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From Concept to Reality: The USA SHADE Process for Custom Shade Projects

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From Concept to Reality: The USA SHADE Process for Custom Shade Projects

USA SHADE is a fabric shade structure manufacturer with more than 30 years of experience. We are a turnkey company that provides shade structures for a wide range of businesses, including schools, parks, recreational centers, churches and shopping centers. Our fabric shade structures beautify outdoor spaces and promote the benefits of shade, including protection from harmful UV rays and other adverse weather elements.

About USA SHADE

In the three decades we’ve been in operation, we’ve installed more than 300,000 shade structures. Our expertise is backed by extensive industry experience and hundreds of thousands of successful projects completed.

We’re also an industry leader, thanks to our innovative designs, technology and long-standing client relationships. We take pride in being the first fabric structure manufacturer in California to be approved by the Division of the State Architect (DSA) for the highest quality and largest fabric structure selection.

So, what is our secret to keeping our customers happy and staying ahead of the competition? We are a full-service and vertically integrated business that offers comprehensive services to ensure successful project completion and lasting partnerships. Our services typically include designing, engineering, building, installing and conducting maintenance.

Our Process

At USA SHADE, we have a team of experts, including designers, fabricators and project managers, who ensure each of these processes is completed to perfection. We partner with your architects and property developers to make your business’s shade structure dreams a reality. Below, we describe our services to provide a clear image of how we complete your custom shade projects.

1. Consultation

Consultation

Before we design and manufacture your shade structures, we need to understand the nature of your business and why you need them. Therefore, the first step of our process is a consultation with one of our specially trained consultants to discuss your needs and the best shade structures for your purpose. You can book a consultation by contacting us online to schedule a one-on-one meeting.

The goal of the meeting is to understand your needs, wants and expectations so we can decide on the best implementation strategy. We help you pick the fabric shade structure that meets your requirements from our selection of more than 140 pre-engineered modular structures. We can also discuss the possibility of a custom shade structure.

We’ll also introduce you to our fabric options and help you choose one that aligns with your business goals. Here are the top four shade structure fabric options:

  • High-density polyethylene (HDPE) mesh: This permeable fabric can block out up to 97% of UV-A and UV-B rays. Though not waterproof, HDPE mesh is a durable fabric option that provides adequate protection against rain and requires minimal maintenance.
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): PVC is waterproof and extremely durable. It is perfect for permanent shade structures.
  • Novashield®: This woven waterproof material provides superior protection against rain and harmful UV rays.
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE): This strong and durable waterproof fabric can withstand extreme weather conditions, including strong winds, high temperatures and rain.

In addition to choosing the right fabric type, we help you find fabric colors that complement your brand and maintain their vibrancy over time. Shadesure® and Colourshade® FR (fire-rated) fabrics are DSA-approved and available in a wide variety of colors, including Sunflower Yellow, Laguna Blue, Rain Forest, Desert Sand, Silver and more. We also offer powder coating for the steel components and some custom options.

At this stage, we may partner with your landscape architects and other design professionals to efficiently integrate customized shade structures within your budget. After you consult with our experts, we calculate a quote for your project. You then agree on a payment plan that best suits your business’s financial budget. We then finalize your project timelines and give the go-ahead to the other teams to start implementation.

2. Design

The Design Development Department (DDD) uses innovative technology to provide a comprehensive visualization of the structure’s proposed design. The DDD team of industrial designers and architects uses 3D rendering and computer-aided design (CAD) software to help you understand the proposed shade structure’s design.

These tools produce comprehensive visualizations of a project to ensure it aligns with a client’s vision and meets their requirements. The DDD team understands the fundamentals of shape, form and function and harnesses this to gain unique insight into product simulations.

The USA SHADE design process can be split into three main parts, as elaborated below.

Initial Conceptual Design

Our project designers help visualize your ideas with CAD rendering and animation software that produces realistic 3D designs. We consider a variety of factors during the design stage to produce a result that meets your business’s needs.

The 3D design rendering and animation software determines material requirements, such as fabric, steel, cables and hardware. Additionally, with 3D animation, you can visualize aesthetic elements, such as the color and shape of the shade structures. The CAD rendering creates accurate and dependable project representations.

Designers use the 3D designs to create sketches, which they’ll present to you to give you an idea of how the shade structures will transform your space. Our designers strive to present you with simple, easy-to-understand designs that meet your functional needs and aesthetic preferences.

Assessing Client Feedback

When complete, the 3D design drawings and engineering calculations are submitted to the client for review and approval. We’ll give you time to analyze whether the design meets your needs and expectations. We gladly implement the feedback you share and make additional adjustments to ensure you’re happy before we dive into implementation.

After approval, patterning begins. Patterning involves combining a series of 2D templates to represent a 3D design. Engineers determine the size and shape of the fabric panels using specialized software.

The patterned designs are then passed on to the fabrication team for cutting and assembly. They also provide the estimating department with information on the size and weight of the designs so they can develop an accurate and cost-effective estimate to be used in our formal proposal.

Engineering to Turn Designs Into Reality

The sales engineering department analyzes your 3D/CAD fabric structure animations to ensure they’re stable and in a shape that evenly disperses weight. This design stage involves inspecting the structure’s functionality, durability and weather resistance. The project engineer and designer generate steel shop drawings for manufacturing steel parts, and for more complex projects, construction engineers determine sequencing plans and provide input.

3. Build

The building, construction or fabrication stage connects all the pieces of your shade structures. The building process takes place in our 120,000-square-foot fabrication plant in Dallas, Texas. Our state-of-the-art facility is accredited by the International Accreditation Service (IAS). It is certified to meet and exceed the highest standards in the steel fabrication industry.

