How to Build a Sail Cloth Patio Cover
Adding a shade sail to your patio is a practical as well as decorative decision. Providing shade to a hot concrete patio makes your outdoor living space a comfortable place for family and friends to gather. The flexibility of a triangular sail cloth patio cover allows you to angle the fabric to block the sun or wind according to the time of year or the season. A sail cloth may be literally a used boat sail or triangular piece of canvas or shade cloth cut to the shape of a "sail." Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Heavy-duty thread
- Grommet kit
- Hammer
- Shovel
- 3 posts, 4-by-4-inch, 10 feet long
- Crushed gravel
- 3 bags quick-setting concrete
- Spirit level
- Drill with a screwdriver bit
- 3 lag screws
- 3 clip rings or turnbuckles
Instructions
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1
Measure the sail cloth. Add 2 feet to the measurements to accommodate the connections to the posts.
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2
Measure the patio space. If the sail cloth is too large, cut it to 18 inches smaller than the patio. Fold the cut edges over 1 inch, then fold again to make a 2-inch hem. Sew using a sewing machine and heavy duty thread.
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3
Add grommets as needed to the sail cloth. A used boat sail will already have grommets, however, a piece of shade cloth or canvas will require a grommet in each corner. Use a grommet kit and hammer according to the manufacturer's directions.
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4
Set 4-by-4-inch posts at the outside perimeter, aligned with the shape of the sail cloth. Dig a 2-foot-deep post hole at each corner. Fill with water and allow it to soak into the soil.
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5
Add 4 inches of crushed gravel to the bottom of each hole. Set the posts into the holes. Fill each hole with a bag of concrete mix and add water. Check to ensure the posts are vertical with a spirit level. Allow to dry completely.
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6
Predrill and screw a lag screw into the top of each post, facing the patio.
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7
Attach the sail cloth to the lag screws with clip rings or turnbuckles. Pull the cloth tight.
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Tips & Warnings
Shade sail covers are often installed with one corner or opposite corners at a lower angle.
If you are attaching the patio cover to the fascia, screw a lag screw through the fascia and into a rafter. This will prevent the tension from pulling the fascia off the house.
Wear gloves and safety glasses when installing grommets, digging and working with power tools.
Do not use a barbecue under a cloth patio cover; it is a fire hazard.
Take down the sail cloth in high wind conditions, it may tear or pull the fascia off the house.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
