Hanging and tensioning a shade sail is easily done with the right materials. In this article, we'll guide you through how to hang a rectangular, square, or triangular shade sail and what materials you'll need for this.

Choose a location for your shade sail

The first step in the process is determining the location of the shade sail and which shape best suits your needs. You can opt for a rectangular, triangular, or square shade sail. When determining the location of your shade sail, always consider the following aspects:

• Sun Position: In what way should the shade sail be hung to create as much shade as possible, considering the position of the sun?
• Attachment Points: Where will the attachment points be located? Perhaps you cannot attach the sail to walls or fences and need to install a new post in the ground. Make sure this is feasible beforehand; do thorough research.
• Size of Shade Sail: What size shade sail do you need? There are many different sizes and shapes of shade sails available. Make sure you have carefully thought out which shade sail would be the perfect addition to your patio, garden, or balcony.

Determine the attachment points for your shade sail

There are various options for hanging your shade sail. You can attach the shade sail to different surfaces. The number of attachment points and the type of attachment materials you need depend on the specific shade sail. Below, we'll list them from best to worst:

1. Wall
2. Pole
3. Shed
4. Fence

You can choose to attach the shade sail to a wall, a pole, a beam, a wooden shed, or, for example, a wooden fence. There are countless possibilities.

When determining these attachment points, it's important to consider how you will attach the shade sail. Ensure that the sail slopes down at least 30 cm so that rainwater can run off effectively. This prevents the formation of a water pocket in the shade sail.

Hanging square & rectangular shade sails

How do you hang a square or rectangular shade sail? Below, we describe step by step how to best hang a shade sail:

1. Determine the Attachment Points: As described above, first determine the attachment points.

2. Determine the Shape of the Shade Sail: There are different ways to shape your square or rectangular shade sail. You can opt for the classic saddle model, diagonal model, one low corner, or one high corner.

When choosing and determining the shape, always consider the run-off of the shade sail. Ensure a minimum slope of 30 cm between the high and low corners.

3. Lay out the shade sail on the ground

Next, lay out the shade sail on the ground and determine where each attachment point should be placed and what material is needed. Always leave an extra 30 cm of space at the attachment point so that the sail can be pulled taut. For hanging a square or rectangular shade sail, you'll need four attachment points. The attachment sets from Nesling or NC Outdoor are perfect for this. These consist of 4 plates with an eye, 2 carabiners, and 2 tensioning hooks. With these, you can pull the shade sail tightly; just ensure that the tension is evenly distributed.

It's important to attach the shade sail in the same direction as where the corners/points are pointing. See the example below:

4. Hanging square shade sail

Now that the shade sail is ready, it's time to install the attachment points. Then, we can tension the sun sail. Various materials are needed for these attachments. Standard sets are available for these, below is an overview of which materials are suitable for which surfaces:

Hanging a triangle shade sail

Hanging a triangular shade sail doesn't differ much from hanging a square or rectangular shade sail. The main difference lies in the number of attachment points, which are only three for a triangular shade sail. Follow the steps below when hanging your triangular shade sail:

1. Determine the attachment points first.

2. Determine the shape of the shade sail.

When hanging a triangular shade sail, there are slightly fewer options in terms of shape. You can have either 1 or 2 low points. This is because, once again, you need to consider the runoff of the shade sail. Ensure a runoff of at least 30 cm between the high corners and the low corners.

3. Lay out the shade sail on the ground

The next step is laying out the shade sail on the ground and determining where the attachment points should be placed. Leave about 30 cm of space between each corner of the sun sail/shade sail and the attachment point so that you can tension it tightly. Then, determine which attachment materials you need for this. The attachment sets from Nesling or NC Outdoor contain all the materials you need for hanging a triangular shade sail. These consist of 3 plates with an eye, 1 carabiner, and 2 tensioning hooks. With these, you can pull the shade sail tightly; ensure that the tension is evenly distributed.

It's important to attach the shade sail in the same direction as where the corners/points are pointing.

4. Hanging triangle shade sail

Now that the shade sail is ready, it's time to install the attachment points. Then, we can tension the sun sail. Various materials are needed for these attachments. Standard sets are available for these; below is an overview of which materials are suitable for which surfaces:

Frequently Asked Questions about hanging a shade sail

Below is an overview of the most common questions regarding the installation or tensioning of shade sails:

How can I attach a shade sail to the balcony?

There are several ways to attach your shade sail to the balcony. You can weave it through the balcony railing or secure it with zip ties. However, consider the wind on a balcony; the shade sail will be subjected to a lot of force, so make sure it is securely fastened. Therefore, it's important to always attach one point to the wall, for example, using a plate with an eye.

How high should a shade sail be hung?

When hanging a shade sail, there's no need to consider a minimum height. It's helpful to tension the sail in a way that you don't need to bend down to pass under the low corner, but that's common sense. As mentioned earlier, it's essential to ensure a runoff of at least 30 cm between the high and low corners of the shade sail.

How do I put tension on a shade sail?

You can tension the shade sail using the attachment materials. The tension hook comes into play here; once the sail is attached to the carabiner, you can then tighten the sail with the tension hooks. If you have more space than the tension hook can cover, it's possible to attach a chain between the tension hook and the sail.