting and pleasing spaces
- Protect your customer’s assets and yours from the elements including vehicles, fixtures, and chattels
Recommended places to use commercial shade sails:
- Shopping centre entrances and parking areas
- Mine sites
- Outdoor pools
- Community centres
- Child care centres
- Retirement homes
- Construction sites
- Mine sites
- Primary and Secondary schools
- Outdoor playgrounds
- Activity areas
- Sporting venues
- Outdoor alfresco areas
With the weather so beautiful year-round in Australia, why not make the most of it and safely spend more time outdoors. Whether it is a 40th birthday you are looking to host, adding some additional seating to help you grow your business, or ensuring your loved ones or business is protected in its risk mitigation, shade sails provide a long-term, robust solution you can trust from the intense Australian sun. Shade sails can be used equally as well for both commercial and residential applications.
Tell us more about your next project and how we can work together to find you a solution you can standby.