You can put any type of outdoor umbrella in your commercial space, but if you ask experts, they will advise you to get only those umbrellas, which have least movable parts. A commercial patio umbrella looks just like an ordinary umbrella, but if you will look minutely, you will find that it is devoid of all the user-friendly mechanisms that make the others so very interesting. In short, a commercial patio umbrella should:

– Have solid pole without any coupling
– Not have cranks, tilts or pulleys
– Preferably have commercial grade fiberglass ribs
– Have thick and yet bright canopy

Umbrellas with couplings are convenient; they make transportation and storage easier, but at the same time, they make the umbrella more prone to breakage. You must admit that in public places, such umbrellas can be quite dangerous and so for the sake of public safety and reputation of your establishment, you should look for solid pole umbrellas only. Similarly, devices like cranks, tilts or pulleys can also compromise public safety and so you should avoid them too.

However, public safety is not the last word. The material used in the manufacture of the umbrella ribs has no effect on it. Here fiberglass ribs are recommended simply because such ribs last four to five times longer than those made from wood or aluminium do. That is because such fiberglass ribs do not fight the wind, but just bend to let it pass and once it does that, the ribs swing back to their original position. This makes the umbrellas last longer. You after all cannot pack your umbrella and go inside as soon as a strong wind starts blowing, if it is commercial space.

Pay attention to the canopy fabric too. Remember, your umbrella will be there to protect your clients as much from the ultra violet rays as from light precipitation round the year from morning until evening. This naturally will have tremendous adverse affect on the fabric. Make sure that the fabric is not only strong enough to withstand that, but also have the capability to resist fade and tear. Of course, better quality fabric may translate into higher price, but that you should not grudge.

Next, let us have a discussion on the shape and size of the umbrella. Earlier, such umbrellas had round canopies only. However, they now come in all shapes. For a rectangle table, you now can buy a rectangle umbrella. There are oval and square umbrellas as well. Just have a look at the table it is supposed to be covering before you pick it up.

Rectangle umbrellas have become more popular not only because patio tables are mostly rectangle, but also because such umbrellas provide more shade for your relaxing patrons. You can find such an umbrella in both the market umbrella as well as offset umbrella category. If you are not aware, the umbrellas that hold the canopy at the centre belong to the first category and those umbrellas that hold the umbrella canopy from the side with the help of an offset belong to the later group.

Well if I have been able to confuse you more, let me say it plainly, the traditional outdoor umbrellas that we have always seen erected at outdoor cafes, swimming and beaches are called market umbrella. That is probably because they originated in the market place not only to provide shade to the customers, but also as a vehicle for advertisement of products. It is only later that such umbrellas started being used in our porches, backyards or decks. They have their pole at the centre and balance the canopy around it from below. The offset umbrellas on the other hand has its pole at the side and it mostly holds the canopy from above with the help of an offset (and hence the name).

You need to have a look at the bistro tables to decide on the size too. In general, the shade length should be four to five feet larger than the area to be shaded. While a 30″ bistro table must have 6′ umbrella shade a 6′ rectangle table must have 11′ umbrella shade. Also, to make the umbrella stable, make sure that the umbrella stand is suitable for the shade length. In fact, buying an outdoor umbrella is not very easy process. Consult the umbrella-buying guides available free of cost on many websites before you buy the umbrella. That way, you are sure to get the best your money could buy.

Author Bio: Article by Andrew Declue of EPatioUmbrellas.com, a website with the best patio umbrellas and cantilever umbrellas information on the web.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: outdoor market umbrellas, cantilever umbrella