Wire Rope and Shade Sails

Do you need to use wire rope with your shade sail?

Yes. Wire rope is an essential part of our shade sails. Without a wire rope around the perimeter, tension applied at each attachment point is not distributed evenly in the sail, creating areas of concentrated stress around the corners. This causes the center to sag and increases the risk of tearing at the corners.

When a wire rope is used, the pulling force from the attachment hardware is transferred to the wire rope, rather than directly to the fabric. That force is then distributed throughout the perimeter of the sail, where the wire rope runs through a pocket. As the curved edges of the sail are pulled taut, the wire rope and fabric attempt to straighten out, which pulls the center of the sail up and fights sagging. 

Watch the video below for additional information that will help illustrate the importance of using wire rope on your shade sail.