Wooden Parasols for the Garden

A garden set would not be complete without a parasol. The experts from Garden Furniture Scotland have written a series of articles covering all aspects of Parasols from Parasol bases, Side Arm Parasols, and Aluminium Parasols. In this article, we will examine wooden parasols.

If the parasol you wish to use is to complement a Garden Furniture Suite, you need to firstly establish whether the table has a central hole to accomodate one. The diameter to the parasol pole must fit within the hole in the table. Generally, parasol holes in tables are about 51mm but this can vary.

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.

Most through the table parasols are wooden. Wood stemmed parasols are very common because often they are the cheapest and are available in a wide range of colours, shapes and sizes. The stems often come in two parts, the top part with canopy and lower pole bottom part. Most domestic parasols come this way as they can be packed in smaller boxes, halving the distribution costs and lowering the price you will pay. Usually there is a screw threaded middle section for connecting the two parts, and it is very rare that this part causes problems.

The cheaper wood parasols generally use common Far East hardwoods such as Nyatoh, Keruing or Eucalyptus. More expensive wooden parasols are much more durable and made from teak.

Most wood stemmed parasols have a pulley system to open and close the parasol - cheaper ones will have a pulley located on one side of the stem. However, better ones will often have a dual pulley, one each side of the stem, which places less stress on the mechanism and balances the load.

Some wood stem parasols have a crank handle mechanism. Though many people prefer a wooden stem but like the ease of the crank handle, they might be tempted to by this combination. However, this is not a good idea. To put a crank mechanism in, means the central core of the wood is removed to insert the crank wire. This reduces the strength of the stem.

To avoid this, the crank wire can be placed in a side groove which, although it doesn't weaken the stem, is rather unsightly. However, if a tilt mechanism is attached to enable the parasol top to tilt to the side, this can cause yet another weakness in the stem.

The size of the parasol determines, to some extent, the price. Smaller parasols will likely have six ribs while larger, more expensive parasols might have eight or ten ribs. The ribs support the canopy which can be stitched into place. Sometimes leather pouched hold the ribs, at other times, zipped pockets which aollow the canopy to be removed and washed.

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.

They should also be treated to reduce fading in ultraviolet light (sunlight). Some colours show fading more than others, such as red and black, compared to natural or cream, of course, so take this into account when choosing your colour.

Ensure the parasol you choose has a wind vent. Without it, the parasol will be lifted into the air or the canopy will stress agains the ribs until it breaks them.

To summarise then, you need to consider whether to go for pulley or crank systems, you need to think carefully about the colour of your canopy, need to conside which material has been used and whether it is UV stable and showerproof. Garden Furniture Scotland experts have written articles about Parasol bases, aluminium parasols and cantilever parasols. Simply visit the website to learn more and by with confidence.

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.

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April 04 2009 | Home Improvement | No Comments »