Established over 15 years

Shaded Nation

Shaded Nation – Shade Sails

Category Archives: Shade Sail Protection


The shade sail specialists

Shaded Nation is your one-stop-shop for anything to do with shade sails. Whether it’s for your school, home or businesses, we have a quality shade structure for you.

We are an authorised seller of Sail Shade World shades, which are quite simply the best on the market. All of our products use commercial-grade fabric and are built to last for between 15 and 20 years.

Why you should opt for a commercial grade shade sail

Why you should opt for a commercial grade shade sail

Why should you invest in a shade sail?
– Ultimate sun protection
– Shelter from wind and rain
– A wide range of potential uses both commercial and domestic
– Boost the value and appearance of your home or property
– Affordable structures that are built to last

Whether you need a complex shade sail structure for commercial use or a small DIY structure for your back garden, we can help and will provide the same professional, dedicated service regardless.

Why should you use choose us?
– Shades to suit all tastes, requirements and budgets
– Full project management service available – from design through to installation
– Bespoke shade sails made to order
– Pre-made DIY shade sails
– Complete range of accessories
– Friendly and helpful staff with years’ worth of experience

If you’ve got any questions about our shade sails or the service we offer, feel free to get in touch over the phone or by email.

New skin cancer detection app developed

The whole team at Shaded Nation are committed to trying to raise awareness about skin cancer.

This disease is becoming worryingly common here in the UK and many people are being affected even though the chances of contracting the condition can be drastically reduced by just taking a few simple precautions to stay safe in the sun.

With this in mind, we were interested to hear that a team of students in India have developed a new mobile phone application that can detect skin cancer and other diseases.

New skin cancer detection app developed

New skin cancer detection app developed

Created at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, the app works on any smartphone and takes pictures of the skin before uploading them to a server where they can be assessed by health professionals, the Press Trust of India reports.

It is hoped this will make it easier to diagnose skin cancer, ulcers and other medical conditions, particularly in areas where it may be difficult for people to see a doctor in person.

Debdoot Sheet, who led the project, commented: “Being a portable and affordable solution, it can be used by trained healthcare workers to reach out to elderly and patients in mobility-restricted areas for healthcare delivery.”

The researchers said the app is 99 per cent accurate and they hope it will be used in hospitals and parts of the world where the level of health infrastructure is poor.

This is certainly an interesting development and if it helps to diagnose more cases of skin cancer that can only be good news, as catching the disease early is the best way to avoid it becoming fatal.

In an ideal world, this would be less of an issue as people would reduce their chances of contracting the condition if they took more precautions when out in the sun. Our shade sail structures, which are manufactured to block up to 98.8 per cent of harmful UV rays, are one way to do this.

Five benefits of outdoor learning

Here at Shaded Nation some of our most common clients are schools who want to use a shade structure to create an outdoor learning environment.

But why are so many schools taking this approach and what are its benefits? We take a look below.

What to consider when designing a children's playground - part two

Five benefits of outdoor learning

A varied education
While classrooms and textbooks will always be an important part of the education system, there’s more to learning than this. Taking classes outdoors allows children to experience learning in a different way and it’s surprising how many pupils that struggle in the traditional school setting improve when outside.

Health benefits
It’s widely recognised that being outside is good for people’s health both mentally and physically. Spending time outdoors can encourage children to be more active and being in a relaxed and open environment could help to combat stress.

Bringing subjects to life
Certain subjects are much more suited to outdoor teaching and can be brought to life more effectively than when they are taught in the classroom alone. Take the weather for example – it’s much easier to get pupils to understand and engage with this topic when they are outside and exposed to the elements.

Enjoyment
A further advantage of outdoor learning is that it can simply be more than fun than being in the classroom. Having the occasional fun experience can go a long way to making children happier at school and this can lead to improved performance in traditional classes.

It’s a lot easier to create a fun environment outdoors. The sheer novelty factor of being outside contributes to this, while there are far more potential activities that can be carried out in the open air.

Environmental understanding
Spending time outdoors at a young age will help children to grow up appreciating the environment and being outside. This will increase the chances of them enjoying the benefits of the outdoors when older.

The five things you need to know about Shaded Nation

There’s a lot of shade sail companies out there and all of them claim to offer the best service, products and prices.

This is all well and good, but it does make things tricky for you the customer when you need to decide which company to go for.

Here at Shaded Nation, we genuinely believe we are the best in the business and think our products and service are proof of this.

So, if you’re currently trying to make a decision about which shade sail company to go for, here are five things you should know about us before making your choice.

The five things you need to know about Shaded Nation

The five things you need to know about Shaded Nation

The product 
We are the authorised UK distributor and installer of Shade Sail World products. We sell these shades because they are simply the best on the market, offering the ideal combination of the latest technology, style, durability and affordability.

