Custom-made or standard shade sail: which should you choose?
A custom-made shade sail can be necessary when an existing structure dictates a precise fixing geometry. But before paying custom-made prices, check whether a standard-size Coolaroo sail — or several standard sails — can cover the space effectively.
The sail dimensions and the distances between fixing points are two different things. It is normal for fixing-point distances to be greater than the nominal size of a standard sail: the remaining space is used by the fixing system and, where necessary, can be bridged with correctly dimensioned chain or another suitable extension, provided the supporting structure and anchor point are structurally appropriate for the sail loads.
Our recommendation
Choose a standard size first if…
an available Coolaroo size is smaller than the space between your fixing points and leaves at least the minimum room needed for fittings and correct tensioning. If the space is larger, the extra distance can be taken up with correctly dimensioned fittings, chain or another suitable extension, provided the supporting structure and anchor point are structurally appropriate for the sail loads. Several standard sails can also be combined to cover a large area for far less cost.
Choose custom-made if…
the structure already exists, the fixing positions are genuinely constrained and no standard size — or sensible combination of standard sizes — can be installed correctly within the available geometry.
Custom-made or standard size: practical comparison
| Factor | Standard-size Coolaroo | Custom-made |
|---|---|---|
| Initial price | Usually substantially more economical | Individual manufacture is normally considerably more expensive |
| Dimensions | Known before installation | Manufactured from the exact geometry supplied |
| Fixing points | Installation can be planned around the known sail | Positions used for manufacture must be reproduced accurately |
| Lead time | Stock product, depending on availability | Manufactured after ordering, adding production time |
| Large areas | One or several standard sails can be combined | One large sail can be made to the requested dimensions |
| Replacement | A standard size is straightforward to replace if still available | Requires another custom manufacture and its associated cost |
| Flexibility | Layout can be changed or additional sails added | The sail is tied to the geometry for which it was made |
The real custom-made risk: your measurements must be precise
A custom-made sail is manufactured from the measurements you supply. You therefore need to decide in advance exactly where each fixing point will be positioned and measure accurately between those intended points. The manufacturer can allow for tensioners and fittings in the sail calculation; that is not the problem.
The problem is that measurements are often taken before the fixings or posts have actually been installed. During installation, a fixing may need to move because of the wall construction, a beam, an obstruction, access for drilling, or simply because the original measurement was not precise enough. Across a large courtyard or patio, measuring exactly from one intended fixing point to another is not always easy, especially with a normal 5 m tape. Once the sail is manufactured, the supplied dimensions are built into the product: if the real available distance is shorter than planned, the sail can be too large to tension correctly.
No equivalent single standard size? Consider several sails
The absence of one standard sail matching the whole area does not automatically mean custom-made is required. Two or more standard sails can often cover a large space for considerably less total cost.
Several sails can also distribute shade more effectively, follow the shape of the area and create a more interesting installation. They should be properly spaced and positioned: sails placed too close together or crossing can touch in the wind.
A standard sail can fit perfectly into a larger space
The nominal sail dimension is always smaller than the distance between its fixing points. You must leave at least enough space between each sail corner and its anchor point for the fittings and tensioning system.
That gap does not have to be a fixed distance. As a practical guide, our usual fixing configurations generally require around 280–365 mm at each corner, although the actual allowance must be adapted to the particular installation. If the anchor points are further away, the additional distance can be taken up with correctly dimensioned fittings, chain or another suitable extension, provided the supporting structure and anchor point are structurally appropriate. For example, a distance of about 6.0 m between two fixing points can accommodate a standard 5.4 m sail if the configuration leaves suitable room for the fittings and correct tensioning. A 5.4 m sail cannot, however, be installed between fixing points less than 5.4 m apart — and in practice additional space is always required for the fittings.
Think about replacement from the first installation
A shade sail is an outdoor textile. However good it is, one day it will need replacing. The initial purchase price is therefore not the only cost worth considering.
With a standard size, you normally replace the sail while keeping the posts, anchors and fittings. With custom-made, replacement means commissioning another individually manufactured sail, with another production lead time, another custom price and often expensive international transport. The real cost should therefore be considered over the life of the installation.
Why we stopped selling custom-made shade sails
We used to sell custom-made shade sails ourselves. We stopped mainly for two reasons. First was price: when customers saw the custom-made cost alongside a suitable standard size, they very often chose the standard sail. Even where no single standard sail worked, several standard sails could often still cost substantially less.
Second was measurement. Custom sails are manufactured to the fixing positions and distances supplied by the customer, so a measuring error becomes an error in the finished sail. There is also manufacturing lead time and, when a sail is made at the factory and shipped individually, international transport can be expensive. A product manufactured to supplied measurements is also not a normal stock item that can simply be returned because the result is not what was expected.
When does custom-made genuinely make sense?
Custom-made has a genuine role where anchor points are dictated by an existing structure — for example between buildings, across a courtyard, beneath an existing frame or around features that cannot be moved — and no standard size or sensible combination of standard sizes works correctly.
In that situation, accurate measurement is essential. The anchor positions supplied to the manufacturer need to match the positions actually used during installation.
Why check Coolaroo standard sizes before ordering custom-made
Coolaroo is one of the world’s leading specialists in outdoor shade fabrics and shade solutions. Its standard sails are finished products designed for sun and UV protection using breathable knitted HDPE with long-lasting UV protection built into the core of every fibre of the fabric.
Depending on the range, Coolaroo sails are available in different sizes, fabric weights and colours, with a manufacturer fabric warranty against UV degradation according to the range and Coolaroo warranty conditions. Do not compare the size of your space with the nominal sail size as though they should be identical: the sail must be smaller than the distance between fixing points. Before ordering custom-made, check the standard sizes actually available — and also whether two or more standard sails can cover the area far more economically.
See the standard sizes available
Triangles
Useful individually or in combinations for adapting shade to irregular spaces.
View triangular shade sails →Rectangles
Especially useful for longer spaces, patios, tables and poolside areas.
View rectangular shade sails →Before ordering custom-made, check the standard sizes
Custom-made is sometimes essential, but it is often dramatically more expensive. We used to sell custom-made sails and stopped mainly for two reasons: once customers saw the price, they very often chose a much cheaper standard size; and measurement errors around the intended fixing positions caused problems on a product manufactured exactly to the dimensions supplied. If a standard Coolaroo sail is smaller than your available fixing-point space and leaves the required room for fittings — or several standard sails can cover the area — you can achieve excellent sun protection for far less money, without custom-manufacturing lead time and with much simpler future replacement.
