Playground Canopy Shade Systems for Safer Outdoor Play

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:

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.

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. For venues with spectator seating, solutions like bleacher shade structures provide overhead coverage that protects guests from sun, rain, and wind.

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.

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.

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.

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: