SHADECLOTH NEWS
From POLYFAB USA LLC
www.PolyfabUSA.com
SEVENTEENTH EDITION
APRIL, 2013
Welcome to the latest edition of Shadecloth News. This newsletter is brought to you by
Polyfab USA LLC and is meant to give you the latest update on the shade industry and
products offered by Polyfab USA, division of Polyfab Australia.
CONTENTS
Section 1 – The 2013 Tension Shade Workshop Series ....................................................................1
Section 2 – Shade Sail Selling Advice ..............................................................................................3
Section 3 – Engineering Considerations...........................................................................................7
Section 4 – Sharp Idea! .....................................................................................................................8
st
Section 5 – Polyfab Celebrates its 21 Anniversary .........................................................................9
Section 6 – Polyfab USA Fabrics, Hardware & Edge Webbing ........................................................ 10
Additional Information .............................................................................................................................. 11
SECTION 1 – 2013 TENSION SHADE WORKSHOP SERIES
Shade sail installed in Trivantage Lithia Springs warehouse / Jeremy Olson showing cutting & sewing
Polyfab USA, along with MPanel Shade Designer, Awning Composer, Prodim Systems, Eastman
Machine Company, WL Gore & Associates, Jeremy Olson of Pioneer Architectural Systems and Gary
Foreman PE, SE, AIA came together to hold several workshops across the country in Atlanta, Chicago
and Miami earlier this year. Hosted by Trivantage LLC, these workshops were designed to show
current and prospective shade sail fabricators some tips and techniques to sell, design, engineer,
measure, cut, sew and install tension shade structures.
1
Tim Akes showing Shade Designer / Shade sail demo frame in hotel in suburban Chicago
The workshops followed a new format this time. Instead of the speakers going up one at a time, the
attendees were broken up into groups and rotated around to four sections: (1) measuring and cutting
technology; (2) selling and design tools; (3) cutting the curve and sewing; (4) engineering
considerations and fabric selection.
Four presentations were going on at the same time / Gary Foreman and engineering considerations
In addition to these workshops, some of the speakers also presented/ are presenting at the Western
Canvas Products Association (WCPA) and Southwest Industrial Fabric Association (SWIFA) conventions.
All told, over 200+ fabricators from around the US, Canada and the Caribbean had the opportunity to
learn about new technology, get advice and had the chance for some hands-on experience with Shade
Designer and Awning Composer software.
2
WCPA Expo was held in Long Beach, CA / Shade Sail Seminar / Patrick Howe demonstrating the Eastman Workerbee
Patrick Howe of Wholesale Shade Sails also presented at the Shade Sail Seminar held in conjunction
with the WCPA Annual Meeting and Expo in April.
SECTION 2 – SHADE SAIL SELLING ADVICE
The WCPA Expo featured a two-day Shade Sail Seminar. Patrick Howe, of Wholesale
Shade Sails (Carlsbad, CA) and www.Shazeebo.com, gave a presentation on selling shade
sails. Here is a portion of the presentation that he gave those in attendance:
DESIGNING A SHADE SAIL:
Top 3 client disappointments that can be avoided with good design—
“I wish we would have put more twist in it”
“I wish we would have made it bigger”
“It doesn’t shade where we wanted it”
3
Shade sail design considerations
1) What type of house construction is it? The answer will help identify potential
mounting points. A wood frame house will allow the use of wall brackets while a
stucco house may require a post.
2) What time of day does the outdoor space get the most sun, and what is the
directional exposure? If you have all day sun (Southern exposure) the sail width
should be addressed. A few extra feet on either side can add hours of shade under
the sail.
If the area gets the most sun in the afternoon with a setting sun (Western
exposure) then the projection of the sail becomes an important factor.
3) Shade sails have curves built into the edges to provide even spread of tension in
the fabric of the shade sail. When planning attachment point locations you may
want to go a few feet larger to compensate for the curves. Some areas may allow
for an additional sail for extra coverage.
4
4) Triangle vs. 4-sided? Many clients think of triangles when they ask for shade sails.
Triangles are the least efficient shapes when it comes to providing shade. In a 20’
x 20’ space, a square shade provides 66 more square feet of shade vs. two
triangles.
5) A triangle is always a flat plane. It has shape but no twist. A flat sail may flutter
more, possibly encouraging mechanical breakdown of the shade fabric.
5
If the client insists on triangles, suggest several to add dimension and appeal.
6) The classic shade sail design is achieved by having 2 low points and 2 high points.
This gives the sail a twist (Hypar / “saddle shape”) which helps shed wind and
some rain and gives a triangular appearance when viewed from the side.
7) You and your client can get the best of both with a combination—a four-sided sail
to provide the bulk of the shade and a triangle sail as an accent.
6
SECTION 3 – ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS
We received some photos recently of a job in Florida. This is a shade structure over a
childrens’ sand play area:
Even though the footer
seems substantial—48”
square concrete—it was
only about 18” deep and
imbedded in soft sand, so
all it took was a strong wind
to bring about a
catastrophic failure of the
structure. If this happened
in the middle of the day,
with children underneath
this could have been a
major tragedy. That is why
it is always recommended
that fabricators consult with
an experienced tension fabric engineer who can take into consideration things like
attachment points, wind load, steel strength and local soil conditions. In the next
newsletter we will run the presentation given at the recent workshop series by Gary
Foreman PE, SE, AIA (Ft. Myers, FL).
