by Joann Weiss
Patio umbrellas are wonderful because they help you enjoy the outside world more often than you could without them. The shade and comfort they provide helps to keep you cool and lets you relax on a warm and sunny day.
Yet not all patio umbrellas are created equal. There are many different components to this kind of patio furniture. Different selections among these components will lead to an entirely different piece that could function better or worse.
The look and feel of a patio umbrella is largely determined by the canopy. This part not only provides the shade but also is the number one thing that sets one umbrella apart from the next. A poor canopy can lead to many undesired problems.
Choosing the right fabric for your patio umbrella’s canopy isn’t as simple as it first looks. There are several different factors that you have to weigh so that you can make an informed decision about what will work best for your needs.
One question you should ask yourself is how often you intend to use the patio umbrella. If the unit will be stored away indoors for most of the year, then you won’t need a canopy fabric that’s resistant to being damaged by UV radiation.
Next determine the moisture levels of the area near your home. The more moisture that there is, the more likely mildew or mold may grow on your patio umbrella canopy fabric. Certain fabrics are resistant to this kind of growth.
Another factor to consider is how often you think you’ll need to clean the fabric. Not all canopy fabrics deal with repeated washing in the same way. The ones that are tougher tend to be more expensive. So if you won’t be washing often, avoid them.
Once you figure out your needs related to these three factors, you’ll be ready to consider what patio umbrella canopy fabric is best for your needs. You’ll be able to make an informed decision which will certainly lead to years of enjoyment under the sun.
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August 05 2009 | Landscaping | No Comments »
by Sheri Terry
Cushions make good patio accents aside from providing additional comfort and support for homeowners. Among the many types of patio cushions are chair pads, floor cushions, and pet beds.
Chair pads are being used to make hard seat surfaces more relaxing and softer to sit on. However, this primitive purpose had already evolved to more advanced usage to satisfy various consumer needs. Among those needs are cost, style, and medical conditions. Some pads can be constructed differently to meet financial capacity of more consumers. Designs like flower patterns and plaids are also available for varying themes in each home. Size is another consideration for chair pads. It must fit to various seating capacity ranging from single use to family use.
For consumers with small patios and avoids high cost and bulky patio furniture, patio cushions and furniture can be merged into one by having floor cushions. This cushion is now gaining popularity especially for younger consumers because it is cheaper, smaller, and easier to rearrange. Floor cushions like bean bags often have striking colors and firm construction giving it a sense of freshness and comfort as well.
Pet beds are obviously intended for household pets. It offers the same comfortable cushion for pets because most pet beds were made from the same material and constructed in a way that it will benefit the pets.
Aside from cushion type, another important aspect of patio cushions is its filling. Various filling provide different effects and levels of comfort.
First is the conventional foam. It is commonly used in couches, mattresses, and other home applications. It is available in varying shapes from rectangular foams to T-shaped foam blocks and its edge can be rounded depending on its application area. Custom shapes are also available for window seats and other applications like boat mattress filling.
Next filling is the outdoor foam. This foam is highly recommended for outdoor applications because of its large foam cells. Large cells allow water to penetrate to the other side of the foam with less degrading effect on the performance of the cushion. In addition, outdoor foam dries faster compared with conventional foams because of its larger cells.
Patio cushions also use sophisticated fillings like memory foams and polyurethane. Such materials offer added comfort and support to users because it can follow the contour of the body. Examples of cushions with this filling are foam sacks, bolsters, and leg pads. Foam sack is very similar with bean bag but it is filled with polyurethane foam instead of bean-like material. Bolsters are often used as fillers and is great for leg and back support while leg pads are used to lessen pain and pressure in the lower body.
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May 26 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »