Business idea. Shade structures for homes.

[theophilus]

I know there might be ordinances against some things in some neighborhoods but we are going to have to adapt if we are going to survive. Electric bills are going up and the grid is straining. A system of supports and shade cloth over homes that don't have trees or are in the sun on the southern exposures can be a huge money making enterprise, imo. Unfortunately, with increasing storm strength, trees around the home are going to be recognized as a danger by many. If the trees are removed then the energy costs will go up in many areas. Shading the home helps. Of course, shading with solar panels is the ultimate idea but that is down the road and unaffordable for many. Shade could really cut down on cooling expenses. Coupled with improved insulation it could really make a difference. Installing the structures could also employ many. If you start a company because of these ideas could you please come and install one for me for free, since I got you going? Thanks. What do you think? Anything like this in your area? We don't even have a solar store near us.

[wtmusic]

1. Like the concept, but...wind.

You'd have to have some way to keep them from blowing away.

[theophilus]

4. There can be strategic "holes" in the cloth and also the angle of the

cloth can help. I realize this would be a problem but I hope it could be compensated for. High wind areas might just not be practical but maybe they could be. Any suggestions from anyone?

[wtmusic]

8. Agree.

This is one of those ideas IMO where a really clever design could make something that seems impractical very practical.

Now you've got to get to work on a design and test it. As Edison said, "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration".

[DURHAM D]

23. My sister has three Coolaroo Shade Sails over her back patio in Kansas.

They have already been through three windstorms of over 50 miles an hour with no problem. She was planning on putting a solid structure over her patio ($$$$) and I talked her into Coolaroo Sails. Saved her a bunch of money. Several of her neighbors have now ordered and installed either shadecloth or sails.

http://www.coolaroousa.com/view-products.do?category_id=Shade Sails

[glinda]

25. Thanks for the link. we need something like that on our deck.

[DURHAM D]

26. Before you order directly from Coolaro look for others

with the same product at reduced costs. They are clearing stock.

[hobbit709]

2. I have two shade structures-they're called trees.

They're on the west side of the house so they shade it in the afternoon.

[udbcrzy2]

3. I have those too

It shades in the summer and when the leave fall off it warms in the cooler months.

[formercia]

36. I like Ash Trees.

They are the last to leaf-out in the Spring and first to drop leaves in the Fall.

[leveymg]

6. Have you noticed your trees are growing faster in recent years?

We're in the DC suburbs, and the trees are just shooting up around here. Higher temps and more CO2, perhaps?

[theophilus]

Did you read the whole thing? Not everyone has trees in the right spots and some

are going to have their trees cut so they won't fall on the house in a storm. I'm glad you have trees and I hope they continue to be a positive. My house is exposed to full sun on the south end.

[nomb]

11. There is always a tree. The River Birch can often work well, because

it grows quickly, tall and thin - making it less of a storm hazard (if at all).

The River Birch also likes roof runoff and is quite drought tolerant. Do not use if you have old clay sewer lines on that side of the house, after 10-20 years you may have to rod out roots every 2-3 years.

[SharonAnn]

27. I have river birch clusters in front. Lost two large trunks last month in windstorm.

One fell in the front yard, no damage. The other fell towards the house but sideways, so it just missed the house and the car in the driveway, no damage.

Cost over $400 to get them removed and I'm not sure what to plant to replace them.

I thought they'd be good there because they are somewhat flexible, but this windstorm was no match for them.

My neighbor lost an enormous oak, which fell alongside the house, no damage. We were both incredibly lucky. The oak is the one the bald eagle perches on in the spring and fall and I'm really sorry he lost it. There's something special about having a bald eagle visit and fly around the area.

[theophilus]

30. Thanks for sharing this. I know this is happening all across the

country and many people are going to start fearing their trees. It is tragic but true. The news seems to show these items "tree falls on house killing two" regularly.

[Phentex]

I have had four on my house...

I am here to say it is FAR cheaper to pay the higher power bills than to pay for the repairs to your house. The insurance only goes so far. Not to mention the stress and the inconvenience. The drought has made this a common occurrence here.

