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History of Shade Covers in the United States
The shade industry is relatively new in the United States, unlike overseas where it has been a mature industry for many years. It dates back to 1990 when the first shade cover in the United States was erected in Dallas, Texas. Until 1990, awnings were the only cloth structures in use. They were usually metal supports bolted onto building exteriors, custom designed and fabricated to protect windows, create a unique appearance for a store, or provide cooling shade. Covers were made from a range of 100% waterproof vinyl, woven cloths or vinyl laminates that were generally cost prohibitive for larger structures. The awnings required extensive steel to support the weight of the cloth and usually required considerable customization to fit each building exterior. To the company's knowledge, there were no freestanding permanent lightweight shade canopies that qualified to be rated as a "building" in terms of city building code prior to 1990.
The development of such shade canopies required a frame and membrane system that eliminated the problem of rainwater "collecting" in pockets in the cloth, adding to the weight that was to be supported. The introduction of shade cloth, made in South Africa and unknown in the United States until 1990, stimulated the development of new shade covers and structures. Shade cloth is a high-density polyethylene woven cloth, ultra-violet stabilized to prevent deterioration from the sun, and fire retardant to meet building code requirements for fire propagation and smoke inhalation.
Automobile dealers and recreational companies were the first industries to recognize the utility and visual appeal of the new shade canopies. Dealers and manufacturers, along with their insurers, had suffered the losses of devastating hail storms for years throughout the Midwest; the new canopies provided excellent hail protection and instant eye appeal for their properties for costs well below conventional building materials. Water parks and commercial playgrounds recognized that they could increase attendance by providing shade. Canopies again were an excellent choice and their free flowing design beckoned potential customers with the promise of a cooling shade.
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Airplane Canopies