shade cloth..ever use it?

   / shade cloth..ever use it? #1  
S

saltbranch

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Sep 29, 2009
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Looking to make an inexpensive shade for Rv's at the ranch. Came across the shade cloth...anyone ever use it? Hard to work with? Suggestions on brands? I see that they use it for cattle shade also. I want to shade about 40' x 40' area for 2 RV's
 
   / shade cloth..ever use it? #2  
Back in the 70s we sold bronze shade cloth, and people put it in screen porches typically. It worked great, but was somewhat pricy at 10x the cost of regular screen wire.
 
   / shade cloth..ever use it? #4  
I had some green sun screen material, unknown brand, on the side of a car port and on the side of a porch. It worked well but only lasted 2-3 years. It would be good to hear from others but I expect you have to replace the material or a regular basis as it deteriorates with sun exposure.
 
   / shade cloth..ever use it? #5  
Wish I could help you more. Back in the early 90's I bought about 2000' in 6'x100'rolls for Our Ostrich pens. All I can remember is the company mostly made shade cloth for automotive dealerships (hail cloth). consequently, the material I had was very strong and lasted over 10 years, but it was hung on 6' fence, not overhead. It took the abuse from the Male Ostriches in stride, (they fight between the fences, hence the "cloth")

If it was me, I would ordered it pre-cut (cut to fit) with the grommets already set in at least a double fold edge, I would not want to have to add grommets no matter how easy they claim. Mine was Black, but for overhead I would look for a Blue or other light color, may add less wear from the sun.
 
   / shade cloth..ever use it? #6  
I have a green sail I put up over my beck deck every spring and take down every fall, I believe it's a "Coolaroo" brand. I want to say it's 4m (13ft) square or so, but it's not a perfect square, the sides are scalloped in about a foot on each side so it handles the tension better. It's got stainless hardware at the corners.

It's lasted 8 or 9 years at this point, though I can see it's starting to get a little crispy from the sun on the top surface. Makes a big difference in how much heat comes in the house from the slider (faces WSW) and makes the deck usable. I try to take it down any time we have a big storm forecast, though I've missed a couple.
 
   / shade cloth..ever use it? #7  
You need to consider the framing structure requirements to hold up the shade cloth, and a somewhat convenient method to get the cloth into position 12' up or more. Securely anchored so as to handle wind gusts.
Dennis
 
   / shade cloth..ever use it? #8  
Here's a good link from where I order my heavy duty tarps...
Shade Cloth
 
   / shade cloth..ever use it? #9  
I've used a fair amount of shade cloth for different shading applications around koi ponds in the past. It is a great idea, but it is not always the easiest to put into practice. As stated above the mounting method is the most difficult consideration. It will have to be securely mounted and then drawn really tight to withstand the wind and weather. The best products are also rather pricey, but they hold up a lot better than the economy priced options. That is always the case, but "inexpensive" solution can add up quickly. By the times you figure out a way to suspend that much material and then put the idea into practice it might be the ideal solution you're looking for. It did help cut back on the UV as well as the heat, so it is effective if mounted properly.
 
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