How to Install a Shade Sail on a Deck

In this video, This Old House host Kevin O’Connor has two simple sun-blocking solutions for keeping a deck and home cool during the summer.

Installing a shade sail on a deck

1. Install three steel posts, attaching them to the deck framing to support the shade sail. Fasten each post with lag screws and carriage bolts.
2. Screw head-rod clamps to the house fascia spaced 3 feet apart.
3. Raise the shade sail up to the fascia and slip its head rod into the clamps. Tighten the wing nuts on the clamps to secure the rod.
4. Use anchor shackles to attach the outer edge of the shade sail to the steel posts.
5. Use a wrench to tighten the hex nut on the eyebolt on each post.
6. Once you’ve tensioned the shade sail and pulled out all the wrinkles, tighten the second hex nut up against the first nut to lock it in place.
7. To install a window shade, start by screwing a long roller tube to the house wall above the windows.
8. Slide the upper hem of the fabric shade into the slot in the roller tube.
9. Use a long-handled crank to raise and lower the shade.

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