How to install a shade sail on balcony?

[plantlover2001]

Hi Crew! Just looking for advice regarding our shade sail on our balcony. We would like the shade sail to be above the beams on our balcony but would prefer not to have too many permanent fixings (we might be able to get away with a couple with body corp but don't want it to be extremely obvious). 

It gets super windy as well as we are on the top floor. See attached pics for reference. Look forward to hearing your advice! 

[JacobZ]

Hi @plantlover2001,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

The Coolaroo Timber Fasteners would be perfect for this application. They are galvanised and powder-coated steel fasteners that sit over the top of the shade sail and are hammered down, locking the shade sail in place.

Unfortunately, due to the high-wind environment, you are going to have to use quite a few, at roughly 300mm intervals on each cross beam. Luckily, they are very slimline, they come in a variety of colours to match whatever colour shade sail you choose to use and the damage it would cause to the timber is minimal. 

Noting that you are on the top floor of your property, please exhibit extreme caution when installing the shade sail. Have someone foot the ladder for you, wear suitable shoes to reduce the risk of slipping and consider using a Bailey Fall Protection Entry Level Roof Workers Kit to attach yourself to a suitable support.

If you are not comfortable with this type of work, I'd advise contacting a handyman for their assistance.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[plantlover2001]

Hey Jacob, 

Thanks so much for your response! I'm not sure if that would work as the panels above are metal and not timber. Do you reckon I still give this a go? Or do you have any other suggestions? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @plantlover2001,

I can't believe I missed that 😅

Please accept my apologies, that certainly changes how you would go about this.

You can use the Coolaroo 25m Lacing Cord Kit With Needle or Coolaroo Shadecloth Tie Wraps to attach the shade sail to the beams that are not against the wall. You would then need to use a mechanical fastener such as these Buildex 10G x 16mm Surfmist Tek Screws, which come in a variety of colours, to attach the shade sail to the beam that is up against the wall.

Similarly to the timber fasteners, you should use one of these screws roughly every 300mm to ensure a good strong hold.

Let me know if this helps and again, apologies for missing that.

Jacob

[plantlover2001]

You're a champion! Thank you so much. 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @plantlover2001,

It's great to see that @JacobZ has offered advice. I just wanted to point out since you mentioned the high winds, that shade sails need to be attached to structural members that are capable of withstanding the wind loads. Given this is a steel frame with unknown structural capacity, I would suggest having it assessed by a builder or engineer to determine whether fixing to it would be a suitable solution.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell