Well, summer is upon us and if your backyard could use a freshening up you are not the only one. The winter months can be hard on our patio furniture and if you don’t have a lot of extra money lying around there are a few simple ways to renew your patio. One of the most familiar outdoor accessories is the patio umbrella. Nowadays, a person is limited to a green or beige outdoor umbrella for your backyard. Outdoor umbrellas come in many shapes, sizes and colors which can really make a statement. From modern to traditional you can find a great match to your existing outdoor d

Many people only think about purchasing their next outdoor patio umbrella or patio set when summer is underway. This can create a few concerns, because if you are searching for a specific style of furniture or color you may not be able to find what you need in stock. While you can find outdoor umbrellas that ship rather quickly online, you may be surprised to discover that the patio furniture set that you adore can take weeks to arrive. This can take weeks out of your precious summer fun and, if delays happen, you can miss out on most of your beautiful summer.

A smart idea is to commence shopping for your patio umbrellas and other patio furnishings during the off-season. The number one motivation to look for these products during the off-season is that you can discover some amazing deals. A lot of online stores offer large savings in the fall and winter months to help keep inventory moving. Also, a lot of online stores have a big inventory of items like outdoor umbrellas, all-year-long, unlike your local retailers that only carry the products when they are in season. Not only will you discover merchandise online during the wintertime, you will even see that the options are much better than what is available in the retail stores.

Another good thing about shopping for your outdoor umbrella in the off-season is that you are not forced to just order “something”. You can take your time and even order items that are custom made. This gives you greater flexibility to match d

If you are hoping to find a painless way to update the look of your patio it can be easily achieved with the purchase of a beautiful patio umbrella. You will be very surprised at the difference a vibrant colored patio umbrella can make to a dull yard, or how finding just the right match for your existing d

Well, summer has arrived and if your backyard could use a freshening up you are not by yourself. The winter months can be harsh to our patio furniture and if you don’t have money growing on trees in your yard there are several simple ways to update your yard. One of the most familiar outdoor accessories is the patio umbrella. Nowadays, you are not limited to a green or beige outdoor patio umbrella for your backyard. Outdoor umbrellas come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors which can make a bold statement. From modern to traditional you can find a perfect match to your existing outdoor d

Many people question how to select the correct sized patio umbrella for their backyard. They may think they only need a 6 foot patio umbrella, just to discover that it really doesn’t offer the total amount of shade that they truly require. The right way to select the correct size patio umbrella is to measure the space to decide on the size of shade you will need to keep things comfortable. You can generally assume that if the sun is directly above, patio umbrellas will shade about half of their overall size to each side of the center pole. For example, a nine foot outdoor umbrella will shade an area of about four and a half feet from the center.

To start measuring for the total of shade you would want your outdoor umbrellas to cover, start the center of the place you want shaded. Start with a measuring tape at the center of the place you want to shade and expand it out to half the distance of the umbrella size you think you would like to buy. If you think you want a 9 foot outdoor umbrella, you must measure out a space of a little over 4 feet. Now you will walk around the center of the area 360 degrees to determine what particular space will be shaded when the sun is at its highest point during the day. Also, think about the route of the sun. As the sun goes lower in the horizon throughout the day, the size and shape of shade will change. Now, here is something important to note: most manufactures determine their umbrella size by measuring the actual rib arm length and double it. However, the majority of outdoor umbrellas are not true to their size in width, because the rib arms are not usually completely extended straight out to the side so you will typically lose a few inches in shade proportionally. Also, you’ll want to think about that if you are buying your outdoor umbrella for a bar table, you will need to make sure it has a bar height crank so you can maneuver the umbrella while placed in your bar table. This is typically a feature that is offered with most patio umbrellas, but you can always ask about it if it is not featured with the product.

When you are thinking about shading an outdoor dining area you can use the following guidelines for your wood or aluminum outdoor patio umbrellas: a 6 foot canopy will shade a caf

Picking the right umbrella base for your aluminum umbrella is very important. The right umbrella base will keep your patio umbrella from falling over, which will keep it from breaking. If you purchase an umbrella base that is not the correct size it can cause damage to your patio umbrella.

You will need to consider the following to limit the possibilities of your umbrella not fitting the stand, tipping or taking flight in a strong breeze; the size of the umbrella shade, if the umbrella will be standing in the center of a table or freestanding and the width of the umbrella pole. Each of these are important when buying an umbrella stand, because if you purchase a stand that is too light for your umbrella it can be disastrous. Umbrellas can easily take flight in windy conditions, and cause damage to windows, tables and other outdoor furniture. I have even seen an umbrella fly over a fence and crack the windshield on a car.

If you are purchasing a freestanding umbrella or an umbrella that will go through a table, it is most important to purchase the right kind of umbrella for your weather conditions. If you live in a high wind area it is a must to purchase a wind resistant umbrella that is made of bendable fiberglass ribs. Fiberglass ribs will flex in windy conditions instead of bending or even breaking. Once you have purchased your umbrella you need to make the following measurements:

Measure the shade size of your umbrella.

You need to know the shade size of the umbrella if you want to buy the right umbrella base. The larger the patio umbrella the heavier the base needs to be to support that umbrella.

Calculate the diameter of your umbrella pole. Different outdoor umbrellas do have different pole diameters. The most popular patio umbrella pole size is 1.5” in diameter, but pole sizes can range anywhere from 1 1/8” to 3” depending on the type and size you order. It is important to know the pole diameter when you purchase your stand.

Tip:Patio tables also have different sized holes. Make sure that you measure this space before you buy your umbrella.

You also need to know if your Sunbrella outdoor umbrella will be freestanding or placed through a table. Freestanding umbrellas require heavier stands. If your outdoor patio umbrellas will be placed through tables you can follow the minimum patio umbrella base size suggestions.

The following list shows the minimum base size suggestions for different sized aluminum outdoor umbrellas:

A 30 pound umbrella base is a minimum requirement for umbrella shades from six feet to 7.5 ft if they are going to be placed through a table. You should use, at minimum, a 40 pound base for a 4.5 foot freestanding umbrella shade. A 50 pound base can be used for a 6 ft to 7.5 ft umbrella shade that will be freestanding. If you have an umbrella shade that measures 8 ft to 11 ft and it is going through a table you can purchase a 50 lb. base. If your 8 foot, 9 foot or 11 foot umbrella will be freestanding you will need a 75 lb base, at minimum. Please remember, these are minimum requirements. If you live in windy areas it is best to purchase a heavier umbrella stand.

Buying the right patio umbrella stand is very important towards increasing the life of your aluminum umbrella.