Transform Your Garden and Home

Two tips for those thinking about buying shade sails for their lawns

22 September 2020

Christy Rivera

If you would like to stay in the shade whilst picnicking, sunbathing and exercising on your lawn, then you should erect a shade sail over it. Here are some pointers to keep in mind when making this purchase.

Get one large shade sail instead of multiple small ones

Sometimes, homeowners who need shade sails for their lawns will buy several small ones rather than one large one. They often do this for aesthetic reasons; for example, they might like the way two or three shade sails in complementary colours look when placed beside each other or they might love the pretty pattern of sunlight that is formed on their lawn by the gaps between the shade sails.

However, it is best to just get one big shade sail that will cover your entire lawn. If you get several smaller ones, the aforementioned gaps between them will allow sunlight onto certain sections of the lawn. Whilst this might look pretty, it may also cause your lawn to grow unevenly (as the patches that are exposed to the direct light might grow faster than those in the shade) or to develop brown patches (if the grass in the areas with the greatest amount of light exposure get too much sunlight and die).

The former would make manicuring your lawn a lot harder, as you would have to spend time evening out the patches with the excessively-long grass to make them level with the rest of the lawn, whilst the latter might make your once-healthy lawn look unsightly. Getting one big shade sail will ensure that all of the grass on your lawn gets the same amount of shade and so grows evenly and stays healthy.

Don't use any of the trees on your lawn to prop up the shade sail

Although some people like to tie sections of their shade sails to their lawns' trees instead of using poles to prop them up, this is not a great idea. Whilst you could save some money by not buying poles for your shade sail, you may end up creating problems for yourself in the long run.

For example, if your tree is partly uprooted and you attach a shade sail to it that pulls at its trunk each time the wind blows, this may cause further uplifting of its roots, which might lead to its collapse (which could also damage your shade sail). Additionally, if the shade sail is connected to a tree, it is much more likely to end up covered in leaves, which you'll then have to brush off of it. Purchasing poles for this item will prevent damage to your lawn's trees as well as the shade sail itself and ensure you don't have to clean it too often.

To learn more about shade sails, reach out to a local home and garden store.

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