Being new homeowners a real patio cover is a bit down the road after we finish window replacements & a new roof. In the meantime, we need something to cover a west-facing concrete patio that gets no shade & was scorchingly hot this summer. So for less than $100 dollars (including posts, fittings & concrete), this shade sail provides enough shade that you can walk on the concrete at mid-day barefoot (not something I would have recommended before). Plus the concrete is not storing heat & radiating it back onto the house wall/windows after the sun goes down. The only advice I would give is buy one slightly smaller than you need as it will stretch. Our patio is about 20' wide but, we purchased the 16' shade & it fits perfectly. Also, color is much lighter than it appears in the photo.