A Brief History of Shade Sails
Sun shades are not a new invention. Since the dawn of time, man has been using anything handy to escape the heat of the sun. Cave men used animal hides or leaves woven around sticks. In ancient Egypt, strips of fabric were used to cool countless numbers of Pharaohs. Ancient Greeks used them; sailors throughout history have used them while at port or on a beach. In fact, the largest application of fabric used for shade was in ancient Rome.
The Roman coliseum, housing some 80,000 people at a time, was 187 feet tall and covered over six acres. Yet, the Romans still managed to raise a retractable awning. Eighty bays held three stone brackets each, which, in turn, supported 240 masts. On those masts were held the ancestors of shade sails; several large canvas sails taken from Roman ships. Pulling those sails tight, they managed to cover enough area to shade 50,000 people while they watched the gladiators do battle.
In times of war, surplus ship sails have been used as shade on battlefields. In times of peace, sails have shaded children at play. In short, shade sails and sun shades have a definite place in human history.
Unlike the shade sails of today, the original materials used were limited and lacked durability. Made of canvas and other like materials from the boating industry, UV rays caused the materials to degenerate. The rather large pieces of fabric were bulky, heavy and quick to need replacing.
Modern technology brought the invention of what we now call shade cloth to Australia and South Africain the 1980s. Originally, these shade cloth fabrics suffered quickly and extensively from UV degradation, but inhibitors have now been added during the manufacturing process, allowing at least ten years of use before replacements are needed. Although no one is quite sure whether they were first seen in the Northern Territory or in Northern Queensland, what is known is that the current industry originated somewhere in Australia.
By the early 90's, shade sails could be found all over the Land Down Under, from north to south. Part of that growth is due to the high rate of skin cancer in our country and the Australian government's corresponding emphasis on "Sun Safety" and awareness. Many commercial shade sails work the same as putting on a sunscreen of 25, blocking up to 95% of UVA and UVB rays.
Another reason the demand for shade sails and sun shades has grown so sharply is the development of a large selection of available options. Whilst pre-made and pre-sized sails are available (and indeed very popular as a cost effective means of shading an area), many manufacturers now produce custom-made shade sails to suit the specific needs of their clients. The modern fabrics allow a lot of flexibility with design. Currently, the most common designs are squares with four points or triangles with three points. The fabrics are also available in hundreds of colours. The two options combined - colour and design shape - make it easy for shade sails to be custom-made to fit any shop, company, pool or any place else that needs a bit of coolness.
One thing is absolutely certain - shade sails are cool and with such a vast offering of benefits, are most definitely here to stay.
Cheers, Tim
Post new comment