Experience 
We’ve been in the shade sail business for years and like to think we know a thing or two about it. Our expert team have seen all there is to see about sun shade structures and that expertise serves to really enhance the service we offer.

Service
Having a quality product can only take a company so far. Customers need to be given an excellent level of service and we do our very best to tick that box. Whether it’s providing a complete project management service or giving some advice on how to re-tension a shade structure, you’ll find us helpful, committed and polite.

Flexibility
Our lives seem to be getting busier with every passing year and it can be difficult to fit everything in. With this in mind we try to make our service as flexible as possible, with online and offline payment, a finance plan and a delivery service that is often available next-day.

Guarantees
You don’t just have to take our word for the quality of our products and services, we guarantee it. All of our shade structures are covered by a ten-year or five-year guarantee, so you know you’ll be investing in a product that’s built to last.

How to turn your garden Al Fresco

There’s something oh so continental about eating outdoors.

Enjoying some excellent food and drink in the open air with the sun shining down is one of life’s simple pleasures and it’s no surprise many people are desperate to recreate the Al Fresco dining experience in their own garden.

But how can you create the perfect outdoor eating environment in your own home? Read on for some of our top tips.

Setting
If you want to take your garden Al Fresco, it just won’t do to use the same old table and chairs you’ve had in the garden for years. Investing in a new stylish set will enhance the dining environment no end and make the whole experience more enjoyable.

Tables and chairs are the essentials, but there are other ways you can improve the setting of your outdoor dining area. Take lighting for example – effective use of light is one of the best ways to create an ambience and setting up an attractive light display in the garden can make you feel as if you’re spending the evening in a classy French or Italian restaurant rather than your own home.

Stay sheltered 
Of course, the one thing that holds Al Fresco dining back in the UK is the weather. Our climate is famously unpredictable and you’ll want to make sure your Al Fresco space is sheltered from the elements.

One of the best ways to achieve this is through a shade sail. When installed over your dining area, this structure will provide an attractive and practical means of shelter.

You’ll do most of your outdoor dining in the summer months when the sun is shining. A shade sail will keep you cool and you won’t need to worry about getting burnt. It will also provide protection against any wind and ensure you stay dry in the event of a brief shower.

Order your shade sail today and get ready to take your garden Al Fresco!

How to improve your garden this year

So, 2018 is underway and this is the time of year when many of us make new year’s resolutions that we hope will improve our lives over the next 12 months.

These can be anything from losing weight to giving up smoking. However, it’s likely there are a fair few people across the UK, and indeed the world, whose resolution will be to improve their garden.

So many gardens are left neglected and underused and a great way to make the most of 2018 is to turn your personal outdoor space into a pleasant environment in which you’ll be able to spend some quality time all year round.

How to improve your garden this year

How to improve your garden this year

But what can you do to improve your garden? Read on for a few of our top tips.

Greenery 
We’ve got green fingers here at Shaded Nation and love to see gardens with a wide range of plants. Whether it’s flowers, trees or planting your own vegetables, there’s plenty of things you can grow to bring a bit of greenery to your home.

Planting can be surprisingly fun and may even help you fulfil some other new year’s resolutions like losing weight!

Sitting and shelter
To make the most of your garden, you’ll need a place to sit and enjoy being outdoors. Investing in some garden furniture will allow you to do this and you’ll be able to have meals outside and invite friends and family over for Al Fresco dinner parties in the summer months.

Installing a shade sail structure will ensure your seating area remains protected from the sun and other elements.

Keep it wild
One of the best things about having a garden is that it can bring a little bit of the natural world into your own home. Whether it’s birds and butterflies or hedgehogs and foxes, you’d be surprised how much wildlife can be attracted to your outdoor space.

Keeping just one small corner of your garden ‘wild’ will help to boost your chances of seeing animals. All that’s required to do this is to allow natural plants to grow and leave the area as undisturbed as possible.

Consider a carport

Are you a car lover? If so you’ll want your treasured vehicle to be kept as safe and secure as possible.

However, this can sometimes be difficult, especially if you don’t have a garage in which to keep your car. If this problem applies to you, why not invest in a carport?

Our shade sails are an easy and affordable way to install one of these structures, which will provide your vehicle with some important protection.

 Consider a carport

Consider a carport

As the name suggests, the primary role of our products is to provide shade from the sun. Keeping your car out of direct sunlight will help to ensure it is cool for when you need to take a drive, as there’s nothing worse than getting into a stiflingly-hot vehicle when it’s already warm outside.

A shade-based carport will also provide your vehicle with protection from the rain and wind, which will reduce the chances of its paintwork and exterior being damaged.

