Correct shade net installation is the difference between a cover that lasts five seasons and one that tears in the first storm. A net that sags collects water and chafes against the frame; a net pulled too tight snaps at the fixing points. Follow the sequence below and you will get a clean, durable result.
Gather everything before you climb onto the structure. For a typical hoop house or flat crop canopy you will need:
Measure the full span you need to cover, including the overhang on each side. Mark where the net will anchor — along the ridge line, the two eaves and the end gables. On a flat structure, run a perimeter wire first; this gives you a straight, strong line to fix against instead of stitching the net directly to weak timber.
Your support must be rigid before the net goes on. Set end posts and intermediate hoops at even spacing, and tension the perimeter cables with turnbuckles. A support that flexes in the wind will transfer that movement into the net and wear it out at the contact points.
Unroll the net along the structure with the knitted selvedge running parallel to the ridge. If you are covering a wide span with two rolls, overlap them by at least 150 mm so there is no gap at the seam. Keep the net loose and centred before you fix anything.
This is the step most people get wrong. Work from the ridge outward, fixing at even intervals, and pull each section to a firm — but not drum-tight — tension. A correctly tensioned shade net has a small amount of give so it can absorb wind load. Use UV-stable clips rather than bare wire, which cuts the mesh over time.
Trim any excess with a hot knife to prevent fraying, leaving a clean 50–100 mm edge. Fold the selvedge back and fix it a second time on high-wind sides. Double-fixing the windward edge is cheap insurance against storm damage.
Seams are the weak points of any installation, so plan the layout to avoid them. Knitted shade net is produced in widths from 1 to 12 m, and the width is a production setting — order the roll to match your bay width and most structures take a one-piece cover with no joins at all. Where a span genuinely exceeds the roll width, lay out the bays so each seam lands on a support wire or purlin, not in open air, and keep the 150 mm overlap from Step 3. A seam that sits on a wire can be clipped through both layers; a seam in free space will creep open under tension. For contractors covering several structures, send us the bay dimensions of each one — mixed widths for different bays ship together in the same order.
Shade net is sold by shading percentage, from 30% up to 95%. For most greenhouse vegetables, 40–60% is the sweet spot — enough to cut heat stress without starving the plants of light. Leafy greens and seedlings want more shade (70–90%), while fruiting crops that need strong light do better at 30–50%. Match the shading rate to your crop and climate before you order.
Related: read our shade net percentage guide and windbreak netting installation.
| Shade % | Best for |
|---|---|
| 30–50% | Hardy crops, mild climates |
| 40–60% | General greenhouse shade |
| 70–90% | Heat-sensitive crops, nurseries |
| 90–95% | Full shade, carports, screening |
If you are sourcing for a contracting job or a distribution line rather than a single greenhouse, the ordering details matter as much as the installation. Our Changzhou factory knits shade net in 40–350 gsm across the standard shading rates, in widths of 1–12 m with lengths cut to order — so a project can mix heavy 90% screening rolls for the perimeter with 50% crop cover in one shipment. Production runs 25–35 days after deposit under a 2-ton minimum order, and a 40’HQ container loads about 14–15 tons when the rolls are compressed into bales (loose rolls pack lighter). Regular samples are free; the buyer covers the courier cost, which is the cheapest way to check tension behaviour and clip fit on your own frame before committing a container. Send your span dimensions, shading rate, quantity and destination port and we reply within 24 hours with a spec confirmation and a packing plan.
Use UV-stable plastic clips, tie-wraps or hog rings every 300–400 mm, fixed into a perimeter wire rather than straight into timber. Skip bare wire against the mesh — it saws through the knit within a season. On the prevailing-wind side, fold the selvedge back and fix it twice; that doubled edge is what holds in a storm.
Fix it at closer intervals on the windward side and keep moderate tension. A net that is too loose flaps and abrades; one that is too tight tears at the clips. The net should flex, not drum — a small amount of give lets it spill gust energy instead of passing the full wind load into every fixing point.
Yes — in the first seasons it matters more than the grade you bought. A UV-stabilized virgin HDPE net is rated for roughly 2–5 years outdoors, but chafe against the frame, brittle non-UV ties and over-tensioned corners are what actually retire nets early. Even tension and a reinforced windward edge are what deliver the full rating.
Yes. Widths run 1–12 m and lengths are cut to order, so most structures take a one-piece cover with no sewn seams. Send the bay width and run length for each structure and the rolls arrive to size; where two rolls must join, plan the 150 mm overlap over a support wire.
Rolls are poly-bagged and labelled by spec so a distributor can shelve them as received. Compressed bales load a 40’HQ at roughly 14–15 tons, loose rolls lighter, and production takes 25–35 days after deposit under the 2-ton MOQ. Samples of the standard grades are free with the freight on the buyer, so you can fit-test a spec on your own structure before the container.
Firm tension, UV-stable fixings and a reinforced windward edge. Get those three right and a quality shade net will hold its shape for years. Ask us about the right GSM for your span before you buy.
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