Fiberglass – The New Standard in Wind Resistance

Aluminum and Wood Construction in patio umbrellas have been around for years.   But one of the most common problems with either have been breakage.  Why?  Like any rigid material, both aluminum and wood have a breaking point, a point where stress on the material causes it to fail.  Most aluminum and wood umbrellas are strong enough to withstand most uses, even in windy situations.  However, most of the wind resistance of standard construction patio umbrella comes from the design of the wind vent.   The more air that can pass through an umbrella without altering it’s shape of balance, the better an umbrella fairs.

The problem is the mechanics of wind.  It doesn’t always come at a particular angle or speed.  In fact, it hardly ever does.  Wind circulates and moves around an object, forced by currents much like water.  One downswell of wind will catch an umbrella cover and push it down or up, leaving it exposed to higher gusts of wind.  Here is were we can get into a little bit of trouble.  Now that the canopy ribs are at an angle that puts more stress on it, the more likely it will either topple or break at the weakest point of stress.  Toppling over is what usually does it.

Let me assure though, that most aluminum and wood construction umbrellas are engineered specifically for day to day use.  But, fiberglass rib umbrellas are a different story altogether.

Fiberglass is basically silica based “fibers of glass” that have been used in composite construction; for instance, Olympic Bows are usually made of composite fiberglass.   Known for a multitude of properties, fiberglass is both strong AND flexible.  Umbrella ribs made of fiberglass are both rust and corrosion resistant, and allow the ribs to flex and bow in the wind.  In other words, where aluminum or wood reaches it’s breaking point in strong winds, the fiberglass rib actually flexes past that point, bending in the wind like a reed.

But if the Patio Umbrella ribs are just going to flap around, how are they break resistant?

Since the ribs of a fiberglass built umbrella flex and turn and bend, wind hitting the umbrella will push and pull the canopy in different directions, but won’t hurt the rib.  The wind flows over and through the umbrella with hurting it.  And if the umbrella actually happens to fall, the umbrella ribs will just flex as it hits the ground.  No breaking, no snapping, just bending.  The fiberglass ribs snap back to their original straight position, stretching the canopy out to where it should be, shading YOU!

The University of Miami did a study that found that fiberglass ribbed umbrellas could resist winds between 45 and 50 miles per hour – tropical storm winds!

The Bistro Umbrella – Patio Life on the Small

First off, what exactly is a bistro umbrella?  Well, ask different people, and you get different answers.  That won’t work for us here, we deal in answers, kinda sorta.

A bistro is a small restaurant, well, were small restaurants originating in Paris, France sometime around 1810 to 1815.  Merriam-Webster defines a bistro as:

a small or unpretentious restaurant

OK.  That’s what we typically think of a bistro when we hear of it, though personally I’ve seen GIGANTIC “bistros” and wondered where all the fun went.

But back to the umbrella.  Traditionally, bistro’s are known for the small tables created for the purpose of providing a place in a confined area, or small location, also known as, you guessed it, bistro tables.  These smaller tables where sometimes made of actual wine boxes, or where hand crafted for just the purpose of creating enough seating space to handle the usual patrons; poets and scholars and artists who where big on ideas, but kinda low in the cash department.

The bistro provided the best local to sit, have an inexpensive hot meal, and talk shop with contemporaries.  Paris street cafe’s also offered this experience, and are a little more famous because of the all the fancy pictures of french fashionistas, cigarette smoking poets and critics.  In fact, for our purposes here, cafe’s and bistro’s have a lot in common.

Since the bistro’s sat people at small tables, they also needed to cover them up.  Unfortunately, a typical market umbrella at the time was between 8 and 10 feet.  Didn’t work.  (No duh)

Enter 6 foot and 7 foot market umbrellas just large enough to cover patrons, but small enough not to crowd the other tables.  These umbrellas carry on the basic history of a market umbrella, but on a smaller size.  Typically made of wood, eventually here in the US, we upgraded with aluminum, and voila, the Bistro Umbrella is born.

