Shade Sail Structure Spacing Guides

All of the names of our shade sails are based off of their relaxed dimensions. For example, the SS-18 is a square shade sail with side lengths of 18', the TS-1217 is a triangular shade sail with two 12' sides and one 17' side, and the RS-916 is a rectangular shade sail with two 9' sides and two 16' sides. It's incredibly important to remember that these dimensions are the sizes of the relaxed sail. If you buy an SS-18, don't expect to attach it to poles that are 18' apart.

Hardware Offset and Fabric Stretch

There's a bit of a gap between the tab on a pole and the beginning of the sail where the turnbuckle or pulley connects the two. We call this a hardware offset. On top of that, shade sails will stretch larger than their relaxed size. As a result, you have to accommodate for these modified dimensions when planning pole placement for our standards. We've taken the guesswork out of it for you and done all the math ourselves so you don't have to. Below the product description of each standard shade sail and structure kit are several downloadable spacing guides for turnbuckle or pulley install.

The dimensions listed on our shade sail product pages are what we call finished dimensions, or the dimensions of the relaxed sails. However, shade sails are designed to stretch and are offset from their attachment points by the hardware used to connect and tension them. Before purchasing a standard shade sail or shade structure kit, make sure to check the spacing and structure guides below for accurate spacing of poles or other attachment points. Be sure to familiarize yourself with our other installation resources as well to prepare for your install.

When you purchase one of our standard sails, before you install your poles, don't forget to check the spacing guide!