When we first arrived at this home, the back deck was desperate for a facelift. Many boards were broken, their color was fading, and mold was beginning to overtake the whole area. Using our tried-and-true restoration process, we gave new life to the rundown deck.

During the restoration, our client shared her inspiration for the color. She had spent most of her life on the move, living out of a motorhome to make sure she had plenty of time for boating. While she has settled down in Lexington, she has certainly not given up on her adventurous lifestyle. 

The sun-soaked white stain reminds her of many days spent on the water, standing on the deck of a boat. She had hoped to hang two colorful shade sails, but she wasn’t quite sure where to begin. We gladly offered our services and got to planning straightaway!

Anchoring the Shade Sails

Shade sails are (as the name implies) a sail, meaning they catch the wind. Even at moderate wind speeds, they generate great forces which could pull them away from the house. Constantly monitoring the weather to make sure they don’t blow away makes the sails more of a burden than they are worth, so we must anchor them to withstand heavy winds.

We analyzed the area for sturdy structures to secure each corner, ultimately settling on the points shown in the diagram below. (If only we had a drone to get an accurate bird’s-eye view!)

Anchoring to the House

Take note of the orange sail’s top -left and -right anchor points and the green sail’s top-left anchor point. At these spots, we needed to anchor into the house. The challenge: finding a substructure solid enough to support the wind-catching sails.

We chose the first two anchor points above the house’s windows. We know a large wooden header tied to the house’s framing sits above each window. These headers are incredibly sturdy, and we screwed the large eye hooks deep into them. 

At the orange sail’s top-left corner, we did not have a conveniently placed window header, so instead, we fastened a 6'’ x 6’' wooden post using four Simpson strong-tie brackets. We considered using masonry screws to anchor the post to the brick exterior; instead, we opted to go through the brick to the underlying plywood siding. Anchoring to the plywood layer redistributes the force exerted on the post across the entire wall instead of onto individual bricks. With four sturdy brackets affixed, you’d need a truck to pull that post down! 

Anchoring to the Trees

Typically, to anchor a shade sail, you drive a post into the ground and install tensioning springs between the sail and post. As a more aesthetically pleasing and cost-effective alternative to this standard, our client suggested using her many surrounding trees to support the sails (a great idea!). 

A tree’s ever-expanding root system extends deep into the ground, making them difficult to unearth. The surrounding area had plenty of trees to choose from, so we selected four points, set up a ladder, and anchored our hardware high into the trunk.

Rigging the Sails

Because we anchored the hardware so high in the trees, we fashioned a system that you could rapidly disassemble without setting up a ladder. Using a few pulleys and carabiners, some dock cleats, and our client’s nylon boating rope to tie the design together, we created a great system that you can take down within a matter of minutes by simply lowering the ropes and unclipping the carabiners. 

Final Thoughts

With the hardware installed, we pulled each sail tight, taking a moment to step back and appreciate our work. We love the aesthetics of this space! On a sunny day, the contrast between the white deck, colorful sails, blue sky, and green trees emanates a calming aura that lets you relax. And, since either the house, trees, or sails provide shade at any given spot, the deck really is a perfect space for hosting, reading, or just sitting at any time of day.