Prepare your Shade Sail for Winter

As Winter approaches you may be worried about your Shade Sail. We often face questions such as:

1. Should I leave my Shade Sail up or take it down?
2. I’m not sure of the correct way to clean and store my Sail?
3. How can I reinstall my Sail after the Winter period without needing to call an installer?

Let’s sail straight into the Number 1 question we receive about the Winter Period.

Should I leave my Sail up or take it down?

Considering the mixed conditions we face through Winter, we advise all Shade Sail owners to remove their Shade Sail carefully, deeply clean the Sail using the advised cleaning process and store your Sail in a dry, rodent free area in your garage. Over the past 35 years we have seen hundreds of Shade Sails harmed by heavy rain storms, intense winds and exhaustive weather. To reduce the risk of your Shade Sail becoming damaged in winter, we encourage Shade Sail owners to remove their sail.

I’m not sure of the correct way to clean and store my sail?

First off, mark your starting point on your Sail. This will allow you to reattach your Sail exactly to how it was initially installed.

Secondly, go to each fixing point and loosen the turnbuckle at each point. Once each turnbuckle is loosened, your Sail will be loose enough to remove. You will now be able to remove your Sail safely. Safely store all attachments in a waterproof box.

Cleaning Process

Once your Shade Sail has been removed it is now time to clean it.

Begin by lying out your Shade Sail on a flat surface ensuring no creases or fold overs.

Then,

• Mix, sugar soap and water and spray it all over the Sail.
• Next, leave the Sail to soak for about 10 minutes
• Then using a garden hose work your way around the Sail, hosing off any residue. Ensuring your Sail is fully rinsed is key here.
• Let your Sail to dry, then store your Sail safely in a dry area, preferably in an area raised off of the ground to reduce the risk of rodents or pets becoming in contact with your sail.

Your Shade Sail is now safely stored and will be ready for next Summer.

Can I call Stuart Bell Sails to install and reinstall my sail?

Yes you can contact us and we can arrange a time to install and reinstall your sail.