There isn't anything quite like finding your son under a pile of roofing with a giant tree but 12 inches away from killing him.

A good shade tree can be an invaluable asset. But there is no way to guarantee they'll stay IN the ground. I like the idea of alternatives!

[tech5270]

32. It's hard to beat Mother Nature

My house is over 100 years old and has deciduous trees shading the SE corner and evergreens to block winter winds on the north side. Well placed trees are the perfect management system for energy use and don't require much maintenance. When they're planted close enough to the house, the risk of damage from them going down is minimal.
Add to that that trees are the lungs of the world.

[Phentex]

35. depends on where you live and the conditions...

drought and then flooding can take down the mightiest.

[Armstead]

5. You're brainstorming today I see -- I like it

[dtexdem]

7. And too much heat can destroy solar panels.

They might work better with a little shading.

[nomb]

9. "Shade structures for homes" - Sorry, but they're called "Tree's" I plant them like...

..others plant flowers.


There is always a tree appropriate for 99% of the areas in the USA.


Find it. Plant it.

[theophilus]

10. In just five to ten years I can have the shade I need. Great. n/t

[nomb]

13. Plant them now so that others may enjoy the fruits of your labor and forward thinking. Really.

:)

[theophilus]

15. I might if I could. My situation precludes planting anything on the south end of

my house and I have realized that I am going to have to cut back some of the trees I have. A couple of summers ago a very large pine limb simply "exploded" and fell off one of the trees near my house. Fortunately it did no major damage. This extreme heat is going to change the tree population in many areas. We must think outside the box my friend.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

21. And I'm on the third floor with a brutal western exposure. I should be fixed up...

... in 40 years.

We just installed reflective film on our front windows. That helped a lot. But the brick still gets warmed up and releases that heat at night - even with the wall insulated. The dilemma with the reflective film is do I remove it in winter?

I would love to have some sort of a system - like a giant projector screen - that I could deploy in front of the hose from about 2 - 8 pm when the sun beats on the building.


I've always thought a false roof over our current roof would keep much of the heat off the flat roof. Maybe a reflective film that could be removed in winter.

Heck, a roof full of solar panels will do the trick - once the prices come down.

[wtmusic]

17. There are no trees which are appropriate for large areas of the desert southwest

without a lot of help from Colorado River water.

A lot of people live in Phoenix, which this week topped 117°F. This idea could make a lot of sense there.

[theophilus]

18. True. I hope they can all go solar, eventually. Our Government

needs to make the panels if our Corporations don't or at least make them affordable to all of us
Lucky Duckies.

[Eddie Haskell]

12. Good idea. Flexible (thin sheet) solar films could be computer operated

and automatically deployed and retracted with photocells.

[Gormy Cuss]

14. Light colored roof coverings can accomplish much the same.

Of course, in areas where winters are very cold one would lose the heat-adding value of darker shingles.

A removable or perhaps a retractable shade cloth structure is an interesting idea.

[theophilus]

16. You are right. Servo mechanisms or easy "rigging" would be a must. In the winter

you just haul in the shade cloth and store it until summer. The same folks that put it up could come around and take it in for the cool season. Maintenance, etc. could be part of the package.

[grasswire]

22. the pool guy could do the roof shade too in some areas n/t

[DURHAM D]

19. I have Coolaroo Shadecloth over two areas of my house.

I also have three Coolaroo Shade Sails over my back patio and deck. I installed the shadecloth three years ago. Both of my siblings have installed Coolaroo shadecloth and sails on their homes. We live in three different parts of the country and all of us have lower electric bills and are able to enjoy our outdoor areas for more hours during the day/evening than we would otherwise be able to.

Coolaroo is an Australian product. Their marketing in this country sucks. I will give you the link below. However, if you see something you want then check Walmart. If you order from Walmart it will ship free. Last month they had a lot of the products marked down but now they are really picked over.

