Attaching a Shade Sail? Many of our customers are curious about what type of attachment points, and what we have to attach to, in order to support the sail. Every application is different. The size of sail requires determines the size of post. For most residential applications, a four-to-five-inch steel post is appropriate. The most important point is that the structure must be substantial enough to handle the load and tension the sail down properly.
The shade sail is generally attached to a steel post with a nut that attaches to a hook. We do sometimes attach to a stone or an existing block wall. In those cases, we will often drill a hole and use epoxy and use a threaded hook eye—however not all walls are suitable, which is why we always rely on the expert advice or our trained engineers!
Once the sail is attached to the post, it is tensioned with the D shackle and turnbuckle. A turnbuckle is used for final tensioning. The shade must be tensioned down as much as possible in order to avoid flapping in the wind. The D shackle goes on the corner of the sail and then goes through the heart of your turnbuckle and then that attaches to the post. Often a quick clip is added in order to take down and put up easily.
If you have more questions about attaching a Shade Sail or for more information about shade installation, please check our installation page. And as always, we are happy to talk to you about your specific project. Feel free to contact us at 888.570.7245.