The physics at work in sunlight may be complex, but the solution is age-old and simple: shade. It's simple to make, and it's easy to take care of. Most important, it works to protect you from the damaging effects of sunlight while still allowing you to enjoy the outdoors. When it comes to rigging up a little relief from the hot sun this summer, you've got a number of options for the home and the backyard. Here's what you need to know to have it made. Where else? In the shade.
Shade Sails
Shaped like a sail and stretched among poles or from a house's fascia or roof bracket to a pole, a shade sail is as much an architectural design element as it is a shade structure. Need to know: You can install it yourself, but it requires some construction skill. For instance, you need to be able to form and place concrete to erect the pole to which the sail will stretch.
Cost: $70 to $200 per sail, plus the cost of stainless steel hardware, concrete, poles and building materials.
Cost: $70 to $200 per sail, plus the cost of stainless steel hardware, concrete, poles and building materials.
Pop-Up Canopy
With a rectangular or square footprint and easy setup, pop-up canopiesóstretched fabric supported by vertical postsóare great for good or bad weather: They provide shade or shelter from light rain at family events and various gatherings.
Need to know: You don't need advanced mechanical skills to put this up in your backyard, just teamwork. Do, however, pay close attention to the manufacturer's recommendations for securing the canopy to the ground with stakes or other tie downs. These structures can be vulnerable to uplift or overturning if the winds get gusty.
Cost: $100 to $500
Need to know: You don't need advanced mechanical skills to put this up in your backyard, just teamwork. Do, however, pay close attention to the manufacturer's recommendations for securing the canopy to the ground with stakes or other tie downs. These structures can be vulnerable to uplift or overturning if the winds get gusty.
Cost: $100 to $500
Retractable Awning
A retractable awning attached to the house is an attractive option for many people. It provides ready access to shade when you want it and retracts to let the sun shine in when you're ready for it. It can also block glare into an adjoining room of the house.
Need to know: The installation can be an easy DIY activity, or it can be an involved project that requires calling an awning contractor. The difficulty depends on the size of the awning, whether it's retracted with a hand crank or an electric motor, whether the awning is located above a door and the height of the awning above the patio or deck.
Remember, depending on the awning's size and location, headroom may be limited near its forward edge. And retract awnings if severe weather is in the forecast to spare them from wind damage.
Cost: $500 to $2700
Need to know: The installation can be an easy DIY activity, or it can be an involved project that requires calling an awning contractor. The difficulty depends on the size of the awning, whether it's retracted with a hand crank or an electric motor, whether the awning is located above a door and the height of the awning above the patio or deck.
Remember, depending on the awning's size and location, headroom may be limited near its forward edge. And retract awnings if severe weather is in the forecast to spare them from wind damage.
Cost: $500 to $2700
Window and Door Awnings
This option may provide a little ground-level shade if you're sitting right next to the house, but the real purpose of these awnings it to shade the rooms of the house and to cut the glare coming in from outside. They can also add a slightly prim, seashore look to a house that many people find attractive.
Need to know: Window awnings can be retractable or fixed and made from sun-resistant fabric, fiberglass or aluminum. Any fixed awning made from fiberglass or aluminum may vibrate slightly or whistle when the wind comes through. Also, you might need to pressure-wash fixed awnings to remove seedpods, mildew and spider webs.
Cost: $125 to $500
Need to know: Window awnings can be retractable or fixed and made from sun-resistant fabric, fiberglass or aluminum. Any fixed awning made from fiberglass or aluminum may vibrate slightly or whistle when the wind comes through. Also, you might need to pressure-wash fixed awnings to remove seedpods, mildew and spider webs.
Cost: $125 to $500
Patio Umbrella
There's no sense in having a patio if you can't enjoy it on a sunny day, and that's where these retractable umbrellas come in. Some are freestanding, with a heavy base often made of metal. Most are meant to fit into a patio table with a hole in the center.
Need to know: Cheap patio umbrellas (just like ordinary cheap umbrellas) are prone to failed lift mechanisms and may be easily damaged by wind.
Cost: $70 to $400
Need to know: Cheap patio umbrellas (just like ordinary cheap umbrellas) are prone to failed lift mechanisms and may be easily damaged by wind.
