Last February a customer rang us about her chickens. Not sick, not laying badly — just standing in the one triangle of shade behind the coop, refusing to move, while the rest of the run sat empty and baking. Her dog was doing the same thing on the back deck. That’s a shade problem, not a chicken problem or a dog problem, and it’s one of the most common calls we get from October through to March.
If you’ve got a patch of yard, a carport, a veggie bed or a kennel that turns into an oven every afternoon, you don’t need landscaping or a permit. You need shade cloth, cut to size and fixed up properly. Here’s how to actually do it.
Why 90% block matters (and why 30% or 50% often doesn’t cut it)
Shade cloth is rated by how much sunlight it blocks — you’ll see 30%, 50%, 70% and 90% sold side by side, and the number matters more than people think. A 50% cloth is fine for a shadehouse where you’re hardening off seedlings. It does almost nothing for a dog kennel on a 38-degree day, or a west-facing patio that copes with direct afternoon sun for four hours straight.
A 90% block UV stabilised shade cloth is the one we’d point most people towards for real heat problems — chook runs, dog runs, greenhouses, carports, pergola roofs, veggie patches in the peak of summer. It still lets light and air through (it’s not a tarp), but it knocks out the harsh UV that scorches leaves and burns paws on concrete.
What “UV stabilised” actually means
Cheap shade cloth without UV stabiliser goes brittle and starts shredding within a season or two, especially in direct sun. UV-stabilised cloth has that protection woven through the fibre itself, not just sprayed on. It’s the difference between a shade cloth that’s still doing its job in three years and one you’re replacing every summer. This roll is knitted (not woven), which means if you cut it, the edges won’t fray and unravel the way a cheap woven cloth will.
Working out how much you need
This is where most people either overbuy or run short. A few real scenarios:
- Chicken run or dog kennel: measure the roof area you want covered, add 15-20cm on each side for fixing points, and round up.
- Veggie garden bed: if you’re building a simple A-frame or draping it over hoops, measure the length of the bed plus enough to come down both sides to ground level.
- Carport or pergola roof: measure rafter to rafter and add extra for overlap if you need more than one width — the 1.83m width is the standard here, so for anything wider than that you’re joining two lengths.
- Greenhouse: measure over the roof line, not just the footprint, since you’ll be draping it over a curve or apex.
Because this one comes as a 1.83m x 30m roll, you can cut exactly what you need and still have plenty left for the next project — a second kennel, a spot over the bins, a temporary cover while seedlings establish. Beige also sits nicely against most fences and brick, so it doesn’t look like a construction site tarp.
Fixing it up so it survives the first storm
The number one mistake we see is people using cable ties or thin wire and calling it done. Shade cloth catches wind like a sail, especially over a large area, so it needs proper fixing:
- Use eyelets (you can buy a cheap eyelet kit) or fold the edge over a batten and screw through both layers.
- Fix at every 40-50cm along the edge, not just the corners.
- Leave a small amount of sag rather than pulling it drum-tight — tight cloth tears at the fixing points in wind, a bit of give flexes instead.
- Where it’s over a frame (hoops, pergola battens, a simple timber frame), let it rest on the structure rather than spanning a gap, so weight and wind load are shared.
When shade cloth isn’t the right tool
Not every hot spot needs a roll of cloth and a staple gun. If it’s a patio or deck you want shaded on demand — say, only from 2pm to 6pm, or only on the hottest days — a retractable side awning gives you that flexibility without a permanent structure. Pull it out when the sun’s low and hitting the seating area, retract it when you want the light back.
And if the problem is really just one table setting or a single sun lounge that cops the worst of the afternoon, a UV-resistant garden parasol with a portable base is a lot less effort than building anything. Move it around the yard as the sun shifts through the day, which a fixed shade cloth structure obviously can’t do.
Shade cloth earns its keep over fixed areas that need consistent, heavy coverage — animal runs, garden beds, carports, greenhouses, anywhere you’re not moving the shade around daily. Awnings and parasols earn theirs where you want shade on your terms, in a spot you actually sit or entertain.
A quick care note
Even UV-stabilised cloth benefits from a rinse down once or twice a year — dust and pollen build-up reduces airflow and can trap heat rather than deflect it. Check fixing points after any big storm, and if you notice one area sagging more than the rest, it’s usually a sign a fixing has pulled through and needs reinforcing before it tears further.
Back to that customer with the chickens: she cut a 4m length off a roll, ran it over the existing wire frame of the run, screwed it down every 40cm along a timber batten, and had shade covering the whole run within an afternoon. Her dog moved his sleeping spot to the deck the same week. Sometimes the fix really is that straightforward.