TL;DR
Attaching a shade sail to your house is an easy and cost-effective way to add extra protection from the sun.
- Choose the right type of hardware for your house.
- Securely attach the shade sail to the wall or roof.
- Tighten all connections and check for stability.
With a few simple steps, you can enjoy the benefits of a shade sail in no time!
Are you thinking about putting up a shade sail?
Do you want to use your house for part of the support for this project?
Would you like to learn more about attaching shade sail to house?
A shade sail is a piece of fabric cut into either a square, a rectangle, or a triangle. It’s hung in the yard or in other outdoor locations and supported by posts, buildings, or both. The fabric hangs up due to the tension in the attachments and is meant to protect the people below from the sun’s rays as well as wind and rain.
Ideally, a shade sail should withstand winds, but sometimes, you may need to take down your shade sail in bad weather, depending on what it’s made out of. When in doubt, take it down when the weather is forecast to be rough. Hanging your shade sail with D-rings or carabiners is a good way to attach shade sail to house in a way that will make it easier to take it down later on.
If you’re interested in learning how to install a shade sail attached to house, we’ve got all the tips and tricks you need below to help you get started. Read through our how-to guide and see for yourself how easy it can be to complete this fun and rewarding DIY project!
Materials
Directions
- 1Before you start digging, it’s imperative to check with your local county or city to determine where the water mains are located on your property. Depending on where you live, you might also have to get an official permit before you can put up a shade sail in your backyard. If you live in an HOA community, you’ll have to request permission to put up a shade sail on your property before you can get started. Paperwork is the first step toward putting up any type of shade sail in your yard.
- 2Decide whether or not you want your shade sail to be a triangle, a square, or a rectangle. This decision will affect the way you hang your shade sail.
- 3Measure the amount of space you want to cover with the shade sail and then add about 10% of the length on each side to get the measurements you need for the sail fabric itself. If your fabric isn’t already premade and ready to use, cut it to the appropriate measurements at this time.
- 4Attach two support brackets to the fascia on the side of your house where you’re going to attach two of the corners of your shade sail. Use a power drill to secure them with stainless steel screws.
- 5Decide where the other one or two points in your yard will be (depending on the shape of sail you want). Mark these spots with spray paint.
- 6Use a post hole digger to dig holes for the one or two posts you’ll be securing in your yard. Dig a depth of about four inches or so.
- 7Fill the holes with quick-mix concrete and place the posts in them. Support the posts with beams of lumber until the concrete dries completely.
- 8Attach D-rings to the posts and fascia board connectors you’re using to hang your shade sail. These rings should be high-quality hardware store D-rings and not the type you can find at craft stores. Some people prefer to use carabiners for this.
- 9If your shade sail fabric is not already prepared for this purpose, you’ll need to use a grommet tool to put grommets in at the corners where you’re attaching the fabric to the posts. You may also need to hem the fabric.
- 10Hang the shade sail up using the D-rings to your fascia board connectors and posts in the yard. Adjust the tension of the shade sail as necessary to get it to hang properly.
- 11Congratulations! You have just hung up your shade sail in the backyard.
Conclusion
Do you feel comfortable in your ability to hang up a shade sail on the side of your house now? As you can see, installing a sun shade sail is a process that requires a little bit of knowledge about how to use power tools as well as how to measure and cut materials. If you prefer not to use the side of your house for some of the support needed for this project, you’re also going to need to ensure you have enough space in your yard for several support poles, and you’ll need to be willing to go through the task of setting up more than one or two poles as well.
If you choose to put up a triangle-shaped shade sail in your yard, you can get away with only needing to use one pole. Just make sure that, whether you need one pole or four poles for this project, you choose high-quality materials that will help you keep your shade sail in place for a long time to come. You can use wood or plastic for your poles, but if possible, it’s better to go with metal that has been treated for outdoor use. This way, the poles won’t rust very easily and they also won’t be as prone to falling over from wind.
When choosing the right fabric for this purpose, you may be better off purchasing a shade sail that’s already made for this purpose. However, you can also pick up a heavy-duty tarp with grommets already in place if you prefer. Of course, making your own shade sail isn’t that challenging if you know your way around a sewing machine, so if you’re looking for a specific color or you want the customizing options you’d get from making one yourself, there’s no reason why you can’t go that route.
All in all, it’s not too challenging to try this installing a shade sail DIY project, but it is one that requires basic knowledge of how to operate certain tools. You’ll also likely need assistance from another capable adult to get the job done, since it can be helpful to have someone to hold up the poles and fabric while you’re working on hanging your shade sail. If you follow the directions listed above, you’ll have a beautiful and durable shade sail attached to your house in no time, and you’ll be able to enjoy it for many years to come.