Caring for your Sail Shades this winter

The outdoor lifestyle has never been more popular and nor, therefore, has the notion of transforming our outdoor spaces at home into those we can use for ourselves and to entertain friends and family. In order to ensure longevity in the solutions we provide for our clients, we source our fabrics from tried and trusted suppliers whose products, we know, will stand the test of time. But to ensure that our clients get the absolute most out of their investment, we always recommend a proper winter sail shade maintenance schedule. As with anything, if you look after it, it will look after you!

For this reason, we offer a cleaning service to those clients who wish to continue enjoying their garden shades for years to come, and it’s a service we recommend conducting at least every two years. It’s quite a straightforward process – we remove the shades and send them to our specialist cleaners, who use specialised tools and products to reinvigorate the fabric and restore it to its best. While it’s with them, they can also add anti-mildew additives or silicone coatings, if you require them, and once they’re finished, they’ll dry the fabric, package it all up and send it back to us to reinstall in your garden. Again, it’s a straightforward process, but it is so important! Especially here in Cornwall, where gardens are often beautifully wild, lined by trees and exposed to the coastal elements, even the hardiest fabric can eventually perish if left uncared for.

 

 

The biggest culprits for diminishing the longevity of your Sail Shade are seagulls making a mess, and tree sap, which is horribly sticky and a nightmare to remove. And even after just a short period of time, these can quickly build up, so having the fabric cleaned once every two years is a small but very necessary step to take to ensure the longest possible lifetime. 

Between cleans, there are some things that you, yourself, can do to keep your sail shade in winter in good condition. Keeping an eye out for debris is one. The wind and the rain won’t affect your Sail Shade – after all, it’s precisely what the fabric is designed to withstand – however what they don’t like is being left with things resting on them. Another thing you can check for is tension. It’s really important that the fabric is pulled taut; if it isn’t, then rain can quickly settle as the shade begins to sag, putting undue stress on the mechanisms and frame that hold the whole ensemble together. Finally, if you are using one of our Sail Shades as protection from the summer sun, then taking them down for the colder months and ensuring that they’re clean, dry and stowed safely away, can also help to increase longevity. 

What it all boils down to is the old adage that ‘prevention is better than cure’, and if you can take all of the steps mentioned above – and ensure that the fabric is professionally cleaned at least once every two years – then you should enjoy the full benefit of your beautiful shade for years to come. 

To find out more about our beautiful Sail Shades, as well as the ongoing winter sail shade care and maintenance packages that we’re able to provide for the lifetime of your garden shelter, be sure to give us a call! 

To find out more about our bespoke sail shades contact us here!