by HelpMeBeFree

Created on: June 13, 2008   Last Updated: July 15, 2008

I live in Florida where the rain, constant sun and occasional hurricane require me to replace my patio umbrellas every few seasons. I have spent countless hours - no, make that days (perhaps weeks? argh!) - online and in stores inspecting every umbrella there is for sale. Even if one spends $3,000 on the top-of-the-line remote controlled version (yes, there is one!), expect to be occasionally annoyed and frustrated with your umbrella. You can have a peaceful existence with your umbrella if you make the correct choices.

The obvious options to consider when purchasing a patio umbrella are wood pole, metal pole, hand crank, pulley crank, freestanding and table supported. Umbrella stands are plastic, metal or ceramic. Fabric can be cheap or the expensive sun-protected kind. These simple little devices are not always so simple and a person's preference is usually for the handsomest umbrella to fit your outdoor dcor.

Everyone buys a patio umbrella and swears they will ALWAYS bring it indoors during inclement weather or when it is not in use. It does not happen, so when choosing a new umbrella start with the assumption it will be left outdoors most of the time. Moreover, because the umbrella will be exposed to harmful elements, the reasons for choosing each option are not always so obvious.

POLE: WOODEN OR METAL?

Your preference for a tilting or non-tilting umbrella will most likely dictate your choice for this option. However, each option has its pitfalls.

Most metal patio umbrellas tilt and have cranks, but the very mechanisms that allow them to open, close and tilt cause them to break - a lot. Kids love to play with the cranks, adding to the odds of the umbrella only lasting one season. Metal poles that have a protective coating eventually lose some coating from normal contact with the stand or table. Rain or high humidity will soon cause rust on the now exposed areas. When a downpour causes the stand to fill, the water overflows leaving unsightly rust stains on the umbrella stand, table and patio.

Wooden poled umbrellas use a rope pulley system to open/close and do not tilt. No matter the size of the canopy, your shade will be limited without tilting. A wooden pole will swell in the stand when even the lightest of rain showers fills the stand with moisture. This swelling will warp the wood and chances are you will not be able to remove the umbrella ever again. (Not exaggerating. I have spent a good part of a beautiful day trying to remove a wooden stub from a stand.

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