7
SECTION 4 – SHARP IDEA
There are various ways of cutting shadecloth. A sharp pair of shears, a hot knife and a
rotary cutter are all used by different fabricators with different preferences. Polyfab USA
has joined with Eastman Machine Company to make it easier for you to buy a cordless
rotary cutter. This rugged tool, demonstrated at recent workshops and seminars, is
designed for professional use, is much faster than shears (and no sore wrists!) or a hot
knife and comes with a
recharger and extra
battery pack. Here is
more information.
If you wish to order one of these tools, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
I will forward the order to the manufacturer for immediate shipping
The tool will be shipped to you from the manufacturer, and they will charge you directly
for the cost of the unit.
8
SECTION 5 – POLYFAB CELEBRATES 21ST ANNIVERSARY
This year Polyfab Australia is celebrating its 21st year in the industry. In its early years the company was
based in Moorabbin, Victoria, where it rapidly grew to be one of the leading suppliers of industrial fabrics
in Australia. From these modest beginnings Polyfab has continued to grow to become one of the world’s
leading suppliers of high quality knitted shadecloth.
Having an extensive history in industrial fabrics, founder Barry Jamieson determined that there was a
need in the market for a range of shade fabrics which not only looked good, but was designed to protect
people from the heat and harmful UV rays associated with skin cancer. From this initial concept came
the development of the Comtex® range of shade cloth, which over time has been joined by Polytex® and
more recently by Architec 400®, the first shade cloth to include the unique Ovalon® yarn. All Polyfab
shadecloth has high UVR protection with most of its range exceeding the Australian guidelines of 94%
UVR block, continuing the company’s philosophy that in addition to being strong and looking good,
architectural shadecloth should provide the very best in people protection.
Since its inception Polyfab Australia has been on a steady growth path. Polyfab has grown to the stage
where it now has operations in Australia, the Middle East and the USA as well as excellent distribution in
other areas throughout the world including Europe and Asia. Having outgrown its warehouses in
Moorabbin, Polyfab is now located in a modern, purpose built facility in Carrum Downs, Victoria.
Polyfab World Headquarters in Victoria, Australia / Some of our inventory
Polyfab continues to push forward with its strategy of having a shadecloth to suit every purpose. From
its lightweight Polytex®, through to its most robust shadecloth, Architec 400®, Polyfab can supply the
right shadecloth for your purpose.
Polyfab continues to invest heavily in Research and Development as it strives to ensure that its products
remain the very best options in the shade cloth and industrial fabrics sectors. New colors have been
recently introduced to provide designers and specifiers with the very latest in fashion colors, as well as
keeping the tried and true colors that have proved so successful over the last 21 years.
9
SECTION 6 – POLYFAB FABRICS, HARDWARE & EDGE WEBBING
POLYFAB SHADECLOTH:
Note that all of the fabric we sell is 100% recyclable and phthalate free. Ask about our
recycling program.
Polytex® - A superior fire rated knitted HDPE shade fabric designed for use in modular
shade structures and shade sails. Recommended for residential and small commercial
installations with unsupported spans of 25 feet or less.
Width: 12.5 ft. x 33 yard center folded rolls—Weight: 7 oz. per square yard
Comtex® - A superior fire rated knitted HDPE shade fabric designed for large tension
membrane structures and architectural shade sails. Recommended for larger commercial
installations with unsupported spans of up to 100 feet or any job if preferred.
Width: 12.5 ft. x 33 yard center folded rolls—Weight: 10 oz. per square yard
Architec 400® - A premium extra heavy duty knitted HDPE shade fabric designed for
larger tension membrane structures and architectural shade sails. Shades using this
fabric should be well designed and engineered to hold the fabric under the tension it
deserves. The fabric should be supported by using appropriate strength poles and
footings as determined by a professional engineer, and fabricated and installed by a
qualified contractor in accordance with local building codes.
Width: 12.5 ft. x 55 yard straight rolls (not folded)—Weight: 12 oz. per square yard
Fire Standard Compliance:
Polytex and Comtex meet the following fire standards: NFPA 701-2004, ASTM E-84 Class
A and California State Fire Marshal, Section 13115
POLYTEX SEAL
COMTEX SEAL
Architec 400 meets NFPA 701-2010 and ASTM E-84 Class 1 or A rating
10
POLYFAB PRO SHADE SAIL HARDWARE: A full line of professional-grade stainless steel
and other metal fittings for fabricating and installing shade sails, used by fabricators in
Australia for the finest look of their finished shade products.
POLYFAB SHADE SAIL EDGE WEBBING: Made in Australia, this polyester webbing is 2”
wide and put up on 109 yard rolls with a breaking strength of approximately 4,720 lbf.
Available in 20 colors to match Polytex, Comtex and Architec 400 extra heavy duty knitted
shadecloth.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Our factory has been certified as approved for their Quality Management System (QMS) per international
standards of ISO 9001:2008. This means (according to the ISO—International Organization for
Standardization) that they provide a tried and tested framework for taking a systematic approach to managing
the organization’s processes so that they consistently turn out product that satisfies customers’
expectations—that’s you!
POLYFAB USA LLC
1601 N. Sepulveda Blvd. #392
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Mobile (440) 503-9056 / Fax (310) 626-9639
[email protected] / www.PolyfabUSA.com
POLYFAB USA:
POLYFAB AUSTRALIA:
© Copyright 2013 by Polyfab USA LLC.
11