How to trim shade cloth?

[AffexHomes]

Hi, can I trim down the width of a shade cloth without it fraying? If so, do I need any special tools? If not, is there a solution to fit a 1.83m cloth width into a 1.2m opening? Thanks in advance.

[JacobZ]

Hi @AffexHomes,

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

Yes, you can trim down the width of a shade cloth, however, it would not be hemmed around the outside as a shade sail would be, so it would be susceptible to fraying as you suspected.

There are accessories such as this Locking Strip V-grip which can offer some protection to the edges of the shade cloth; however, they are only advisable in applications where they are directly fixed to timber or metal. You could also hem the edges of the shade cloth using a sewing machine or needle, alongside a UV-resistant cord, however, I wouldn't advise this if you were planning to use it as a shade sail.

If you are looking to use the shade cloth as a shade sail, where it has O-rings and is attached to posts using Shade Sail Turnbuckles, I'd advise contacting a shade sail fabrication service for their assistance.

You might like to have a look at How to work with shade cloth for some further information.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[AffexHomes]

Thanks Jacob, useful information. I also heard back from Coolaroo and they said, "Our shade cloth is designed to be cut and you can buy a cutter from your local Bunnings store. Please not our shade cloth is the only material that can be cut." I am still not convinced it wouldn't fray, I might try a bead of superglue down the cut edge, what do you think?

[JacobZ]

Hi @AffexHomes,

That sounds like a good plan which would certainly offer some peace of mind and protection for the edge of the shade cloth.

Let me know if you've got any further questions.

Jacob