Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Shade Sails to Beat the Summer Heat

Sail shades
Sail shades

Another summer, another round of broken patio umbrellas. I’m looking into something the kids can’t destroy, which means it has to be something they can’t reach. Maybe shade sails.

“We’ve been around for 15 years,” said Dan Mezich, owner of SoCal Shade Sails in Encinitas (760-535-1966, sunshade-shadesails.com), “and demand has really grown over the past five years. The sails have a dynamic look — ours come in 25 colors, and they do not fade. They’re less expensive than traditional wood patio covers; I would say our residential price range is $3000 to $50,000. And they provide a lot more shade — 90 to 97 percent UV protection.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

To make his custom sails, Mezich uses “a polyethylene fabric imported from Australia. But we actually make the sails locally, so our turnaround time is faster than some other companies. The sails come with stainless steel mounting hardware and steel cabling along the perimeter. It’s very easy to clean — just hose it off. And it has a ten-year warranty. Plus, we offer a one-year installation warranty.”

“We’ll help with the design,” assured Mezich. “Most people like the look of shade sails but have a hard time figuring out connection points. It’s got to be connected properly or it will fail. I’m a general contractor, so I know where we can put the brackets. We come over to help. We offer a 3D sketch so that customers can see how the sails will look. The sketch costs $200, and that is then applied toward the purchase price. For the sail itself, we charge by the linear foot.”

Next, I spoke with Mike Ruder, owner of DMR Shade (714-379-0011). Ruder is a preferred installer for Shadesails.com, and he services San Diego County. “Each job is designed to the customer’s taste,” he began. “We offer ready-made sails in a variety of shapes and sizes; those come with a two-year fabric warranty and offer 65 to 75 percent UV protection, depending on the color. Or we offer custom-made sails with a ten-year warranty; those offer 75 to 95 percent UV protection. The sails are made from a high-density polyethylene fabric that is reinforced along the perimeter. The custom sails also have either stainless steel cabling or seatbelt-style webbed material along the edge.”

Installation is the real trick, said Ruder. “They have to be put under the right amount of tension. We stretch the edges, and that puts the entire sail under tension. That minimizes movement, which in turn prevents premature fabric wear. If sails are tensioned properly, they will withstand a Class C wind load — that’s 85 miles per hour. We usually use the customer’s building as an anchor point, and we also usually set a post into the ground or affix it to an existing concrete slab. If you’re using the ready-made sails [$59.95–$980, depending on size], we might be able to use whatever the customer has available — say, a tree.”

Costs vary, depending on the project, said Ruder. “For residential setups, I’ve done projects ranging from $600 to $40,000. With today’s technology, people can email me photos or a site plan, and I can work up a design to get them the best coverage within their budget. Sometimes, I can pop in three or four sails and maybe a post or two, using the home as an anchor point, and come in about a third cheaper than a wood or aluminum patio covering.”

Finally, I talked to Michael Moran at Moran Canvas in La Mesa (619-462-7778, morancanvas.com). “We do custom sails in any color. If you do your own measurements, you can just tell us over the phone. Or you can have us come out and do a consultation at no charge. Installation is extra. The sails are made from a polypropylene-polyethylene mesh, and they’re very durable,” he assured me. “You can expect to see a 14- to 15-year lifespan. And they’re user-friendly — they don’t need maintenance, and they wash clean in a mild rain.”

Speaking of rain, Moran noted that the sails “need to be installed with some slope, because even though they are a shade material, some water will come through” if it sits on the surface. “We recommend two inches of slope for every foot of sail. We charge $15 a perimeter-foot for fabrication. On the low end, sails plus installation could cost $1500 to $2000. Of course, last year we did an installation at High Tech High in Chula Vista, and it ran to $250,000.”

Finally, said Moran, “We give a full warranty of ten years on both fabric and installation. A good warranty is important. We repair other shade sails all the time — people buy them online, and they go to pieces in a year or two. Then the owner has to take it in and get it resewn, and that can be expensive.”

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Top Websites To Buy Instagram Likes + Bonus Tip!

