4 Reasons to Choose a Shade Sail Over a Louvred Roof

Having your own outside space is great, but it's also nice to have some way of temporarily covering it up to get a respite from the sun when it's boiling hot or stay outside when it's raining without getting wet. If you're looking for some kind of cover, you've probably come down to either a shade sail or a louvred roof.

A shade sail is a piece of fabric that's stretched out between three or more posts. A louvred roof uses slats that can be opened and closed, much like a window blind lying on its side. While both can do the job, here are just four reasons why shade sails are a better bet.

1. Less Expensive 

Most people will want to keep their mind on their budget, which is one reason why shade sails are becoming so popular. While louvred roofs use a complex mechanism of slats and have to be held up by a relatively stable structure, all you need for a shade sail is the material itself and a few support posts. As such, it's much easier and cheaper to add a shade sail.

2. More Versatile

Louvred slats can be opened and closed at varying angles to let in the sun when you want to get a tan or keep out the elements completely. However, you'll never have the sky above you totally unobstructed. A shade sail is actually more versatile since they can be taken down or put up very quickly. If you want uninterrupted views above and nothing at all between you and the sun, you need a shade sail.

3. Weatherproof

Since louvred roofs cannot be taken down, you can't really stormproof them; when the weather is really bad, the wind might do damage, or a falling branch might break the system. If there's snow, enough might pile up on top to cause damage. A shade sail can be taken down the second you notice the weather is turning bad.

4. Less Noisy

Nearly all louvred roofs are made using metal, usually aluminium. The problem is, rain and hail can make for a very noisy roof. You can still be outside when it's raining, but the constant hammering of raindrops on the metal cover above you might get a little annoying. A shade sail isn't silent, but the sound of rain or hail hitting fabric almost goes unnoticed, especially compared against the racket of metal.