Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am having an outdoor covered patio built as we speak and I need sturdy curtains to withstand lots of sun and strong winds. The problem is that the corner poles are 20 ft apart and most curtains seem to be 50 inches wide. Do curtains come with Velcro so at least 4-5 of these curtains can add up to 20 feet? Unless I can get away with one long 20 ft wide curtain, that would be ideal...
Time to learn to sew (or comission a local seamstress to do the work for you). Either option can be done but you'll have to accept that there WILL be seams as fabric only comes in 36, 45 and 54" widths. Sunbrella fabric tends to be the best known brand, don't know if it's the best fabric, typically any company that has to advertise lots doesn't have the best product...
Regardless, you can have whatever you'd desire most. There are trade-offs... a 20' wide panel of sun fabric will be HEAVY and very difficult to open/close. That span will require a fairly major support for the fabric too.
I'd get some sunbrella fabric and have someone make them for you (unless you can sew). It holds up well. There would be seams but you'll have that no matter what with a 20' opening.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions, I will have to find a local seamstress that can help me get this done. I noticed the ebay prices on sunbrella fabric is more than reasonable
Ditto on eBay or google Outdoor fabrics and you will find a lot of fabric stores fabric.com, fabric guru and house fabric.com are all ones I have used in the past.
Also, like anything else if your fabric is exposed to hot sun and extreme winds the fabric will not last as long as if it were not. I would suggest that during the time it is not in use that you pull it back and use tie downs to help preserve the fabric.
Have you considered bamboo roller shades or similar? You could have them down as needed but the roll them up at the end of the day and you won't have to worry about wind and such. If you hang them inside the framework for the patio, they are hidden from the weather when not in use. We have some on our deck and have them hung with cuphooks so we can take them down completely if needed.
I can only add that any fabric you choose needs to be mildew proof, as well as fade proof.
I can sew, so I made patio curtains from painters tarps. They were a perfect, cheap solution. However, they started getting mildewed almost immediately.
I believe that catalog patio panels are at least $100 each, for the shortest length, but in my opinion, you can do better, with just a little effort. This is sewing at its simplest.
At the very worst, a basic Singer sewing machine can be had for $99. There are online sources for Sunbrella (or other) weatherproof fabrics, that can be bought in bolts for a total of less than you could buy curtains retail.
You can totally do this, without spending a bunch of money.
I use Coolaroo shade cloth in the wheat color ordered from Amazon. It is mildew proof & neutral color.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
