5 Great Shade Ideas For Your Backyard

For most Aussie homeowners, the backyard is our pride and joy. But when the scorching summer sun comes overhead, it’s hard to enjoy your garden to its full potential without adequate shading. 

Luckily, there’s no shortage of ways to add shade to your backyard. Here’s our top 5 backyard shade ideas to keep you cool and comfortable all year round. 

5 Cooling Backyard Shade Ideas 

1. Retractable Awnings

Achieve unbeatable flexibility in your outdoor entertaining areas with a retractable awning. Retractable awnings are a stylish shade solution for backyard balconies, patios, decks and pools. 

During the day, simply extend the awning to create a cool, inviting outdoor entertaining area, and retract it just as easily to host your dinner party under the stars. Retractable awnings not only keep your outdoor areas cool, they significantly reduce the amount of heat entering your home, saving you money on your power bills. 

Helioscreen offer a variety of retractable awning models to suit all homes and shade preferences. The Rubix and Cocoon awnings are ideal for smaller backyards, with a maximum projection of 3.5m. Our Cassette and Fabric Cassette models will comfortably shade larger areas, with a max projection of 4.5m.   

Retractable awnings have the option to operate via an easy-to-use manual crank, or with the convenience of a remote control, wall switch or smartphone app. You can also automate your awning with sun and wind sensors, so it will automatically react to weather changes.   

2. Retractable Roofs 

Retractable roofs are one of the most flexible and durable shade options you can add to your backyard. They make a practical addition to decks, verandas, pools and patios, allowing you to enjoy the outdoors rain, hail or shine. 

With Helioscreen’s All Season’s retractable roof, you’ll no longer need to worry about sweltering sun or pouring rain preventing you from enjoying your backyard. It features easy-to-clean waterproof fabrics and integrated water seals, offering total weather protection for Australia’s temperate climate.  

At the press of a button, extend the roof to create a whole new outdoor room if bad weather or extreme temperatures threaten. Alternatively, retract the roof easily to soak up the morning or afternoon sun. It’s this unmatched flexibility that makes retractable roofs a great alternative to fixed roofs or pergolas.  

For more convenience, optional sun and rain sensors will automatically extend or retract the roof according to the weather, so your backyard always stays comfortable and out of the elements.  

3. Outdoor Blinds

Outdoor blinds are one of the most popular sun control solutions for backyard pergolas, decks and gazebos. They repel up to 90% of the sun’s heat and glare, protecting you and your furniture from the harsh Australian sun.  

With good quality outdoor blinds in place, you’ll enjoy protection from the harsh sun, glare, insects, light wind and rain. Even better, they’re also a great way to add some privacy to your backyard entertaining areas.  

Outdoor blinds have the option to operate manually with a crank handle, or automatically via a remote control or smartphone app. Helioscreen offer a variety of popular outdoor blind types, colours and translucent or blockout fabrics, so there’s sure to be something to suit all aesthetics and lighting preferences.  

4. Shade Sails

Shade sails are a simple, budget-friendly backyard shade idea for patios, pools, decks – you name it. They consist of sheet of fabric, typically made from PVC coated polyester, strung between 3 or 4 support poles.  

The distinctive shape of shade sails makes them a stylish and practical design feature for any backyard. Plus, they’re simple to install and easily tailored to suit any size space.  

Note: Check where the shadows fall in your garden before installing your shade sail. This allows you to determine the best way to angle the sail for maximum shade during the hottest parts of the day. 

5. Umbrellas

For an easy, portable backyard shade option, you can’t go wrong with a cantilever or market umbrella.  

Market umbrellas are a smaller, lightweight option ideal for shading outdoor tables and chairs. They’re easily adjustable to changing light and fold away in seconds when no longer in use.  

Cantilever umbrellas, on the other hand, are a larger, sturdier option perfectly suited to shading small decks, patios or spas and kids’ pools. They consist of a solid metal stand and are easily angled to provide shade throughout the day.  

Choose Australia’s Leading Outdoor Shading Solutions Provider

Get the most out of your outdoor entertaining areas with a stylish, quality backyard shade solution. With so many styles and suppliers on the market, it’s important to prioritise a durable and functional system from a reputable supplier like Helioscreen.  

Helioscreen’s outdoor shade solutions are market leaders in quality, performance and durability. They also come with a 5 year warranty on the motor, system and fabric, so you know they’re made to last. Contact a member of our friendly team today to find out more.