Shade sail repairs · SydneyWe repair sails, even the ones we didn't build.
Sails go slack and seams let go, and after enough summers the cloth chalks out. Slack and seams we can fix. Chalky cloth needs a new skin.
Repairs, re-tensioning & replacement
Most tired sails don't need replacing.
The parts that give way first are usually the parts you can put right: tension that has crept out of it, or a seam that has let go at a corner. We come out, find what has failed, and fix that.
A re-tension and clean pulls a slack sail back drum-tight, washes the grime and mould out of the cloth, and checks every fitting. A repair goes further: restitched seams and patched cloth. A replacement skin is a brand-new membrane cut to the structure you already own.
We've been making shade in Sydney for more than 40 years. The measure is free whether it ends in a re-tension or a whole new sail, and the quote is written the same day.
- A re-tension and clean is the visit that buys a tired sail more years.
- A repair keeps the sail you have.
- Our fabrics block up to 99% of the UV.
- New sails are engineered to NSW wind codes, with certification on request.
- Licensed and fully insured, licence 294924C.
Selected work
Sails we brought back.
A repair at Cabramatta, a sail replacement at Campsie, and a carpark sail replacement.
On site
What the visit involves.
Re-tension and clean
A little creep at each corner reads as a sag in the middle. We take the slack back up at the turnbuckles, wash the cloth down, lift the mould out of the weave, and check the shackles and the wire while we're up there. Book it while the sail is only soft, before the sag turns into flapping.
Stitching, fittings and patches
Thread takes the UV the fabric shrugs off, so a corner or a hem goes first. We restitch with UV-stable thread, rebuild the corners, replace worn fittings and cable, and patch a tear. We won't restitch a sail that's gone chalky across the whole span. That one needs a new skin.
A new skin on your posts
We template the new sail off the posts you already have, cut and sew the membrane at our Rydalmere factory, and swap it over on site. The posts and footings outlast the cloth, so they stay put. You get choices you didn't have last time: a different colour, or waterproof PVC instead of knitted cloth.
Sails we did not build
Whoever installed it, we'll repair or replace it. The bones get checked first: post size, and how the fixings go back into the house. If the posts or fixings are light for the span, we say so before we sew anything.
Send photos first
Photos tell us a lot. Take the whole structure from a distance, then close-ups of each corner and the stitching, and send them by email or SMS. That is enough for us to say if it needs a re-tension, a repair or a new skin.
Good to know
Repairs, answered.
How long should a shade sail last?+
Our sails carry a 10 to 15 year warranty, and a sail that's kept tight and washed down now and then is the one that gets there. What shortens it is slack. Mould left in the weave, and salt air on the hardware near the coast, do the rest.
Can you replace just the cloth and keep my posts?+
Usually, yes. If what's in the ground checks out, the new cloth goes straight onto it. We do look at the fall as well, since a layout that sits too flat won't hold tension.
Do you repair sails you did not install?+
Yes. Any brand, any installer, across Sydney and NSW.
Do I need council approval to replace the cloth on an existing structure?+
Almost never. A new skin on posts that are already standing is maintenance, and most home shade sails in NSW are exempt development to begin with. On the rare site where approval or an engineering certificate comes into it, say a heritage conservation area or a large commercial structure, we tell you at the free measure and prepare the documentation.
Do you service outside Sydney?+
We cover Sydney and all of NSW. Send photos first so we bring the right cloth and fittings.
NSW builder licence 294924C · ABN 54 631 910 168 · family-owned, 40+ years · our own factory at 40 Bridge Street, Rydalmere NSW 2116.
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Repair or replace · a decision guide
A symptom-by-symptom guide to repairing a shade sail versus replacing it, and when a new skin on the structure you already own is the smaller job.
Shade sail lifespan · the real numbers
A quality shade sail gives you ten to fifteen years in Sydney sun. What shortens that, what stretches it, and how to tell when only the cloth is finished.
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How to clean and re-tension a shade sail without wrecking it: the hose-and-soap method, what should never touch the cloth, and the signs it's time to call us.
Council approval · NSW shade sails
Almost never. Most home shade sails are exempt development in NSW: nothing to lodge, no waiting. Here's when approval does come into it, and who handles it.
Send us a photo of your sail.
Free measure, blueprint & quote, 7 days a week across Sydney & all of NSW.