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Patio Umbrella Choices For Blocking Sun

jaxo
11 years ago

What's more convenient and effective way to shade an area as the sun moves during the day?

A titltable patio umbrella in a table and just tilt the umbrella for shade when the sun moves lower in the sky or have a separate free standing umbrella in a Shademobile stand and move it as needed to put the shade where you want?

Having the umbrella in the table seems more space efficient, but I wonder if tilting the umbrella would get in the way of the person sitting on the wrong end of the table?

Comments (6)

  • karinl
    11 years ago

    Yes, tilting the umbrella gets in the way, and a non-tiltable umbrella is only useful for half the table, so you get half the table shaded either way. A separate source of shade seems the better way to go, and any contraption revelling the name "shademobile" might do the trick.

    What I find about umbrellas though is that they produce shade, but not cool air. A tree, in contrast, will harbour a mass of cool air, as might a pergola or trellis with a vine to a lesser degree, depending on the amount of foliage mass that has accumulated.

    There are also those cantilevered umbrellas that stand off to the side and arch over the area you want to shade, but it appears to be a challenge to keep those standing.

    Karin L

  • jaxo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I may try a Shademobile or any other umbrella stand with wheels and just move it as needed. Maybe both. I could have an umbrella in the table plus another umbrella on rollers so I could move it by lounge chairs or to have a shady spot to stand while grilling outside.

    I want low maintenance so I don't want to wait a decade for a shade tree to grow and then deal with trimming branches, cleaning leaves up off the ground and out of gutters and dealing with messes left by birds.
    A patio cover could work, but too expensive for a nice one.

    Maybe a cool water misting system is a solution to have a cool area to sit outside on hot, sunny days.?

  • drtygrl
    11 years ago

    It all sounds fabulous on a day as hot as this.

    We also struggle with the umbrella and wind issue. Even in a heavy duty stand, on the mtn i live on the wind gets under the umbrella and sails it away. I am thinking of building a pergola with retractable sail cloth on it. We need the sun most of the time, but we have to get shade in the summer.

  • jaxo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    This looks interesting. $999 is expensive, but still cheap compared to installing a patio cover.
    I don't like the way t pole looks so much like a portable basketball hoop.
    I would also need HOA approval since it will be much taller than the fence and plainly visible from the street.
    Assembly may be an issue due to the size.
    I may just go with a 8-9 ft market umbrella or two on a mobile base, but I'll consider this if it fits in the space.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Umbrella Video

  • carol6ma_7ari
    11 years ago

    I watched the Umbrella Video and noticed it didn't show the block of shade cast. So it probably works only at high noon in midsummer and if it's positioned right over the chair or chaise. Not very useful. And when you add in the wind issue (our good 8 ft. umbrella goes over, heavy stand and all, when a good gust comes along), it's not worth the price.

    I looked at those RV awnings that run down the length of the trailer and had one installed over my deck along the house wall. Pulls out 8 ft. and it's 16 ft. long and very sturdy and stable (more stable than the pullout awnings made for house decks -- go online and look up "RV awnings"). Easier to move your chair to its shade than to crank down the wheels on the umbrellamobile and drag it around.

    Carol

  • jaxo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    The voice in the video says it can be adjusted "from flat to almost vertical" and I saw it change angle a bit while she was setting it up. So, it should be able to handle the sun coming from different angles.
    There are more than chairs outside. I wouldn't want to move tables and barbecue to the shade, so a mobile umbrella seems to make sense.
    The one in the video might be too bulky for the space I have, but I could use a smaller umbrella with a Shademobile.