Garden Umbrellas
OK, the sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky. Perhaps, though, you want some shade – a parasol – for your garden. This article looks at some of the options of wooden parasol available. A full range of parasols is available from Garden Furniture Scotland. Other articles in this series cover Cantilever Parasols, Aluminium Parasols, and Parasol Bases.
If you want the parasol to shade a table, you need to decide if it will go through the centre of the table, in which case you will need a table with a central hole. This hole should accommodate most parasol stems – the hole in most tables is about 51mm but can vary either way.
Amazingly, parasols stems have an industry standard and most (though, of course not all) are either 38mm or 48mm in diameter. If there is a hole in the centre of your table, then you are best to choose a through the table parasol. The most popular parasol is the central pole parasol which doesn’t stand on its own but is most commonly placed through the centre of the table.
Wooden stemmed parasols are the most popular, possible because they are inexpensive and are available in many colours, shapes and sizes. The middle of the parasol is screw-threaded to connect the top part with the canopy to the bottom part which goes through the table. Because it comes in two parts, the distribution costs of domestic parasols such as this are limited making it cheaper for you to buy. Rarely does the screw-threaded middle section cause any problem.
Parasols made from hardwoods such as Nyatoh, Keruing or Eucalyptus tend to be quite cheap and will not last as long as more expensive parasols made from teak.
The canopy of a wooden parasol is most usually opened and closed via a pulley system. In cheaper parasols, there is only one pulley on one side of the stem. This can be unbalanced and can stress the mechanism. It is far better to have a double or 4 way pulley system which is located on both sides of the stem. This will ensure that the mechanism doesn’t break as readily.
Parasols can have a crank handle rather than a pulley system. Though this might make it easier to raise and lower your parasol, it does come at a cost – removing the centre of the wooden stem to insert the crank wire weakens the overall strength of the wood.
Avoiding this by placing the crank wire in a groove on the side of the stem is a possibility but it is rather unsightly. Another popular innovation is the tilt mechanism which means that the top of the parasol (the canopy) can be tilted to the side to shade your table from evening sunlight. This can also result in a weakening of the parasol.
Smaller and cheaper parasols will have 6 ribs emanating from the central hub. Larger parasols will 8 or 10 ribs. The canopy is placed on top of the ribs and attached at the end of each rib by stitching or a pocket. Some pockets are leather, for extra durability. Other pockets are zipped to allow the canopy to be removed.
A canopy for a parasol can be any colour and texture imaginable. The most common material used is Polyester, which is usually treated with a water repellence agent, so water runs off, not through the parasol.
Your parasol canopy should also be UV stable, meaning that it will not fade in sunlight. Some colours fade more quickly than others so choose cream or natural, rather than black or red if you want to keep the colour for longer.
Cheaper quality parasols may use cotton as a canopy material, but this will be a short lived affair. At the high price end of the market, heavier weight Polyester is used, measured as grams per square metre. There are branded fabrics such as “Sunbrella” which are used for its renowned quality.
Most parasols have what is called a wind vent, which allow wind to blow through the top of the parasol and reduce stress to the frame. Lower quality parasols without this are more likely to break in the wind. Ensure the parasol you choose has a wind vent.
As can be seen, there is a real variety in the types and quality of parasol available on the market. Think carefully about the parasol pulley system or crank system. Consider the material used for the canopy and ensure it is showerproof and UV stable. Our experts have also written articles on Aluminium Parasols, Cantilever Parasols and Parasol Bases. Look for more information from Garden Furniture Scotland.
April 07 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »