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Preparing for the Spring with Shade Canopies

post date February 22, 2012

February is almost over, but for event planners and organizers everywhere, it is never too early to plan for the spring. Whether it’s an outdoor wedding reception, or an awards banquet.

This spring, throw away that old torn up canopy you bought at the hardware store. You know – the one with the rip in the corner that doesn’t even pop up all the way. At Austin Custom Shades, we’ve been making canopies for over 25 years. That means we know just what it takes to make a shade canopy capable of handling weekly use for the next ten years.

With our shade canopies, you get reliability and ease-of-use. Featuring four elegant arches, and a tension structure design, our shade canopies stand out in a crowd. Once set up, our shade canopies provide shade and comfort.

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Fabric Shade Solutions

post date February 16, 2012

Offering shade has become a progressively crucial concern across the U.S. Attributed to continually transforming and indeterminate weather conditions in addition to the growing awareness of skin cancer brought on by the damaging Ultra-Violet rays from sunlight. Austin Custom Shades‘ cost-effective and visually attractive fabric shade structures are utilized to shade Parks & Play areas, Schools and Childcare Facilities, Swimming pools and Water-parks, Sports and Athletic Facilities, Stadiums as well as Amphitheaters, Hotels and Resorts, Retail and Community Centers and much more.

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Shade Sails & Sun Shades

post date February 8, 2012

Shade Sails guard and shade your outdoor locations. Also referred to as Sun Sails, shade sails help to make gorgeous improvements to your outdoor patio, backyard, or perhaps different outdoor areas, and they will supply superb defense from the sunlight and its dangerous Ultra-violet radiation.

Sail Shades are incredibly adaptable; they may become connected to households, trees, or even patio columns.

Shade Sails are the epitome of elegant sun defense. Courtyards, swimming areas, gardens, children’s play areas, car spaces, and even entry ways can all benefit from the cool appearance of a Shade Sail resolution.

Easily obtainable in a number of shapes, colors, and materials, Shade Sails are a attractive and economical way to produce shade that will keep you more relaxed in hot weather. These advanced materials block the sun’s harmful UV rays yet remain totally unaffected by moisture and temperature extremes. Some shade sail fabrics provide waterproof / water resistant attributes.

Shade Structures and Shelters

post date February 1, 2012

We have shade structures for essentially every sort of outdoor setting – no matter the size, shape or location. For example: play areas, eating areas, carwashes, recreational areas, schools, childcare centers, automobile dealerships, resorts and hotels, swimming pools, waterparks, sports establishments and much more.

All of our state-of-the-art production facilities for our shade structures are located within the United States so you can feel comfortable that you will have American produced quality products while also keeping funds.

Fabric shades tend to be an outstanding way to repel up to 99% of dangerous Ultra-violet radiation while adding a welcoming presents to new or current locations. Steel shelters supply a strong look that will certainly last a lifetime and safeguard your patrons against most types of weather. Our commercial umbrellas are an excellent method to add a new look to nearly any outdoor environment and they are 100% water-resistant!

Shade Structure

post date January 25, 2012

Shade structures made from Austin Custom Shades are: long lasting, portable, as well as versatile. Shade structures of varied sizes can be created with any number of coverings. You can use canopy material, nylon mesh, tarps, corrugated aluminum, and so on.. The coverings can be strapped on or permanently affixed. These structures can easily be setup and taken down. Pipe can also be colored to any color.

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The Benefits of Shade Canopies

post date January 18, 2012

If you are considering an addition to your home, a shade canopy above your patio or a courtyard offers a long-term solution to a making a desired space more comfortable. Your terrace or courtyard will be shaded from the hot sun light, and offer outdoor shelter during a rainy day. Austin Custom Shades can build a carport or a boathouse to shield your cars and watercraft from the harmful effects of the sun and rain. This will protect your investment and help you save money.

