Shade sails are, by far, the most popular shade solution in Kenya. They’re affordable, versatile, easy to install and provide excellent protection against the sun. But, there are many other benefits of shade sails that many consumers aren’t aware of, one of which we will look at today.

As a shade sail manufacturer, people ask me questions about shade sails all the time. One of the most common questions is, “can you waterproof shade sails?” The answer to this question also provides one of their most significant benefits.

So, continue reading to find out if you can waterproof shade sails.

Waterproof Shade Sails? Yey or Nay?

You will be happy to know that the answer to this question is Yey! You CAN waterproof shade sails, or to be more precise; you can get waterproof shade sails.

How to Waterproof Shade Sails

If you have existing shade sails, then, unfortunately, it isn’t a case of merely painting a waterproof coating over the top.

Standard shade sails are manufactured from shade cloth, a porous fabric that allows air to pass through it freely. Therefore, shade cloth alone is not waterproof. You cannot “upgrade” a standard shade sail into one that is waterproof. The decision must be made before purchase as they are made from entirely different materials.

Waterproof shade sails receive their waterproof properties in the fabric manufacturing process.

Waterproof Shade Sail Fabric Options

As mentioned above, waterproof shade sails can be manufactured from shade cloth, but more often than not, they are made from other fabrics, such as polyester-based PVC fabric.

DriZ and Serge Ferrari, are two excellent examples of waterproof shade cloth. DriZ is made from Rainbow 16 shade cloth and has an advanced waterproof coating applied to the underside. On the other hand, Serge Ferrari is a high-tenacity polyester mico-yarn-based cloth with dual layers of PVDF coating to provide waterproof properties.

Other popular waterproof fabrics used in the manufacturing of waterproof shade sails include Polyplan 680 and Valmex 580S, all of which we use here at SBF INTERIORS AND OUTDOOR SOLUTIONS LIMITED. Polyplan 680 comprises a low-wicking polyester base cloth with a protective acrylic lacquer applied, and Valmex 580S is PVC coated Polyester low-wick base fabric finished with PVDF lacquer on its top side.

These fabrics are used not only to manufacture waterproof shade sails but they are also used to create commercial shade structures like custom canopies, tension membranes and awnings.