This is the polyester sail we supply as a waterproof heavy duty cover, and the material is the first thing to note because it is not a knitted mesh: it is a solid polyester cloth, so it blocks rain as well as sun and is the grade asked for where the cover has to shed water rather than let it through. That makes it the sail for a patio or a deck that is used in all weather, and for commercial spans where a wet cover over seating or a work area is not acceptable. The cut is to the span, and each corner carries a reinforced fixing point.
A knitted net lets the rain through; a polyester sail keeps it off. That single difference is what this cover is supplied for. It is a solid polyester cloth rather than an open mesh, cut as a sail and finished with stitched seams and reinforced corners, so a patio or a deck can be used in all weather rather than only in the dry.
The material decides what the cover can do. A knitted HDPE mesh shades and breathes, which suits a crop, but it lets water straight through. A solid polyester cloth does both jobs: it cuts the light and it sheds rain, so the area underneath stays usable when the weather turns. That is why this grade is chosen over seating, over outdoor furniture and over commercial spans where a wet cover would mean the space cannot be used. The cloth is heavy enough to stay flat on the frame rather than flapping, and the shade rate is made to order.
The sail goes over a patio, a deck, a pool terrace and over commercial spans such as a car park bay, a walkway or a work area where the cover has to stay in place across the year. Because it is a solid cloth, it is also the grade used where an outdoor screen or a windbreak is wanted alongside the shade. Growers covering beds under a mesh cover often pair it with a planting bag, and the wider shade net range covers the knitted and aluminised types where an open or reflective cover is the right answer instead.
| Material | Solid polyester cloth, waterproof |
| Weight | Heavy duty, made to order |
| Shade Rate | Made to order |
| Colour | Made to order |
| Seams | Stitched, with reinforced corners |
| Size | Custom, cut to the span you give us |
| Application | Patio, deck, pool terrace and commercial spans |
| Packing | Export package, customised on request |
On a solid cloth the seam and the corner take the whole load, so the panels are stitched and the corners are reinforced rather than the cloth being punched through. That is what lets the sail be strained tight on posts or between walls without the seam opening up, and it can be taken down and put back up season after season. A knitted monofilament net covers the shading job where an open weave is wanted, while this sail covers the weatherproof span.
Span, shape, shade rate and colour are all made to order, so the first detail to confirm is the points you are rigging to and the area under them. Sails ship in export packing and are folded to suit the size. Buyers tracking how tensioned sails perform on commercial sites can follow trade coverage such as HortiDaily and FreshPlaza for what is being installed.
Is this sail waterproof?
Yes. It is a solid polyester cloth rather than a knitted mesh, so it sheds rain instead of letting it through, which is why it is used over seating and over commercial spans.
How is it different from your mesh shade sails?
The mesh sails breathe and let water pass; this one blocks water as well as sun. Choose mesh over a crop or a hot frame, and polyester where the space has to stay usable in the rain.
Can I order a different size, shape or colour?
Yes. Span, shape, shade rate and colour are all made to order. Tell us the points you are rigging to and we will advise.
Tell us the span, the shape and the shade rate you are working to, and we will confirm the size and the packing that suit your order.
Mark Wu, Co-founder & Technical Director, Sichuan Zhifang Net Industry. 15 years manufacturing agricultural nettings for growers in 32 countries.