You may even add drop down curtains or roll-up curtains to offer defense against the cold along with (blank) being able to enjoy the additional room and the magnificence of the outdoors. Get in touch with us today! Please contact 512-271-9870.

Shade for School Playgrounds

post date January 11, 2012

Austin Custom Shades offers top quality shade structures to give shade protection for children at school playgrounds and childcare centers, and also at home.

Features and Benefits:

  • Provide shade for extended and safer playtime
  • Block nearly 98% Ultra-violet rays, guarding kids from increased Ultra-violet subjection
  • Prevent playground equipment from getting so hot
  • Protect playground equipment from Ultra-violet damage
  • Maintenance-free
  • Designed to meet up with local building codes
  • Class A fire rating (the best)
  • Numerous colors accessible to enhance a play area
  • Shade fabric won’t fade or even sag over time
  • Shade cloth will not rot or mildew
  • Austin Custom Shades quality product

Skin cancer is considered an epidemic. Schools and daycare providers hold the responsibility to defend the kids in their care. This importantly includes protecting them from the harmful effects of Ultra violet rays of the sun. Sun exposure and sunburn are the primary causes of skin cancer. 80% of the sun exposure that we get in our entire life comes in our first eighteen years. Our shade structures are made and created to provide up to 98% UV protection and provide a cool atmosphere for outdoor activities.

We offer the best quality shade structures, awnings, shade canopies and shade sails on the market..

To buy one of our shade products, or to explore how we can improve your school or daycare center by providing shade for playground areas, please contact us.

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Shade Sails

post date January 4, 2012

The sun is essential for our existence. Regardless, during summer time, we might get just a bit too much from the sun. A Shade Sail is the ultimate solution for any shade-need that may arise. It provides up to 90% UV block and reduces temperatures underneath up to 32%. The unique fabric resists mold and mildew and is easy to clean. You are sure to enjoy a nice cool spot no matter how hot it gets.

One of the nicest features this unique item has is the ability to have it in the shape of your choice for the perfect fit. You can have it as a triangle or a square, in different sizes and a variety of colors – this is your choice to have the perfect shade all set and ready for you to enjoy. Maybe it is the unique fabric, maybe it’s the special shape, could be the different colors or even the cool breeze – there’s nothing as inviting as a nice cool spot in the summer heat.

Custom Shade Sails

post date December 21, 2011

Do you need a Shade Sail that is not available in a standard size or shape? Austin Custom Shades is proud to offer Custom Shade Sails to fit almost any size and shape in a variety of colors and materials. Also known as Sun Sails, shade sails make beautiful additions to your patio, backyard, or other outdoor areas. A shade sail is the perfect alternative to a traditional pergola or covered porch. Floating and curvaceous, Shade Sails make an attractive addition to any property, and with the right design can enhance the existing property with artistic or architectural flair and style.

Shade Sails are a decorative and affordable way to create shade that will provide protection form the sun and keep you more comfortable in hot weather. The state of the art fabrics used in Shade Sails block the sun’s harmful UV rays, yet they remain totally unaffected by moisture and natural temperature extremes. Some sail shade fabrics even offer waterproof / water resistant properties.

The Benefits of Shade Sails

post date December 14, 2011

Shade Structures enjoy UV resistant safety from the sun and heat without compromising eye appealing style. Shade Sail Structures combine modern architectural engineering with durable tensile strength material. The fabric canopy shade structures provide a safe and effective alternative to traditional wood, steel and metal framed modular structures.

Our custom awnings and shade sail structures are built out of customized fabric canopy that is perfect for playgrounds, outdoor recreational areas such as lakes and parks, especially during the extremely hot summer months when modular facilities heat up and become dangerous for our children to play.

Our awnings and outdoor shade sail structures block 95% of damage causing UV rays, making them ideal choices for any community facility. Providing cool shade for employees, patrons and children during the hot summer months makes custom built awnings and shade sail structures a perfect solution for any development or project.

