Shade for Playgrounds

Key Considerations

When shading a playground, safety is our primary concern and is at the forefront of our design and engineering process. Shade Analysis is used to determine the position of the sun at different times of the day and compared to peak usage hours of the facility to get maximum coverage during these periods. Shade is not just limited to the protection of the children using the facility, it also protects your equipment, which is susceptible to UV degradation. Popular shade products for playgrounds include free-span and framed shade structures and Cyclone umbrellas.

Safety

Equipment Temperature – One of the most common problems we encounter with clients looking for playground shade is the useability of the facility; slides and other metal structures become unusable on a hot summer day. A shade structure significantly decreases the temperature of the equipment, making it available for use all day long.

UV Protection – Spending time outside has numerous benefits for both children and adults, with our summers getting hotter, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure outdoor areas are shaded properly. Shade fabric blocks up to 98% of the suns UV rays, making it much safer for children to play outside during the summer.

Padding – Although we keep our structures as unobtrusive as possible, our spanned structures require substantial footings to ensure correct tensioning, which can present an issue with children running around. A common solution to this problem is the installation of padding, which can be customized to match the colour of your equipment and/or our fabric.

Height & Span

Another key consideration for playground shade is the height and breadth of the facility. Swings, slides and other playground equipment take up large amounts of space, both vertically and horizontally so choosing a shade solution that is able to accommodate this properly is key. Free-Span Shade Structures are our most popular shade solution for play areas, which accommodate the height of play structures perfectly.

Longevity

Shading a play area can also significantly increase the life of your equipment. Sun degradation is a common issue with many types of equipment and each shade structure comes with a minimum 10-year UV warranty. Multiple sails offer maximum amounts of shade and look fantastic, boosting the quality to your facility. Framed Fabric Structures also provide a large amount of shade covering all of your equipment.

Fabric & Colour

Playground equipment comes in a range of vibrant colours. Each of our structures is available in 4 different fabric types, giving us a wide range of options to match your equipment. Customizations can also be made to the canopy and padding options are available in a range of colours.