There are four common questions around Brisbane on shade sails performance.
1. Will my possessions get adequate sun protection?
2. Will the sail be okay in high winds?
3. Will the sail protect my car from bat faeces and leaves?
4. Will the sun shade protect my car from large hail and storms?
The short answer is Yes to all four, however, today’s blog will focus on Bullet point number 4.
Will the shade sail protect my car / vehicles from large hail and storms?
Queensland’s summer storm season is highly unpredictable, especially in South East Queensland. Residents should ensure their insurance policies are up to date and regularly monitor the Bureau of Meteorology during storm season.
Residents in Algester, Salisbury, Parkinson, Browns Plains, Calamvale, Sunnybank, Sunnybank Hills, Runcorn, Heathwood, Stretton, Regents Park and Greenbank often believe they are in the path of severe storms. As a result, many are more prepared than people in other areas.
Brisbane has experienced several major storms in recent years, including severe events that impacted the CBD and The Gap. While storm locations are difficult to predict, they are a regular feature of summer. These storms often bring destructive winds, heavy rain and large hailstones.
Storm Preparation:
Many people ask whether they should remove their shade sail before a storm. In reality, most people do not have that option because they are at work or away from home. Shade sails are often installed to protect vehicles and outdoor areas, so removing them may defeat their purpose. Many homeowners also have little experience removing shade sails. Attempting to do so when a storm is approaching can be unsafe.
Shade Sail Strength:
New customers are often surprised by the strength of Superior Shade Sails. They are also surprised by the size and depth of the post holes we dig. This is especially true for commercial installations that must comply with Australian Engineering Standards. For a typical residential project, we remove three to four wheelbarrow loads of soil from each hole. Some customers even ask us to leave all the excavated soil in a single wheelbarrow.
Bursting Pressure:
The bursting pressure of Superior Shade Sails ranges from 2,500 kPa to 4,750 kPa. Bursting pressure refers to the amount of force a sail can withstand before failure. Our shade sails are extremely durable, and we have never seen one burst. One long-term customer in Darra has experienced failures in the 316 stainless steel perimeter cable on several occasions. However, the sail itself remained intact. It is believed that a group of children may have deliberately tested the cable’s breaking strain when no one was present.
Hailstorms:
If you have had a look at the storm video on Superior Shade Sails on the home page of our website, you will notice hail the size of tennis balls hitting the shade sail and once they hit the shade sail they roll off. The set up or design of your sun shade sail is critical as to how your shade sail performs in storm conditions. It is important for material such as hail or leaves to be able to escape without human intervention.
Do you have sufficient protection for you boats caravans and vehicles. If not, will your insurance cover any damage? If so, how much will you pay for your insurance access and what is the real cost of having a vehicle off of the road? These are real questions you need to ask yourself.
Don’t Delay – Protect Your Vehicles
Last year I quoted a customer in Parkinson around August for carport shade sails. I had not hear from him for 2-3 months until he called me up the following day after a big storm where his two cars each 20K+ were written off. He asked ‘how quickly can you erect my Carport Shade Sail’? Needless to say the horse had bolted, and he had to wait months and months for the cars to be fixed.
Superior Shade Sail Turnbuckles have hooks at either end, and appear upside down. If you see a job with hook-hook turnbuckles upside down there is a good chance it was designed and built by Superior Shade Sails.
Why do we install our hook upside down? Last year, a violent storm in Heathwood provided the answer. A large gum tree branch, approximately five metres long and 150mm in diameter, fell onto a shade sail connected to a Pro Rig hook-hook.
Fortunately, the hook-hook helped protect the customer’s fence and limited the damage to the shade sail. The impact bent the turnbuckle, which had an 800kg breaking load, completely flat. The branch and hook then fell safely to the ground. Despite the force of the impact, the concrete set post remained firmly in place. In our view, this was the best possible outcome.
When a hook-hook connects to a shade sail and comes loose from the post, its upside-down design allows it to disengage from the sail. This helps prevent hazards and makes the area safer.
Hence Safety is built-in to Superior Shade Sails Designs and its attachments, which is just another reason to choose Superior Shade Sails when you are looking for your first or second shade sail.