Commercial shade structures are customized to fit any need. Contact us today to receive cost estimates for your project.

Shade Structures from Austin Custom Shades to Protect People and Property

post date December 7, 2011

The heat and light from the sun is important to our survival, but sometimes too much sun can harm both people and property. If you own a business that has an outdoor area, you will need some shade structures in order to keep patrons from getting too hot or sunburned and property from experiencing fading and other types of damage. UV rays are also known to cause trouble. Shade structures from Austin Custom Shades are the very thing that will provide shade from the sun and protect your assets.

Austin Custom Shades makes shade canopy coverings that provide shade for all kinds of outdoor areas. They can used for commercial or residential purposes. The shade structures also come with durable shade cloth that will hold up under intense weather conditions. Not only can they provide shade, but they can also protect you and your property from the rain, snow and high winds.

Typically, their shade structures are used by businesses ranging from medium-sized to large. Sometimes all that is needed is a simple four-post structure and other times a complex superstructure is needed. Regardless of the size of the job, the designers at Austin Custom Shades are experienced and talented enough to meet the demands of any project handed to them. They can design shade structures in traditional designs which are perfect for covered parking areas or playgrounds. Their functionality and aesthetic appeal will work for just about any landscape. They can be made in the Pyramid style with four posts and four rafters. Or the traditional shade structures can be designed in the Hip & Ridge style which almost the same as the Pyramid except it includes two spider joints and has one ridge down the middle.

Some other shade structures available at Austin Custom Shades are the cantilever styles. They offer the in full and semi styles. These are great shade structures for covered parking lots, bleacher covers, pools and many other options. Shade sails are another type of shade structure available at Austin Custom Shades that have a more artistic flair to it. Dress up your restaurant or playground with it and reap the benefits of having good shade with a bit of creativity.

Commercial awnings are another type of shade structure available at Austin Custom Shades. They are great for entryways and windows. Not only can these structures provide shade, they also help reduce cooling costs dramatically. In hotter places, like Austin, canopies and awnings can help prevent your air conditioning unit from working overtime and that cuts down on high energy costs.

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Fabric Structures: History 101

post date November 30, 2011

Fabric structures are among the oldest form of architecture, dating back to nomadic times when shelters were made of animal skins and tree branches. Throughout history, they have been adapted in one form or another by different groups of people living in a variety of environmental conditions. These structures have evolved over the years with advances in materials and technology, and are growing in importance today.

Architectural fabric structures—also referred to as tensile membrane structures textile buildings, or fabric roofs, to mention just a few terms—come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be inside, outside, permanent, temporary, large, small, air-supported, air-inflated, tensioned, or draped. These unique forms have played a major role in modern architecture, interior design, and special events since the tensile structure type was introduced to the world by the noted German architect and engineer Frei Otto (1925– ).
The term “fabric” refers to the material or membrane used to create these lightweight structures. The material may have an open weave or be constructed of woven base cloths of varying strength, and it is protected by a coating to provide thermal, fire, water, and ultraviolet (UV)-light resistance and protection from the elements.

Today’s fabric structures are designed and constructed independent of geography. They transform space and have both a festive and elegant quality. Fabric structures are used for a variety of purposes. Besides providing temporary housing for garden parties, circuses, and disaster victims, they serve as amphitheaters, sports stadiums, airports, atriums, building facades, interiors for special events, festive pavilions for housing, parks, resorts, and more.

The term “fabric architecture” encompasses not only sophisticated tensioned membrane structures, but also beautiful forms of sculpture, visual display, signage, and shelters made with modern fabrics that can be erected quickly anywhere in the world, either temporarily or permanently. Seeing one of these structures, a viewer might be tempted to think they are nothing but steel, fabric, and cables, but they are not as easy to construct as they look. Architectural fabric structures require a unique collaboration among designers, engineers, manufacturers, fabricators, and installers. The size and extent of the team depend on the complexity of the project.