Shade for Sports & Recreation

Key Considerations

Our focus when working with sports and recreation facilities tends to lean towards functional shade rather than improving the aesthetics of the facility, although this is an added benefit. There are a variety of reasons sports and recreation facilities need shade, from protecting spectators and customers from the sun to providing a cooler area for sports teams and participants. Some of our most popular products for these kinds of applications are free-span structures, cantilever structures and framed structures.

Protection

Sun Exposure – Whether your facility caters to spectators or customers lining up for tickets or a ride, standing in the sun for long periods of time is dangerous and can have long term health implications. We use only the highest quality shade fabric, which offers up to 98% UV resistance and comes with a minimum 10-year UV warranty with some fabrics offering up 15 years.

Temperature Reduction – This is particularly important for users of facilities who are undergoing physical exertion. Providing a large shaded area for participants is important as it allows them to cool down and avoid dehydration and heat exhaustion. Surfaces such as cement, asphalt and sand get extremely hot in the sun and can become dangerous when not shaded properly.

Equipment Longevity – The benefits of shade are not limited to the protection of people, expensive equipment is also susceptible to the effects of prolonged sun exposure. A shaded area can extend the life of your equipment and prevent paint from blistering and cracking during the summer months.

Shade Size & Convenience

Free-span structures are great for areas requiring large amounts of shade but are not always ideal due to the extensive footings. Cantilever structures allow you to place posts outside of the area being shaded while allowing free-flowing movement underneath the fabric. Framed structures are also an excellent option as the force generated by the tensioned fabric is dissipated through the frame, making their footings much less substantial.

Retrofit Capabilities

While the ideal scenario would be incorporating shade into the design of the facility, which we are happy to consult for, many of our customers require shade after the facility has been built or while extending and we are able to provide a range of solutions perfect for a retro-fit. Free-span shade sails can be attached to both posts, which require footings, or existing buildings and structures. Framed structures are also an excellent retrofit solution as their footings can be bolted to an existing surface.

Fabric & Colour

Team colours and branding are an important aspect of any sports facility. We offer a selection of shade fabrics available in a range of colours and can customise your shade structure to match your branding, team colours or equipment. Steel posts can also be finished with a powder-coating, which is available in a range of colours and allows for a large number of colour combinations.

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