Cost: $70 to $400
Arbors and Pergolas
You can build or buy this shade option. PM has a series of plans for DIY arbors and pergolas that could give you an idea of whether you're up to a construction project.
Need to know: Building requires carpentry skills and usually the help of at least one person. No arbor or pergola will provide much relief from the sun unless it's covered with vines or some other greenery or material to provide shade.
Cost: $150 to $400 for small wood arbors; $1200 to $4000 for large wood pergolas; $250 for vinyl arbors; $200 to $600 for wrought-iron arbors. http://simplypergolas.com/
Need to know: Building requires carpentry skills and usually the help of at least one person. No arbor or pergola will provide much relief from the sun unless it's covered with vines or some other greenery or material to provide shade.
Cost: $150 to $400 for small wood arbors; $1200 to $4000 for large wood pergolas; $250 for vinyl arbors; $200 to $600 for wrought-iron arbors. http://simplypergolas.com/
Beach Chair With Umbrella
Your summery cocktail isn't the only thing that needs its own umbrella. A shaded beach chair is pretty hard to beat for comfort and convenience.
Need to know: Reposition the chair and its umbrella as the sun moves. And don't forget to take your copy of PM with you so you don't have to go back inside.
Cost: $40 to $100
Need to know: Reposition the chair and its umbrella as the sun moves. And don't forget to take your copy of PM with you so you don't have to go back inside.
Cost: $40 to $100
Don't Get Burned While Building Your Shade
Once your backyard is outfitted with a pergola, patio umbrella or awning, you can lie back and enjoy the shade you've created. But when you're building those shade-giving features or doing other work outdoors this summer, remember these few tips to keep from getting too much sun.
-Wear a long-sleeve shirt, long pants and a hat of some kind. Admittedly, it'll feel weird when everybody else is wearing shorts, flip-flops and a T-shirt, if any shirt at all. On the other hand, I'm light-skinned and I burn easily. I'd rather cover up than get burned.
-Aside from covering yourself up, wear a sunscreen with an SPF rating of at least 15, and preferably higher.
-Drink before you're thirsty. Thirst is not a reliable guide that your body is short on fluids, according to the Mayo Clinic. So, if you know you have a big outdoor construction project coming, start taking on fluids the day before.
-Take regular rest breaks during hot-weather construction projects, and drink plenty of fluids.
-Plan your project so that your most intense physical outdoor activity occurs earlier in the day, before the sun is at its peak. For example, suppose you're going to tear out and replace a piece of sidewalk. You could do the demolition in the evening, get the subbase down and compacted and build the form. The next morning, when the air temperature is still bearable, mix, place and finish the concrete.
-Take advantage of shade. If you're working outside, you may have a choice as to which side of the house you can work at during any given time of the day. If you can plan your work so that you use the house to shield and shade you as you work, you'll have a better time of it, rather than finding yourself working on the sunniest side of the house during the hottest part of the day. Sure, many times you can't avoid it, but avoid it if you can.
-Wear a long-sleeve shirt, long pants and a hat of some kind. Admittedly, it'll feel weird when everybody else is wearing shorts, flip-flops and a T-shirt, if any shirt at all. On the other hand, I'm light-skinned and I burn easily. I'd rather cover up than get burned.
-Aside from covering yourself up, wear a sunscreen with an SPF rating of at least 15, and preferably higher.
-Drink before you're thirsty. Thirst is not a reliable guide that your body is short on fluids, according to the Mayo Clinic. So, if you know you have a big outdoor construction project coming, start taking on fluids the day before.
-Take regular rest breaks during hot-weather construction projects, and drink plenty of fluids.
-Plan your project so that your most intense physical outdoor activity occurs earlier in the day, before the sun is at its peak. For example, suppose you're going to tear out and replace a piece of sidewalk. You could do the demolition in the evening, get the subbase down and compacted and build the form. The next morning, when the air temperature is still bearable, mix, place and finish the concrete.
-Take advantage of shade. If you're working outside, you may have a choice as to which side of the house you can work at during any given time of the day. If you can plan your work so that you use the house to shield and shade you as you work, you'll have a better time of it, rather than finding yourself working on the sunniest side of the house during the hottest part of the day. Sure, many times you can't avoid it, but avoid it if you can.
Read more: How To Shade Your House and Yard from the Summer Sun - Home How-To - Popular Mechanics
