Sunday, February 17, 2013

Setting up shade cloth in the backyard, take two!

In order to figure out what would work, I experimented a LOT when I first got to Phoenix. I tried what worked in San Diego and I tried to set up a canopy in the back yard. We have these sudden downdrafts in Phoenix. It was during one of these downdrafts that I lost my first canopy and realized a canopy will NOT work here. So next I decided that the best thing to do would be to hang some shade cloth.
Based on my past experience with selling at the swap meet, I thought the best thing to do would be to create a 'canopy' frame work. The swap meet canopies are at the most basic four poles sunk in cement, to which a framework of electric conduit is attached at the top. The shade would then be attached to the frame at the top. I decided to use this basic idea, but attached to the roof of the house for additional support. The other side would and use two poles for support on the other side.
I sank 10 foot galvanized steel poles in cement in buckets. I wasn't quite there with this idea and it didn't work. I just couldn't figure out how to set the poles so they would support the shade cloth. Plus it was too hot back there. So I decided to move my operation to the side of the house, build a fence, and attach the shade cloth to the roof of the house and the top of the fence. It was 'good enough' and I've been using it ever since.
So now that Aaron's pumpkin patch is growing, I revisited setting up shade cloth in the back yard. I decided to try the same idea, but this time I secured the two poles to the fence with galvanized wire. It worked!
To provide more anchor points for the shade cloth I sank four eye hole bolts to the wall, right up by the roof. I then ran a 16 foot conduit to provide the frame up by the house. The other side is only anchored at the top of each pole. Ideally there would be a full frame running the full top, but that would require a bit more planning on my side.

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