Shade Canopies

6 Benefits of Adding a Shade Canopy for Your Playground or Other Outdoor Recreation Area

Whether you’re interested in installing a shade sail, fabric shade, playground canopy, or another type of commercial shade structure, providing shade is important. It doesn’t just shelter your visitors from the effects of sun and precipitation; the proper shade solution will help to protect your outdoor equipment too. Here are some benefits of note:

• Reduces exposure to harmful UV rays
  The main reason that property owners decide to install a shade structure is to prevent harmful UV exposure. Even when the weather is cool or cloudy, UV rays still get through and will continue to do damage if left unchecked. Prolonged exposure to UV radiation accelerates the risk of skin cancer, along with other harmful skin conditions.

• Protection from the elements
  Sail shades and other engineered shade structures deliver reliable UV protection, but they help in other ways, too. The impact of other elements like wind, dust, rain, and snow can also be minimized with a properly-installed shade feature. Fabric shade products have been demonstrated to provide effective water runoff protection of up to 60-70% or more!

• Cools the ambient air temperature
  Even though temps are cooler in the fall and subsequent seasons, play equipment can still get pretty hot in the full sun. Fabric shade structures and outdoor covered shelters allow air to pass freely underneath, which means the protected areas and equipment will be kept cooler. Fabric shades have been demonstrated to cool the ambient air temperature anywhere from 20°-30°F below what it would normally be in full-sun conditions.

• Allows for more outdoor playtime for children
  Whenever children start to get hot, it can be harder to motivate them to stay outside and keep playing. Having the right shade solution installed means you can keep the environment – and the play equipment – cooler and more pleasant to the touch. And this is just as true for benches and seating intended for adult playground monitors, as well. Budgeting for a shade canopy installation can make your outdoor recreation time more productive for everyone involved.

• Better preserves your outdoor equipment
  An engineered shade installation doesn’t just benefit the people who visit your outdoor facility; it benefits the outdoor equipment itself, too! Putting in a shade canopy is a wise investment for more reasons than one. As you probably know, commercial playground equipment and recreational equipment aren’t cheap, and you certainly want them to last as long as possible. A shade structure can help shield your equipment from UV damage and serves to slow the effects of weathering. The cost of having a fabric shade, shade sail, or other shade structure installed can literally pay for itself, as it helps to extend the usable life of any play features or recreational equipment under its protective cover.

• Improves the level of comfort for teachers, parents, and adult monitors
  Playgrounds are for the kids, of course, but children aren’t the only ones who visit playground areas. It’s also important to be mindful of the comfort level of your teachers, parents, and adult visitors, too.

To give a relevant illustration: many hospitals, shopping centers, and other organizations now provide covered parking lots. Why? Because nobody likes coming back to a hot car! The same principle applies here. Most adults would prefer not to have to stand out in the full sun while monitoring children on the playground.

So yes, you should certainly install some shade you’re your playground, but don’t stop there. Place some needed shade around the playground perimeter too. It’s also a good idea to put in some sitting areas as well if you don’t already have those in place.

Key Considerations for Shade Canopies, Shade Sails, and Shade Structures

When planning for a shade sail, fabric shade, or shade canopy installation, there are a few key considerations you’ll want to keep in mind:

• Safety: Providing the right amount of shade isn’t just about personal convenience; it’s really a safety thing. The right shade fabric can block up to 98% of the sun’s harmful UV rays, making the playground environment safer for both children and adults alike.
• Length, width, and height of the area to be covered: Finding the right shade solution starts with knowing how much space you have to cover. To estimate properly, you must think beyond the mere length and width of the property. Elements like play towers, swings, and slides can take up a significant amount of vertical space too. For playgrounds of any size, a free-span shade structure may be your best solution.
• Longevity: We’ve already pointed out how a shade feature can increase the longevity of your play equipment. But you also want to plan for a shade solution that’s long-lasting in itself. A shade structure that includes multiple overlapping sails or fabric layers will provide better protection and will endure sun degradation better, too.
• Fabric and color options: Outdoor playground and recreational equipment comes in many bold color schemes. Thankfully, shade canopies come in many vibrant colors as well! It’s not hard to match the look of your playground or to go the extra step of adding a whole new visual aesthetic.