• What % shade cloth should I order? – That depends greatly on your application. We recommend at least 78% for shading animals or people; horticulture requirements vary greatly. Wind resistance may need to be considered as well. Go to our section on Selecting Your Fabric for more information. Other resources to help you decide could be your county agent, or various special interest groups such as the American Orchid Society.
• What size are your shade panels? – All of our panels are custom fabricated to your specifications. If you need a piece of shade cloth that is 13.5′ x 22.5′, no problem, we can do that – every panel is custom made.
• How much is a roll of shade cloth? – Normally, we don’t sell shade cloth by the roll, as most people do not have the equipment available to properly finish the shade cloth. We apply fabric tape around all sides of the panel to prevent unraveling. Additionally, we have the proper equipment to consistently install the needed grommets. That said, some customers do have the equipment and skills to finish the panels: please call us for a quote for full rolls.
• How do I install my shade panel? – There are many methods that customers use for installation; again, this varies with the customers needs. A large number of customers use plastic “zip ties” or “quick ties”. Other options include screws and fender washers, and bungee cord, rope, or steel cable. Staples are generally not a good method of installation.
• How long do your shade panels last? – We don’t offer a specific time guarantee, as the life of the panel depends greatly upon how it is installed and the actual conditions at the installation site. We do use fully UV-protected material and rustproof grommets in our fabrication, and have had reports of installations of our panels lasting in excess of 15 years.
• What grommet spacing do your recommend? – Again, that depends on your application and the conditions of your installation. Some customers specify grommets every 5 feet, while others specify a 1 foot spacing. Still others will specify grommets on only three sides, or different spacing on different sides – it’s all up to you. However, the majority of our customers use a spacing of 2 feet, and unless otherwise specified, that is the spacing we use.
• What colors are available? – Like Henry Ford, you can have any color you’d like as long as it’s black! Actually, there is a good reason for that – carbon black is used in the manufacture of our shade cloth for its UV-resistant properties. We do also offer the 78% Lath material in green, but it is not as UV resistant as the black fabric.
• Will people be able to see through my shade cloth? – The answer to that is “it depends”. Certainly, the lower-percentage fabrics are relatively easy to see through, as is the 78% Lath material, with its open sections. For 80% and above shade fabric, the amount of detail than can be seen will vary considerably depending on the lighting – but none of these fabrics are designed for complete “black-out” privacy. Shade Tree can fabricate multi-layer panel which eliminate all possibility of seeing through the panels. Contact us for more details.