Shade Sails

MAINTENANCE - Standard Shade Sails

Follow these instructions to extend the life of your “Shade Plus” shade sail system.

Contact us on (03) 338 3355 for free advice.

Cleaning. Wash the sail every 6-8 weeks with a garden hose using moderate water pressure. Give both the top and the underside a good soaking.

Stains or Mould. Remove any foreign object that is likely to stain, such as bird droppings, leaves, etc., as soon as possible. Use a nylon broom to assist with stain removal. Do not use bleach or any solvents. If the stain has not shifted, you can use a non-caustic product. Currently we are recommending dishwashing liquid, “Wet n Forget”, “Equal” and “30 Seconds”. Similarly, should mould develop after 3-4 years on the underside of the sail, spray with one of the above recommended cleaners and then rinse off.

Taking Down. Prior to taking down a sail, mark the thread of the turnbuckles with a felt pen. Also label one corner of the sail. These first two steps will assist with later restoration of the sail. Place a screwdriver between the shafts of the turnbuckle, and then loosen the lock nuts. Then loosen the turnbuckle (N.B. the thread may be either left or right handed). You may need to loosen more than one turnbuckle in order to unhook it. Loosen as few as possible to make hooking it back up as easy as possible. Be careful not to drag the sail as you may cause abrasion damage.

Storage. Ensure the sail is dry. Dampness will not affect the sail fabric but may shorten the life of the stitching. Loosely roll the sail up and place it in its storage bag. Store in a dry and rodent free location.

2425474659522994. A minimum of two people should be involved in hooking up a sail. Do not reconnect a sail when it is windy. Avoid dragging the sail along the ground. To orientate the sail, attach the labelled corner to the right attaching point, with the label facing downwards. Lubricate the turnbuckles with lanoline or grease to prevent jamming. Tighten those turnbuckles that were loosened, to the felt pen marks. Check the tensioning. All the wires should be taut but not over-tightened. The wires should be of equal tension. If unsure ring us for guidance.

325543. & Hail. Shade sail systems are not designed to bear the weight of snow or hail. Ideally remove the sail if snow or hail is likely. If snow or hail is accumulating on top of the sail, either wash it off using a garden hose or push it off with a broom from the underside. You can also unhook one corner of the sail to release the tension from the system and allow the snow or hail to fall off. If you cannot loosen the turnbuckle you can undo the pin of the “D” shackle. You may need to give the pin of the “D” shackle a sharp rap with a hammer in order to dislodge it.

Jammed Turnbuckles. Turnbuckles can jam or seize when they come under severe pressure. Common causes are snow lying on the sail or extremely high winds. If seized try using CRC to free it. If that fails your only option is to replace the turnbuckle.