Creating an outdoor learning environment doesn’t have to be hard and is a crucial idea for any school. Whether it’s providing a shaded area for students to socialise during breaks or protecting them from harsh weather conditions, a shade sail can achieve it all.
At A&S Landscape, we’re passionate about providing senior schools with a functional and comfortable outdoor space. In this blog, we’ll explore what shade sails are, the numerous benefits they offer, and share some of our favourite shade sail ideas for how they can be integrated into your school.
Ready to discover the world of shade sails? Let’s get into it…
What is a Shade Sail?
First things first, it might be beneficial to understand what a shade sail actually is.
A shade sail from A&S Landscape is a stylish and practical solution for creating shade in outdoor spaces. Made from a durable and weather-resistant fabric, these sails are stretched between multiple anchor points to provide a canopy of protection from harsh weather conditions and UV rays.
Our range of fabric shade sails instantly adds character, dimension, and colour to any outdoor area, especially schools. A popular choice for secondary schools, a shade sail can be used for outdoor seating areas, or as a space for students to simply socialise and hang out with their friends while enjoying the fresh air.
Like all of our bespoke canopies, you have complete control over the colour, shape, and style, making it easy to blend your canopy into any playground or courtyard. Many of our shade sail structures are also available with waterproof PVC fabric for year-round use, allowing your students to enjoy the outdoors come rain or shine!
Shade Sail Maintenance
With any canopy, it is good practice to thoroughly clean it every couple of years. In most cases, cleaning your shade sail should be an easy operation to carry out. We recommend using mild detergent, a low-pressure water hose, and a soft-bristled brush. Try to make sure that your shade material doesn’t come in contact with harsh chemicals, as this can damage your shade sail and is not covered by the warranty.
For more canopy cleaning ideas, check out our blog: Tips for Cleaning Your Canopy in Every Season.
Are Shade Sails Waterproof?
While shade sails are typically manufactured to offer heavy-duty sun protection, they are not typically suitable for year-round rain protection. If you do require shelter from rain, then you can simply swap the shade cloth for waterproof PVC fabric. This will allow your shade sail to offer the ultimate combination of summer and winter use, perfect for schools!
What are the Benefits of a Shade Sail?
Now that you know what a shade sail is, we can hopefully persuade you to make that investment by telling you all about its wonderful benefits. It’s no surprise that they are a popular choice among schools and other outdoor spaces, and that’s due to their endless positive features. These include:
- Protection from the sun – A shade sail provides crucial protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays and can reduce the risk of sunburn and heatstroke, especially important for students at school.
- Increased use of outdoor areas – Shade sails encourage students to spend time outdoors, no matter the weather. They’re a great solution to overcrowded classrooms and corridors, maximising the space available outdoors.
- Versatile spaces – A shade sail can be installed in various locations such as playgrounds, courtyards, or outdoor learning areas, creating flexible spaces for different activities.
- Aesthetically pleasing – Shade sails don’t have to be boring! Available in a wide range of colours and designs, they’re an attractive element to your outdoor space.
- Professional installation – You can rely on our expert team at A&S Landscape to install your shade sail with extreme care and caution. We’ll make sure that your canopy is securely anchored for optimal performance.
Our Practical Shade Sail Ideas…
It’s pretty clear that shade sails offer an abundance of benefits and impressive features. A stylish solution for secondary schools, the possibilities are endless! Below, we have 4 of our favourite shade sail ideas that will showcase the versatility of these structures and hopefully spark your creativity. Browse through our examples and imagine the possibilities for your own shade sail project.
Maxima Sail™
First up is one of our classic shade sail structures, the Maxima Sail™. This economical and eye-catching design will enhance any outdoor area and is available in an unlimited number of shapes, whether you want a triangle or a star. Available in shade cloth or waterproof fabrics, they’re one of the longest shade sail guarantees on the market!
It’s completely wind-safe, offering protection from the sun, rain, and wind, meaning that pupils will still feel comfortable being outdoors even in bad weather. We’d recommend investing in this design if you’re looking for an outdoor classroom, play area, or outdoor eating area. Choose from our impressive colour range selection – with a vast range to choose from, we’re sure you’ll find one or two colours that appeal to you.
Maxima Umbrella™
For a bit more of an upgrade, consider the Maxima Umbrella™ design. This solid and beautiful canopy is ideal for covered seating areas or for creating social zones in colleges and universities. It offers a smart and functional design, while covering large areas and achieving single unit sizes up to 8000mm x 8000mm. It’s snow-safe and wind-safe, encouraging outdoor use and allowing students to spend their lunch breaks in the fresh air.
Constructed from durable and weatherproof materials, you can ensure maximum longevity and resistance to the elements. Plus, its unique and sharp design adds aesthetic appeal and a touch of sophistication to your outdoor space.
Maxima Tepee™
Another of our favourite shade sail designs is the Maxima Tepee™. Ideal as a standalone structure, this canopy is available in standard modular sizes from 3 metres up to an impressive 15 metres with multiple unit possibilities. Choose from bright colours and UV-resistant and fire-retardant fabrics to create a truly unique outdoor feature.
The Tepee design boasts an integral gutter system, ensuring that it can maintain effective water management and meaning that the space underneath is kept nice and dry, even in the case of a downpour. The steelwork is finished in a Dura-coat™ colour finish to a standard range, while PVC fabric is available in any colour. A tepee design creates a visually appealing focal point and an instant touch of architectural flair to your outdoor space!
Maxima StarSail™
Our final shade sail design is one of our favourites – the Maxima StarSail™. This is a spectacular combination of a Shade Sail and Umbrella design that is fixated around a centre post and boasts a trendy and innovative look. It’s a very modern and functional design, ideal for college and university grounds and providing play area shade. Available in a wide range of colour options, it promotes a bright and breezy look whether you want to brighten up an outdoor area or blend into a sophisticated colour scheme.
It also, of course, provides ample shade, creating a practical and comfortable outdoor area for people to relax and enjoy the outdoors while keeping them protected from harmful UV rays.
Hear How One School Benefited From a Shade Sail
Hillview School for Girls, in Kent, added one of our shade sails to their outdoor seating area – our Maxima StarSail™ from our Maxima fabric range.
The secondary school for girls contacted us here at A&S Landscape to ask for some help in devising a shelter solution to be located outside a stylish snack pad that allowed the girls to eat outdoors. The specific brief stated that they wanted to design something modern and sleek to complement the pod and the surrounding area.
The solution was simple, we proposed one of our Maxima StarSail™ designs. A truly contemporary design, it not only gives a fun sail effect to a standard canopy architecture, but it also acts as an umbrella to shelter the area underneath and keep pupils dry during outdoor breaks.
Read the full case study here.
Invest in a Shade Sail With A&S Landscape
Hopefully, this blog has taught you all you need to know about shade sails, from what they are to their never-ending list of benefits. They are a great investment for your secondary school, providing year-round use and being extremely durable and sturdy – make the plunge, today!
At A&S Landscape, we’re truly passionate about the design and installation of outdoor canopies. With over 44 years of experience, you can rely on us to install your canopy with hard work and dedication.
For more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. A member of our expert team will be more than happy to get back to you. Or, give us a call on 01743 444 100.
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