Our highly skilled and talented fabrication team uses the highest-quality raw materials and innovative tools to deliver true-to-design fabric shade structures. Some of the tools and equipment we use to manufacture our shade structures include robot welders, abrasive blasters, computerized roll benders, custom swaggers and powder coat booths.

Our expert steel welders are inspected and certified to ensure they produce durable and long-lasting products. Our fabric shade structures meet and exceed many state, city and local building codes. As a DSA-approved shade structure manufacturer and a General Services Administration-approved vendor, we can provide federal government agencies with our products. For example, we’ve installed USA SHADE structures for all branches of the United States military.

Build

Our construction process is superior to competitors for a wide range of reasons:

  • All our welders are certified by the American Welding Society.
  • We have a full-time Certified Welding Inspector to verify that we meet our internal and industry-wide quality standards.
  • We use only the highest quality raw materials backed by mil certificates from all our suppliers.
  • Our steel structures are powder-coated to provide maximum adhesion, fade resistance and UV protection.
  • We offer a variety of fabric options, including PVC and HDPE mesh, that offer differing levels of translucency, light reflectivity, and weather and UV protection.
  • We use techniques such as sewing, radio frequency sealing and heat sealing to produce strong and durable seams on fabric tops and panels.

When all the fabric shade structures are ready, we ship them to you quickly and conveniently. We also offer a range of quick-ship products with a four-week lead time from the release date.

4. Installation

Our well-trained and highly experienced specialty construction crews nationwide are responsible for proper foundation and footing construction, steel erection and fabric installation. Our skilled professionals install shade structures in a way that’s compliant with regulations and best practices. Our IAS accreditation gives your business confidence that your shade structures are sturdy, functional and long-lasting.

The team we send to your site consists of experts in foundation construction, steel erection and fabric installation. Our installation process typically involves the following steps:

  1. We evaluate the installation areas.
  2. We acquire the necessary building permits for shade structure installation from your municipality.
  3. We assess the location’s suitability based on available space, sun exposure, visitor preferences and sun exposure.
  4. We remove any obstruction that may interfere with the aesthetic or functionality of the shade structures.
  5. We install sturdy steel columns and footers while following the proper safety measures to ensure your shade structures are upright and secure.
  6. We install the shade fabric to enhance your site’s overall aesthetic and design.
  7. We perform inspections and quality checks once the installation is complete.
  8. We clean up the site to leave you with a neat and aesthetically pleasing site.

5. Ongoing Repair Options

All USA SHADE products come with a limited warranty that varies between the products. For example, most of our fabrics come with a 10-year limited manufacturer’s warranty. The warranty is effective from the date of installation and covers repairs and replacements in case of failure resulting from mildew, breakdown, fading, discoloration, deterioration, outdoor heat or cold.

Within the warranty duration, USA SHADE manufactures and ships new replacement fabrics at no cost for the first six years after installation. In the last four years of the warranty, you’re charged a 20% pro-rated cost per year. Our limited warranties do not cover defects and damage caused by:

  • Normal wear and tear.
  • Acts of God, such as storms, tornados, earthquakes and wildfires.
  • Misuse, vandalism, willful or intentional damage.
  • Contact with chemicals or cuts.
  • Improper use, maintenance, repair or service not consistent with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Our limited warranties become void if:

  • The structures, services and labor are not paid for fully.
  • The shade structures are not assembled or installed while complying with USA SHADE specifications.
  • Any changes, additions, modifications and attachments are made to the structures without written approval from USA SHADE.

Furthermore, our limited warranties do not apply to:

  • Fabric curtains.
  • Valances and flat vertical panels.
  • Fabric canopies on shade structures that were not engineered or originally supplied by us.
  • Assembly workmanship not provided by USA SHADE or our agents.

The warranties are not transferable with the transfer of ownership. Additionally, they’re only valid when submitted in writing to the company within 30 days from the day of defect discovery. In the written warranty claim, you’ll want to include a detailed description and photographs of the defect.

Shade Fabric Repair vs. Replacement

Shade Fabric Repair vs. Replacement

USA SHADE offers fabric repair and replacement services to maintain your shade structures. These services are reserved only for USA SHADE-installed fabric shade structures. Our replacement services are ideal if you’re looking to rebrand or upgrade your shade structures to cater to the changing and growing business needs.

Our fabric repair services are for fabric shade structures that are not covered by a warranty. Repairs improve the appearance and effectiveness of shade structures by correcting rips and sagging caused by wear and tear, strong winds, heavy rain and harsh sunshine.

Replacing shade structure fabrics breathes new life into your business. When you contact us for a replacement, we aim to send you an exact match of the fabric you originally had. However, we reserve the right to send you an alternative fabric color on the occasion that we discontinue your original color.

Work With USA SHADE for Your Shade Structure Project

Whether you’re looking for a few shade structures for your day care or playground or conducting a large-scope project such as revamping a residential development, church or shopping center, USA SHADE is here to help. Our full-service offerings provide you with a stress-free experience, from the design to the installation, maintenance, repairs and replacement.

We’ll work with you every step of the way, and we strive to make our customization process as collaborative as possible. Our client service experts listen to your needs, wants and ideas to ensure we deliver the most innovative shade structures. We’ll gladly combine our expertise with yours by collaborating with your in-house engineers and architects to deliver a product that supports your specific business needs.

Contact us today to talk to a fabric shade structure expert about the process of customizing your shade solutions. You can also explore our projects page for more ideas and inspiration or try out our product builder tool.

Work With USA SHADE for Your Shade Structure Project