Not recommended: Triangular shade sail for driveway shade
Posted By RichC on August 4, 2020
The summer sun makes it too hot to work with the 10 x 12 foot south-facing garage door on the back of the detached outbuilding which is something I’ve struggled with for years. I’ve rigged up tarps, drop clothes and the like in order to cut the harsh sun, but let some light and breeze into the doorway. I finally decided to give one of those triangular shade sails a try and bought an inexpensive 16 x 16 x16 sail which is rigged between 2 solid points and one that I either peg with a bungee just above the ground (angular shade) or onto a temporary pole 9 foot in the air (prepping for something more permanent). It sounded like a good idea … but it is just okay.
The cut and curve of each side make it difficult to get full shade. I’ve been moving it around and shifting side to side at the attachment points to try and get the angle a little better. This photo above is at 4 PM on Sunday afternoon with the tack point a couple feet above the ground (probably better on the 9-foot pole with summer sun overhead … verse the spring and fall sun lower in the southern sky. In the afternoon a rosebud tree (to the left out of the photo) offers better shade but its not close enough to shade the work area or back door. Unfortunately, even with the new shade sail, the sun still angles inside the door most of the time due to the curved cut; I can somewhat cut down the harshest rays by keeping the 12 door part of the way down. All in all, I would not do this again, even though I may keep tweaking things.
The weekend gave me an excuse to get the Packard a little fresh air, but it is not in drivable condition. Yes … eventually, I’ll get a little more ambitious and work to get it roadworthy, but even though the car is mine now, it is still my dad’s car and I don’t quite have that personal connection as with cars I buy and restore (I know, it is my own psychological issue … and I should just get over it!)
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