A Garden Furniture Parasol
This article will explore the different elements to consider when purchasing a wood parasol for your garden. When the weather improves, we start to think about using the garden more and, although we enjoy the sunshine, a parasol is sometimes needed to provide a little bit of shade. These are relatively inexpensive and come in a wide range of colours, shapes and sizes. Also available in this series are articles on Cantilever or side arm parasols, aluminium stemmed parasols and Parasol bases. Garden Furniture Scotland and Garden Furniture England both sell a full range of parasols to suit every taste and every pocket.
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. It should be noted that parasol holes in garden furniture tables for parasols are generally 51mm, although there are variations to this. Amazingly, parasols stems have an industry standard and most (though, of course not all) are either 38mm or 48mm in diameter. A Parasol stem comes in two parts, screw-threaded in the middle. The top half supports the canopy while the lower half goes through the table. The screw-threaded middle section rarely causes any difficulties.
The pulley system of opening and closing the canopy is prevalent in wooden parasols but there can be differences between them. If there is only a single pulley, this can be a little imbalanced and this can cause stress on the mechanism. A double or 4 way pulley system is more expensive but can last a little longer.
As you will know, parasol canopies come in a range of different colours and materials. Water repellent polyester is the most common as this is showerproof. Parasol canopies are also treated to reduce fading in sunlight (ultraviolet light). Look for UV resistant fabric when you are purchasing a parasol and think about the colour you would prefer. Remember that some colours fade more readily – red or black, for instance, as compared to cream or natural. Heavy duty polyester, which is measured by grams per inch squared is by far the best material to use for parasols. Cotton is not suitable as a parasol canopy – though you will find some on the market – as it is not strong enough. There are branded products, such as ‘Sunbrella’ which is well known as a parasol canopy material and is well known for its quality. Many parasols have wind vents in the top which allow the wind to move through the parasol and limit resistance – and therefore stress – to the frame. Without a vent, a parasol is likely to be pulled from its position, or to break as the wind will pull against the frame. Look for wind vents in the parasol of your choice.
Parasols come in at a wide range of price points, depending on the size and the materials used. If you have a bigger budget, you might want to get a bigger parasol (one with 8 or 10 ribs) and you might consider getting one with leather pouches at the end of each rib. This strengthening feature is more costly but is well worth the investment. Another thing to consider is the material used for the stem. A hardwood stem such as teak would be far longer lasting than one made from eucalyptus. Though more expensive, it is again worth spending the money on buying the very best parasol you can get. With an excellent parasol, you are now ready to enjoy your garden this summer.
