Patio Furniture Umbrellas Provide Shade With Fashion And Luxury

By Teresa Formers

Patio furniture umbrellas can be found on just about every patio or deck in town. They are a popular item for outdoor living. Umbrellas usually come separately from an umbrella table and you can get them in all kinds of sizes and all kinds of shapes. They come in a variety of colors and sometimes can utilize some lovely designer fabrics. You can even find the more elegant looking umbrellas with a single canopy and a smaller one perched on top. These patio umbrellas give your deck the ambiance of restful style.

When you go to purchase a patio furniture umbrella always make sure to read all the directions and know what you are getting. Certain umbrellas have an easy crank mechanism that will bring the canopy up or down. There are others that have to have a peg inserted in order to keep the umbrella up and they are a little harder to make work. You can find umbrellas that have a button near the top of the pole that allows you to tilt them in any direction. This will keep the sun out of your eyes whenever it is low in the horizon. Today you can get an umbrella that can be opened or closed with a remote control.

More expensive umbrellas usually produced in wood. The post and ribs of the umbrella are made of wood. These umbrellas are very durable and they weigh the most. Most umbrellas have to be lifted in order to place them in the stand and if you cannot lift weight you probably should try to find a lighter umbrella.

You are in luck because aluminum umbrellas are lightweight. Aluminum umbrellas usually are made with the tilting mechanism to keep the sun at bay even in the evening. The nice thing about aluminum is that it does not rust and so your umbrella will last for several years.

Most patio furniture umbrellas have a pole, ribs to hold the fabric up and a canopy or cover and must be put in a stand and through the hole of a table. They are what is called offset umbrellas. Here the pole is off to the side. This works with a table that has no hole. Just set it up next to the table and it will hang over top of it. Offset umbrellas are portable and freestanding so you can also use them to protect a person sitting in a chair.

It is important to stick to a few rules when it comes to your patio furniture umbrella so that it will last for years to come. Never leave the umbrella open when you are not at home. You never know when either a rain or wind storm will pop up and wind really damages an outdoor umbrella. You may come home and wonder where it went because the wind blew it several miles away. Those people in snowy climates need to put their umbrellas away for the winter. Just put it out of the way in an upright position and cover it to keep dust and dirt off. Never lay it on the side and put anything on top of it because it will surely be ruined.

When spring comes take the umbrella out of storage and give it a wipe down with a damp cloth. If it needs a little more intense cleaning use some water and soap. Never use abrasive cleansers because it can scratch the canopy and posts. There are those canopies that are removable and washed in a washing machine. If you do not have a large capacity washer do not do this at home but go to the Laundromat. Another way to wash an umbrella is to put it up and rinse it off with a good hosing. Just be sure the water pressure is not so high it breaks the umbrella. Never dry the canopy in a drier.

You can find patio furniture umbrellas at most garden centers. You can also find them during the spring and summer at most local department and discount stores. You can get them online as well for great prices but you need to watch how much shipping and handling you will be charged. Sometimes you can get them at furniture stores and if you have a shop that specializes in outdoor furniture you can surely find them there. It probably is not the best idea to get the cheapest one you can find. The inexpensive umbrellas usually do not last long, sometimes not even a whole season. - 32397

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here