Your Guide to Patio Umbrellas

Today's guest blogger is Patrick Knafla. Patrick works with Stephanie at Peters Billiards, specializing in leather sofas, theater seats, and recliners, as well as kitchen & bar stools, and patio furniture.  We are happy to have his input on patio umbrellas today.

Spring is here and the time has arrived to get out the patio furniture for outdoor entertaining.  As the sun moves higher in the sky the days will get warmer.  And there are sure to be a few nice days when a surprise rain shower shows up.  This is the time of year to start thinking about how to stay cool and dry with the help of a patio umbrella.  There are a variety of shapes, styles, sizes, and colors when it comes to patio umbrellas and this will help sort out some of the differences.

Two Main Umbrella Types: Market and Cantilever Umbrellas

1.  MARKET UMBRELLA – Center pole umbrellas are typically used in the center of a table or as a free standing option.

• Size – Consider the area the umbrella will occupy and/or the size of the table when selecting the size and shape of the umbrella.  Octagonal is the most common shape market umbrella with sizes ranging from 6’, 7.5’, 9’, to 11’.  Rectangular market umbrellas are also available for longer tables.

• Lift Mechanism
  • Crank – Easily raise and lower the canopy with a few turns of the crank. 
  • Manual – Lift the canopy with one hand while inserting a pin to hold the canopy open.  Pull the pin and guide the canopy down to close.
  • Pulley – Common on wood frame umbrellas to assist with opening larger, heavy canopies.

• Tilt or no tilt – A tilt mechanism can keep the early and late day sun out of everyone’s eyes.  The tilt mechanism could be a simple push button style, an extra turn of the crank, or a collar tilt style that allows for more control of the tilt angle.  Rotating the umbrella in the base will allow for an infinite range of shade.

• Base – Market umbrellas require a base to anchor the canopy and keep the umbrella from flying into the neighbor’s yard.  Many styles and weights are available.  Select the heaviest weight base that is still manageable.  Bases with wheels are available to make moving the base an easier task. 

• Metal or wood – Aluminum market umbrellas are more common than wood pole umbrellas because they are lighter weight and more durable.

2.  CANTILEVER UMBRELLA – Umbrella canopy opens over an area from an offset pole allowing for clean lines of site without an umbrella pole in the middle of your space.

• Shapes and sizes – Typically used in open spaces to cover groupings of furniture or used for multiple groupings in the same area.  Consider the space and furniture groupings when selecting the right size cantilever umbrella.  Sizes can range from 8.5’ square to giant 13’ octagonal or a rectangular option that measures 10’x13’.

• Tilt – Cantilever umbrellas typically tilt on the axis of the pole.  Consider how the tilt mechanism will work in your space before final placement of the umbrella.

• Rotation – Rotate from one seating group to another with a simple turn of the mast.  Perfect for moving the canopy from a lounge seating area to the dining table. 

• Base – Various base options are available for cantilever umbrellas.  Most cantilever umbrellas have the option to be mounted to a base that can be filled with sand.  Sometimes other weights like paver stones supply the weight needed to hold down the canopy.  In-ground, concrete, and wood deck mounts are also available for some cantilever umbrellas. 

Today’s patio umbrellas are available in a wide range of canopy colors to easily coordinate the patio umbrella with the entire outdoor space.  Consider the overall color scheme of the home, landscaping, and of course the furniture groupings the umbrella will be shading. 

Peters Billiards has a large assortment of patio umbrellas in stock with many more options available to custom order the perfect umbrella for your space. See more patio furniture inspiration here.

Thanks for visiting Entertaining Design.