Sail shades
Sail shades

Another summer, another round of broken patio umbrellas. I’m looking into something the kids can’t destroy, which means it has to be something they can’t reach. Maybe shade sails.

“We’ve been around for 15 years,” said Dan Mezich, owner of SoCal Shade Sails in Encinitas (760-535-1966, sunshade-shadesails.com), “and demand has really grown over the past five years. The sails have a dynamic look — ours come in 25 colors, and they do not fade. They’re less expensive than traditional wood patio covers; I would say our residential price range is $3000 to $50,000. And they provide a lot more shade — 90 to 97 percent UV protection.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

To make his custom sails, Mezich uses “a polyethylene fabric imported from Australia. But we actually make the sails locally, so our turnaround time is faster than some other companies. The sails come with stainless steel mounting hardware and steel cabling along the perimeter. It’s very easy to clean — just hose it off. And it has a ten-year warranty. Plus, we offer a one-year installation warranty.”

“We’ll help with the design,” assured Mezich. “Most people like the look of shade sails but have a hard time figuring out connection points. It’s got to be connected properly or it will fail. I’m a general contractor, so I know where we can put the brackets. We come over to help. We offer a 3D sketch so that customers can see how the sails will look. The sketch costs $200, and that is then applied toward the purchase price. For the sail itself, we charge by the linear foot.”

Next, I spoke with Mike Ruder, owner of DMR Shade (714-379-0011). Ruder is a preferred installer for Shadesails.com, and he services San Diego County. “Each job is designed to the customer’s taste,” he began. “We offer ready-made sails in a variety of shapes and sizes; those come with a two-year fabric warranty and offer 65 to 75 percent UV protection, depending on the color. Or we offer custom-made sails with a ten-year warranty; those offer 75 to 95 percent UV protection. The sails are made from a high-density polyethylene fabric that is reinforced along the perimeter. The custom sails also have either stainless steel cabling or seatbelt-style webbed material along the edge.”

Installation is the real trick, said Ruder. “They have to be put under the right amount of tension. We stretch the edges, and that puts the entire sail under tension. That minimizes movement, which in turn prevents premature fabric wear. If sails are tensioned properly, they will withstand a Class C wind load — that’s 85 miles per hour. We usually use the customer’s building as an anchor point, and we also usually set a post into the ground or affix it to an existing concrete slab. If you’re using the ready-made sails [$59.95–$980, depending on size], we might be able to use whatever the customer has available — say, a tree.”

Costs vary, depending on the project, said Ruder. “For residential setups, I’ve done projects ranging from $600 to $40,000. With today’s technology, people can email me photos or a site plan, and I can work up a design to get them the best coverage within their budget. Sometimes, I can pop in three or four sails and maybe a post or two, using the home as an anchor point, and come in about a third cheaper than a wood or aluminum patio covering.”

Finally, I talked to Michael Moran at Moran Canvas in La Mesa (619-462-7778, morancanvas.com). “We do custom sails in any color. If you do your own measurements, you can just tell us over the phone. Or you can have us come out and do a consultation at no charge. Installation is extra. The sails are made from a polypropylene-polyethylene mesh, and they’re very durable,” he assured me. “You can expect to see a 14- to 15-year lifespan. And they’re user-friendly — they don’t need maintenance, and they wash clean in a mild rain.”

Speaking of rain, Moran noted that the sails “need to be installed with some slope, because even though they are a shade material, some water will come through” if it sits on the surface. “We recommend two inches of slope for every foot of sail. We charge $15 a perimeter-foot for fabrication. On the low end, sails plus installation could cost $1500 to $2000. Of course, last year we did an installation at High Tech High in Chula Vista, and it ran to $250,000.”

Finally, said Moran, “We give a full warranty of ten years on both fabric and installation. A good warranty is important. We repair other shade sails all the time — people buy them online, and they go to pieces in a year or two. Then the owner has to take it in and get it resewn, and that can be expensive.”

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Flowering pear trees in Kensington not that nice

Empty dirt plots in front of Ken Cinema
Next Article

Reader Music Issue short takes

Obervatory's mosh pit, frenetic Rafael Payare, Lemonhead chaos, bleedforthescene, Coronado Tasting Room
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.