5 Ways Shade Sails are Sustainable

Sustainability is an important factor in many things these days, from recycling rubbish to building new homes or renovating older ones. If you are considering a renovation or addition to your home you will probably consider sustainability in at least some parts of it. Shade sails are considered sustainable for several reasons.

• They use less material than an actual building that needs foundations and framework. This is due to the light weight of the sail that doesn’t need all that much support. It is also due to the design of it. Sails have that twist in them to prevent the wind from getting caught underneath and lifting them, which causes a great deal more wear and tear.

• Having a shaded area installed close to the home reduces the need for energy consumption. Fans and air conditioning use are reduced because shade on the walls makes the home cooler. Plus, you spend more time out in the shade and can turn off those fans while you are not in the room.
• A sail installed in the right place will reduce water evaporation from gardens and the swimming pool, thus you use less water, less chlorine and less power running pumps to fill or water.
• Sail components are recyclable. The poles are made from steel, which is 100% recyclable. Recycled steel is just as strong as new steel so can be used for the same things or other things. Any off-cuts from the steel used in manufacturing the poles can be recycled too.
• Scraps from many kinds of sails can be recycled to make other goods such as plastic bottles, compost or wheelie bins and even outdoor furniture, so nothing goes to waste.

You may think that it would be better to install a living thing such as a tree for sustainability, but trees take water and fertiliser to grow and besides, don’t provide the same kind of shade as a sail.  Their shade is much more patchy and it can take many years for the tree to grow tall enough to do the job.

Meanwhile, it needs a lot of care and in return, it will drop leaves, sticks and even branches down on your swimming pool or alfresco area. And the roots of trees tend to grow around plumbing and the foundations of the building, causing a lot of damage.

So a non-living shade solution is going to be much better, providing shade within a few days and needing no maintenance like a tree does. A sail won’t destroy the plumbing and if installed properly there will be no more problems with it. In addition, shade cloth comes in a variety of beautiful colours so you can take your pick from them to brighten up your area.