Weekend Project- Shade Sail

Weekend Project

Putting up a shade sail

I enlisted the help of the F-I-L for the project, after all, you always need a second pair of hands and someone with which to split the difference if the measurements are skewif

First we had to decide on the posts and went with the 90 x 90 galvanised posts after looking around the yards at copper logs and a variety of posts. We also decided on a shade sail; 5M was too big for the yard, 3.6M a bit small, however we purchased the 3.6M shade sail, turnbuckles, eye bolts, nuts etc

Pre-Made posts for this job were too expensive, so we made a visit to the scrap metal yard where we found some nice 8M lengths.

We had the 8M lengths cut to size by the guys at the yard as part of the price and took them home in the trusty trailer (much cheaper option).

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It was then time to measure and dig

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The next day on the way home from work I picked up some rust guard epoxy enamel and had it tinted to match the patio. I also picked up some caps for the posts as well.

The Posts were then all touched up with a wire brush and painted with a couple of coats over the next few days after work

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On the weekend we took the trailer out and picked up some gravel base and concrete.

Mixing the cement was done in the wheeelbarrow, which like the trailer has copped a heavy workload over the years and as luck would have it, when I am wont to do this type of job, it was a balmly 37c (no cooling breeze).

Over the course of the day the posts were all stood up and given a 10 deg lean, then braced in position.

I was chief labourer with the F-I-L being head of construction and holder of the smart end of the measuring tape

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We gave the posts a couple of days to set and then put up the shade sail

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Bingo...Good to go (and Lessons Learnt for next time)

The Kids are wrapt
 
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Great job, and great to have pics to help those who may want to do this but are unsure.

We put shade over our pool and it is great knowing kids can be there for hours without having to be too concerned about the sun.
 
looks much better than the attempt my brother and i made at a similar job.. in darwin mind you so temperatures were similar! the posts were already in we were just trying to get a stupid triangle shade up that should have fit by the measurements but for some reason didn't... after a good half hour of "lets try it this way... oh hang on, maybe we have to turn it..." he pushed me in the pool fully clothed and we threw the sail behind the shed....

two years later the triangle sail is still behind the shed, and there is a nice professionally installed square one over the pool... it looks great... and i like to take some credit for it :)
 
Good for you in having a go!, the feeling when one completes a project succesfully is awsome , thats why i build, cheers !
 
Thanks :D


Here's a larger photo of prepping the posts, wire-brushed and now painted with two coats of the rust guard (caps on)

Kids vegie garden in the background (corn, peas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber etc).

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Great easy to understand post, definetely filing that one away for later use!

Good idea on the scrap metal yard as well.

Cheers
 
I also agree ,great post,
Fine detail with the caps,

I did shade sails over the kids playground last summer,
I also put the springs that you use on tent ropes added to them as we get high winds here.
Tends to take the pressure off the sails.
I used three square sails and eight posts,
I forgot the caps :(

I was so impressed with them I also used a triangle one on the side of the house.

The structure on the right is their cubbyhouse on top,sandpit on bottom,(Cat proof of course)
Made out of steel frame left overs from a building site.
I have been trying to get a cargo net from somewhere with no success.
If someone on the forum has one,please PM me.
 

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Great Cubby House & Play area

Looks Great, the kids would love that Cubby House Pa1nter

We made one for the kids for the outside patio, not as flash as that

Would love to see more projects posted here also, as they are food for thought :D
 
I have one of those at my old house attached to one metal and two wooden fenceposts. It was held up with nylon rope on one edge but that stretched and it sagged. Its up with hemp rope now, tied down low so we can tighten it. Should have used wire rope but that is expensive and hard to work with and its a cheap house.

I had two sails - the other was stuck to a fencepost on a fence that caught the wind one day and it sheared the post off halfway up. Never got around to putting the shadesail back up when we replaced the fence, so we have it at our current house instead kind of tied to a metal frame that is over our west windows. Its nowhere near as windy here.

Oh, and never ever stick shade sails to your fascias, people. They catch the wind and can rip your fascias off. I always get worried when I visit the inlaws as theirs were installed by a professional - between their fascias and their fence.
 
Is DA approval required for this?
Not as far as I know?

I did a smaller cubby house / sandpit at our last PPOR.
Nice and simple,using copper logs and sleepers.
It can be moved if you want.
Just got some sarki and cheap thatching for the roof and painted it.
Shade cloth around it for cat proofing also painted.
Palings from a fence screwed on and painted.
Kids loved it until we moved,thats why I had to build the other one.:p
 

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My weekend project is painting the laminex vanity . I have preped and undercoated and the first of the top coat is now on. All l can say is the next top coat better go on and look real good or else l will be replacing the whole thing. Yes l have bought the correct paint and preped very well.
cheers
yadreamin
 
My weekend project is painting the laminex vanity . I have preped and undercoated and the first of the top coat is now on. All l can say is the next top coat better go on and look real good or else l will be replacing the whole thing. Yes l have bought the correct paint and preped very well.
cheers
yadreamin

After you put the first coat on,wait a day or so ,give it a light sand and repaint.It will be more durable.;)
 
We've posted some photo's from our first "cubby house" attempt, we'll have to call you whenever we do the next one Pa1nter :D

Weekend Project - Cubby House

Don't feel so bad,I have access to left over building materials all the time.
If I was doing yours I would have used left over gyprock for the walls,left over timber framing,.Left over paint etc :D
If I wasn't able to get this stuff so easy it would be a lot more difficult for me.

However a lot of the time the builder will not mind if you ask to go through their site bin.You will be amazed what you find.I let people going through all the time,getting timber,insulation,packing doors, ;)
 
We're very half-heartedly building a cubby on top of an old water tower right now.

4 recycled hardwood upright posts bolted to the original 3 inch thick hardwood bearers of the tower. Cutting the tank that used to be up there in half to make a domed roof. We have one leftover weatherboard plank to put on the walls - from there on in we have to buy new stuff :(

I'm sure I'm violating every regulation in the book making a cubby house 3m off the ground. I have no idea how we're going to get the half tank roof up there lol
 
My weekend project is painting the laminex vanity . I have preped and undercoated and the first of the top coat is now on. All l can say is the next top coat better go on and look real good or else l will be replacing the whole thing. Yes l have bought the correct paint and preped very well.
cheers
yadreamin

Well gotta tell you this turned out a lot better than l thought it would. I took painters advice. Went slow and steady with a light sand. [almost raunchy:eek:]
let each coat set for a few days. I ended up doing 3 coats to get a nice smooth finish. So for $70 and a chunk of my time l have transformed 2 bathrooms. I am happy with that. Best advice l can give is take your time when painting laminex.
Look out laundry here l come:D
cheers
yadreamin
 
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