Speaking of exterior damage, a carport will also give shelter from the scourge of motorists everywhere – bird mess. There are few things more annoying than heading out the car and finding it covered in horrible white spots. Using one of our shade structures as a carport eliminates this problem.

There are the main benefits of opting for a carport, but there’s a fair few other things you may find helpful as well. It can be used to store items that need protection from the elements and can even double up as place to sit out of the sun’s glare when the car isn’t present.

What’s more, a carport could also boost the value of your home. A property that has somewhere sheltered to keep a vehicle will be more appealing than one without and this could help you when trying to sell your home.

If you’d like to know more about how a shade sail could be used as a carport, feel free to get in touch with us.

Could east Asian genes help to cure skin cancer?

We’re committed to sun safety here at Shaded Nation and always like to hear about the latest research being undertaken to beat skin cancer.

As a result, we were very interested to learn about a new study that has suggested the genes of east Asian people could hold the secret to developing a treatment for the disease.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the US have been investigating this link due to the fact east Asian people are far less susceptible to skin cancer than Europeans despite having a similar skin colour, the Conversation reports.

Could east-Asian genes help to cure skin cancer?

Could east-Asian genes help to cure skin cancer?

The scientists found 220 in every million Europeans contract the disease, while the figure is just 13 for east Asians. This is only slightly higher than the ten per million recorded among African people, who are more protected from the sun due to their darker skin.

In a bid to discover the reasons behind east Asians’ resistance to skin cancer, the researchers took DNA samples from the Orang Asli, an indigenous Malaysian tribe whose remote way of life means their gene pool has not been mixed with people of other races.

However, to continue their study the scientists need to collect more DNA from similarly isolated populations and are currently trying to build relations with the Kalinago people, who live on an undeveloped island within the Commonwealth of Dominica, in the hope of taking voluntary samples from the group.

“Finding the genes responsible for east Asians’ skin colour will kick off a new phase in melanoma research.

“We can compare the mechanisms and pathways of pigmentation in east Asians and Europeans, which can help find how melanoma occurs and drive the development of new treatments like gene therapy,” the researchers stated.

This is certainly an intriguing study and it will be interesting to see how it develops and hopefully it will help scientists to develop new skin cancer treatments and maybe even a cure.

Jewellery that can detect sunburn set for release

Sunburn is a big problem here in the UK. As well as being painful and embarrassing, it is the main cause of a skin cancer – a disease that is becoming worryingly common.

While some individuals purposely get burnt in pursuit of a tan, others can get caught out by simply forgetting to apply sun cream or not realising how much time they would be spending outside.

Such people may now have a solution to this problem, as a technology company has developed a piece of women’s jewellery that can warn its wearer when they are at risk of getting burnt.

Jewellery that can detect sunburn set for release

Jewellery that can detect sunburn set for release

Named June, the product has been developed by Netatmo and showcased at this week’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

It works by detecting how much UV light the wearer is being exposed to and then sends this information to their smartphone. A mobile app will then use the person’s skin type and that day’s UV index to calculate how long they should stay in the sun and warn them when they are at risk of being out for too long.

Netatmo claimed June will “help women to better protect themselves against premature skin aging and sunburn”.

However, the device has also come in for some criticism. Richie Lin, a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, told You Beauty: “While the device is great because it measures UV exposure, the implication that there is a ‘safe’ level of sun exposure is misguided.

“At worst, the bracelet will give people a false sense of security, and at best, it may raise awareness that most of us get significant UV exposure without even trying.”

There is no official release date for June yet as and it remains to be seen how the product will be received and whether it catches on.

If you’d like a slightly more traditional way to avoid sunburn, we suggest investing in one of our sun shade structures.

Shaded protection all year round

Need a shade sail structure that can be put to use all year round? Then look no further.

Our permanent shade range provide the reliability and durability necessary to be used all year long, offering protection against sun, wind and rain.

Shade Sails Structure

Shade Sails for your home or business

Available in waterproof, fire-retardant and commercial-grade heavy-duty 340gsm fabric, these shade sails are tough enough to survive the majority of what the 12-month calendar can throw at them.

Even though they are built with all-year use in mind, our products can still be easily demounted should you choose to – something that isn’t possible with many other permanent shade sail structures.

If a shade is going to be used all year long, maintenance is particularly important. Luckily for you keeping our shades in good working order is incredibly easy.

All that’s required is cleaning with some water and mild detergent and regular re-tensioning. If you’re not sure how to do this we’ll happily provide some guidance to set you on your way.

Have you decided which of our permanent shades you’d like to invest in? Place your order today and it will be installed within no more than six weeks. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the process or our shades in general.