Bistro Umbrellas are great choices for providing shade in smaller areas like apartment balconies or smaller patios.

Bistro Umbrellas come in a variety of sizes and materials, but we’ve outlined you’re basic choices for review.

7 Foot Aluminum Market Umbrellas are also known as Bistro Umbrellas

The 7 Foot Wood Market Umbrellas are traditional considered the original Bistro Umbrellas.

We hope that brings you up to date on a bistro umbrella.

Large Patio Umbrellas – Big Look

One of the really cool trends we’ve seen over the past couple of years are larger areas needing large patio umbrellas.  The increase in the popularity of bigger patio tables that seat 12 to 16 people in your outdoor area has caused a need for patio umbrellas that measure 11 or 13 feet.

Also fueling this trend is being able to seat or entertain more people under a bigger shade spot.  Larger patio umbrellas really fit the need of shading more area and more people.

Some people just LIKE bigger umbrellas.  Why not?  For a little extra, you can have a great big canopy that has more shade and a bigger decorative impact on your outdoor room.   Most large patio umbrellas carry the some of the same feature as standard sized umbrellas, and the ones that don’t offer something very special that you might want to consider.

For those interested in getting a bigger patio umbrella, here are some quick guidelines that might help you with your decision.

1. First step is to ask yourself if you really need a larger shade?  Larger isn’t always better if you don’t have the area to support the shade you want.  Watch for walls and greenery.  You might think you have the space and the need for a big shade, but your house’s exteriors walls or a hedge or your greenery might make that neccesity a mute point.
2. Tilt or Non-Tilting?  Larger umbrellas can feature a tilt, or not.  The ones that do tilt have a very effective tilting system that supports the weight of the canopy.  A bigger canopy adds a lot of weight to the top of the umbrella, so tilting it might cause it to topple.  Usually, lighter, more standard 11ft patio umbrellas have an efficient tilting system because the weight of the canopy has been controlled because of the amount of aluminum used.  Heavy duty, large commercial patio umbrellas shouldn’t tilt because of the weight involved; bigger, thicker ribs and heavier gauge aluminum tends to add a lot of bulk to the frame.
3. Aluminum or Wood? We’ve discussed the benefits of each before, and large outdoor umbrellas offer these choices as well.  Both are equally popular, but we have a soft spot for the large wood market umbrellas.  With the popularity of big teak and deluxe hardwood tables, a beautiful 11′ wood market umbrella would really do the trick.
4. Offset Patio Umbrellas offer a fantastic way to shade larger areas without having to worry about a center pole.  They can go over a table, or shade a seating area, or a larger shade spot.  They are definitely a great choice, and always make an impact on the aesthetics of your decor.  They are a very bold statement.
5. Placement.  Without a doubt, a larger umbrella can completely change the way your patio or outdoor room looks.  This is not a suggestion, but a fact.  Where a standard sized umbrella can beautifully mix into it’s environment, a big umbrella can either be a great addition or STAND OUT.  If your placing a larger umbrella for a shade spot, not over a table, look to the surrounding area.  Foliage, walls or even a hot tub in a large area will suddenly add a clutter affect when a large patio umbrella is placed there.  We always suggest a keeping a minimum of 2 to 3 feet of clearance from the edges of your open umbrella and it’s surrounding area.
6. Management.  A larger umbrella is just that, LARGER.  It’s heavier and bulkier, so you should be prepared to have to lug it around or store it when not in use.   Can you or a member of the family close and carry a heavier umbrella?  We always advocate storing your umbrellas when not in use, but a larger umbrella can be one of the exceptions because of it’s size.  Regular cleaning and maintenance of a larger umbrella can be done in it’s installation spot.  However, if your larger umbrella is for table use, wiping and cleaning it difficult.
7. Storage.  If you plan to store your umbrella in the Autumn and Winter months, make sure you have a good storage space for it.  Being a bit larger can reduce the choices you have in where you keep your umbrella.

As always, the choice is ultimately yours.  Keep in mind what would make YOU happy when picking out a large patio umbrella.