Any outdoor residential or commercial property, be it the front yard, backyard, patio or deck can be enhanced by utilizing canopies as sunshades. Canopies are mostly free-standing coverings that provide a lightweight shade and protection from damaging UV rays.
Common examples are the large umbrella-type canopies you see at outdoor coffee shops and restaurants. Bigger canopies that look like tents without walls are used during outdoor events like fairs and expos.
There is one particular type of canopy shade with a wide range of use both for homes and businesses - the Canopy Sail Shade. A canopy sail shade is a large piece of fabric that can have 3 sides or more with each corner having a metal eyelet through which a rope is looped.
Each rope will be pulled away from the others to stretch the fabric creating a flat canopy. The loose ends of the rope will then be tied to solid structures thus suspending the canopy sail shade.
Canopy Sun Shades
When we think of canopies we picture a large canvas stretched over a metal frame shaped like a tent with 4 supporting posts, or the aforementioned oversized umbrellas at Starbucks. A sail shade canopy, as the name prescribes, is a fabric that is very similar to those used by boats for sailing.
The properties of the sailcloth make it ideal for blocking out sunlight and because it is easy to install and customizable, it can be utilized for spaces that are otherwise challenging for ordinary canopies to cover.
Canopy sail shades are great for locations having irregular shapes like corner lots or spaces that can’t accommodate the construction of standard canopy posts. For example, you can customize a canopy sail to fit a triangular open lot or use a combination of squares and triangles to cover an entire garden area.
Unlike ordinary canopies or awnings, you have more flexibility with canopy sails because of the absence of metal frames. You can shape them into an equilateral triangle, trapezoid, or even a polygon.
Foldable Shade Canopy Sails
When going to the beach or a park it would be nice to have a portable canopy to bring along. Unfortunately, those large umbrellas from Starbucks are a bit hard to transport and getting a 4 post canopy with 4 to 5 feet of steel frames will also take up a lot of cargo space.
This is where foldable shade canopy sails come into play. These canopy sails are stored in bags or small compartments for convenience and portability. It comes with ropes for each corner that you can tie to trees or posts making it easier to deploy than portable pop up canopies that need frames to be assembled.
Afterward, the canopy can be taken down and placed back into its holding bag for storage and future use. You can even leave it inside your car’s trunk for those impromptu picnics and outdoor events.
Canopies For Awnings - Different Design Ideas
Canopies and awnings are sometimes interchangeable since they serve the same function but there are some differences.
You can browse our selection of retractable canopies to get a sense of what we’re talking about.
Basically, awnings are shades that you place on top of windows and doorways to prevent sunlight from entering, thus protecting the occupants and furniture inside the establishment from the sun. Canopies, on the other hand, are used to block sunlight over an area to be occupied like picnic or coffee tables.
However, and this could be the reason why they are interchangeable, canopies can be used as awnings when you place them next to doors and windows.
Canopy sails, in particular, are a great alternative to regular awnings. A canopy awning can be installed as an overhang on building exteriors to provide shade over windows and doors.
It can be installed on patios and decks to cover not only the door or windows but the entire outdoor space. Because it is easy to assemble, a canopy sail can be used to temporarily add awning-like sunshades to a building or house during events.
Some canopy sails can withstand a strong gust of wind, they are sails after all, so some can be used as an awning canopy for homes and buildings along beaches and other windy locations where framed awnings might easily get damaged.
Canopy Sun Shading For Decks
Not only do sun shade canopy sails provide protection from the sun, but they also give a unique look that can make your patio or deck stand out.
Canopy sails have an aesthetically pleasing quality due to the many possible shapes, colors, and combinations that can make one patio shade canopy deployment unique from any other.
From a simple triangular sail to multiple, irregular sided polygons, a canopy supplier can customize an outdoor canopy that can elicit awe and excitement. A designer has the option to be practical and create plain horizontal roofs or be excessively grand and create a myriad of different shapes, sizes, color patterns, and orientation that borders on art.
Sail shades can be a practical “roofing” solution if you are looking for a canopy for deck protection or a patio cover solution. The range of sizes and shapes available for sail canopies make them suitable for large open areas. The absence of metal frames allows sail shades to be portable so you can bring it along to set up on rented beach houses.
Ready to deploy retractable canopy shades of the highest quality can be bought on our website. Simply fill out our contact form, use our live chat or call us!
