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Hi All,
I was at the zoo recently and noticed that shade sails used above the orangutang enclosure had ia cool idea whereby the cables were connected to hand operated boat winches mounted to the poles which allowed the sails to be re-positioned according to the summer or winter sun patterns.
Cheers
Todd :)
Hi MystiWeb,
I know it sounds a little extreme but I started out with 3 X 3 triangles and 400mm(approx) gaps. After about 2 months I was running out of adjustment. I would say that you can always take up the slack of a large gap but it is difficult to tension the sail after you have run out!
To start with you could position your sails to the house side (or side that is needed to block the sun) and then as they stretch tension them to be more even.
The brackets sound OK, I guess my test would be will they easily support my weight swinging about because with a full sail of wind the forces would be high. Once again, being the non-engineer that I am, this is the technical process.... :)
Good luck!
Anthony
Stinky,
How big are those holes in the tube, and where will they end up on the finished product?
If possible keep them close to the top of the poles, or embedded well below the top of the concrete footing.
Given your coastal environment I'm in favour of galvanising. Rust stains can look really poxy, even if there is little structural damage.
Ian,
I filled the holes with auto bog ..... they were fairly small ... about 20c size. I then applied a few coats of special primer ..... I cant recall the make as it was done quite some time ago. Then there was about 3 coats of exterior house paint. I then put the poles with the holes into the ground where possible. I used a mini mixer to fill the holes which took less than half an hour. I wouldn't have a clue where the remainer of the holes are now to be honest ... there were only about 7 or 8 in total of the four poles. I still need to cap the top but other than that they are looking fine. We are a fair way from the coast so I am sure that the posts will last 20+ years.
Stinky
Guys,
I've been installating shade sails in Melbourne since 1996.
I am happy to share my professional experience on shade sails, poles, brackets etc.
Just be aware that with the climate changes your shade structure should be very solid - otherwise you are asking for trouble.
To get my details visit:http://www.quick-shade-sails.com
Yours.Brian