How to install shade cloth for plants on the side of the house?

[eriswa]

Could someone give me suggestions on how to install a Shade cloth down the side of my house please. Approximately 23mtrs by 1.5mtrs. Our plants got scorched last summer.

Attached a picture of the side of the house to be installed.

Many thanks.

 

[EricL]

Hello @eriswa 

Shade sail which is the material I'm thinking of to cover your plants tends to be blown away by strong winds. In order to prevent the sail from being blown away, I suggest building a small timber frame that will hold the shade sail over the plants. It does not have to be very big; It just needs to be tall enough to provide shade over the plant. Think of it as a minibus stop a rectangular frame at the top, two legs on the side and a flat leg at bottom to prevent it from toppling over. 

You can move the shade as the sun moves in the afternoon, you can remove the shade when the plant needs sun. The best part is that it is mobile and if you decide to transfer your plants to another spot the shade can come with it.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Dave-1]

Evening @eriswa 

23m by 1.5m.... Now that is a decent length and weight of shade cloth all up.

I like @EricL's idea as well. (Just for ease I will call it Option A)

Option B

The rectangula frame that Eric has mentioned, but at least 12 of them down the length of your pathway spanning the width. Then trapse the shade cloth like a wedding canopy down the length (like a long shallow wave) You will have to clip the cloth with shade sail clips, I would think you would have the rectangular frames attached to the brick wall and fence to anchor them. Especially factoring in wind.

Option C

This one I think would be easiest and cheapest to do. 

Using a H3 Batton you fasten the shade cloth along the length of the timber (say 2.4m long) using Coolaroo Black Timber Fasteners - 50 Pack - Black attaching the timber length to just under your gutters facia. Then when you go to fasten it to your facia board you have the tacked edge facing you, then the shade cloth goes over the top of the timber and down. It means the shade cloth will be doubly fastened to the Facia.

The length of shade cloth is only enough to reach the ground at a bit of an angle. Then you do the reverse and wrap it around another piece of timber and stapple it again. This is to give it weight so it wont flap about so easily. The down side is its only one side of the path, you could do it the other side as well tho its just a shorter angle as your fence is shorter. Note you will want to make sure your facia is securly fixed to the house. You could also roll it up like a blind and then loop rope around (both top and bottom rail) the timbers to hold it when not being used or strong wind is about.

Option D

Taking Option C as to how its attached to the house and then replicated to be attached to the fence at fence height with no real sag in the material between them. So you end up with a taught but not overtight angle cloth from under your gutter to the top of your fence using the H3 pieces of timber to secure it. This one I have a little bit of concern about wind and long term install.

Dave

[eriswa]

Thank you for your suggestions EricL, much appreciated.

[eriswa]

Hi Dave-1, thank you for your advice. I have a lot to consider. Cheers

[Nailbag]

Hi @eriswa 

I think both @EricL and @Dave-1 have provided some excellent suggestions to consider. My only other one would be that your facia is not timber but colourbond aluminium. So any fixing screws will need to be self-drilling metal ones. Instead of using timber to wrap the cloth to and fix to the facia, I would use a lightweight aluminium bar thats available in various lengths with pre-drilled holes for the screws.

Nailbag