Coolaroo is light weight. It lets the rain come through. The website is not really helpful about design/use. Be creative. You can't have too much Coolaroo.

And, no I don't work for them. I wish I did I could improve on their marketing, distribution, website design, product description, etc.

http://www.coolaroousa.com/

[theophilus]

20. Super Info! This is what I'm talking about. I think there is lots of room for

U.S. small businesses to do this. It WILL be needed.

[DURHAM D]

24. I have a friend here in NC who owns a renovation company.

I had her over to my house to look at my house/shadecloth/sails and to look at the Coolaroo website. She agreed that they lack a lot when it comes to instructions/help with use. She is working on how to start a business around this product. Installation methods are somewhat easy - its the design that is difficult and Coolaro offers no help in tht regard.

[OneGrassRoot]

28. Can you keep me posted about this?

I'm gathering info about starting grassroots green and retrofitting businesses, and I'm right here in Raleigh.

:hi:

[DURHAM D]

33. Will do.

I can't believe this opportunity still exists. Someone should have jumped on this a long time ago.

For me it all started in a Walmart four years ago. I found a roll of Coolaroo shade cloth on the bargain table in the outdoor/landscaping area for $5. It was 6' x 30'. There were no pics or indications on the package as what to do with it. I asked two clerks what it was. No one knew. I bought it anyway. Six months later I was on my back patio under the pergola and thinking It's too damn hot out here. I went to my garage and got out the unopened Coolaroo. Two days later I had my Saturday Husband install on top the pergola. You can buy clamps but we just used roofing nails. It totally changed my outdoor habits for the better.

I have a large window on the back of my house that faces the southwest. It lets a lot of heat in. I installed a section of the shadecloth over the window. It is attached with snaps. After the summer I just unsnap it and put it in the shed. Takes about five minutes to put it back up.

I have talked to the main office in Florida. My brother even went into the office to talk with them about their poor marketing. Everyone in the country should know what this stuff is by now but few do. I have previously thought about posting info on DU but someone would think I have something to gain. I don't. I am actually frustrated that more people don't know about it and are not using it. It doesn't cost much and because it is light weight it is easy to handle. I have rental property and I installed it outdoors for my tenants. I have given the shade sales as gifts. Along with the gift I help them design how to hang it. Always install with snap hooks so it can be taken down seasonally if desired. No one bothers.

I am doing what I can to get the word out.

[OneGrassRoot]

34. Very cool (no pun intended...lol) :) n/t

[DURHAM D]

38. BTW - they also make Coolaroo to place over gardens.

It lets the rain in and shades the plants. I bet everyone who planted a garden this year wishes they had used it.

A restaurant in Chapel Hill/Carrboro glasshalffull has installed a series of 5 or 6 sail cloths on their patio if you want to take a look. They installed them with a series of clamps and cables. I actually think I could of designed it better but it works.

[OneGrassRoot]

39. Very interesting. Thanks again. :) n/t

[Patiod]

29. Also good for pools - people don't like trees over their pools

Because of all the stuff that falls into the pool. And yet at the same time, people are much more uncomfortable sitting in full sun these days. So the shade structures that could be installed near pools would also sell well, and people with pools tend to be able to afford these things.

[DURHAM D]

31. Yes - my brother put one sail cloth over the end of his pool.

Its rectangular 12' x 14'. Two corners attach to his house fascia and the other ends to poles in the yard beyond the pool deck. They are attached to the poles by cables/clamps out to the poles. All four corners have snap hooks. The cloth can be completely taken down in about 5 minutes and the poles removed in another 5 minutes if he decides to store it.

I had to help him design it. Pretty funny since he is the guy.

[Shagbark Hickory]

37. It sounds like a great solution for people that live in the arid regions and for others that need

instant relief.

Imagine if the fabric of the shade material contained solar panels. That would be super duper excellent.

I always liked the ideas of pool cages too. You don't see those outside of floreeduh but if you could put an entire house in a pool cage, you'd have shade, no mosquitos, no pests or rodents. Life would be grand.