Understanding how to measure a printed outdoor umbrella is the crucial first step before buying one. This will save you from a lot of hassle after you make the purchase. Here’s our easy measurement guide for printed outdoor umbrellas.
How To Measure Umbrellas
An outdoor umbrella that fits your outdoor space perfectly augments the décor of the place. It has the ability to convert an unutilised area into the perfect lounge to hang-out with friends and family. An umbrella that gives optimum shade not only protects you and your loved ones from the harmful UV rays, it also blocks the occasional showers.
But how do you decide what size is perfect for you? You need to consider two things when it comes to the size of your custom patio umbrella – the size of the canopy and that of the frame.
Measuring the Canopy
Printed outdoor umbrella canopies come in different shapes. Octagonal, hexagonal, square, rectangular – you can pick the shape that suits your décor the best. The two most preferred canopy shapes are the octagonal and the square ones.
While the octagonal commercial umbrella has a classic appeal, the square shape has a more modern approach to design and style. Now, we need to understand what the “size” of the canopy refers to. Don’t worry! It’s pretty basic and easy to understand.
For an octagonal outdoor umbrella, “size” refers to the diameter of the canopy. So, an 8 feet octagonal outdoor umbrella has a canopy that is 8 feet in diameter. A little math gives us the overall area – 42.25 square feet. Now you know how large a shade your octagonal outdoor umbrella is going to give you!
The calculation changes for a square canopy. An 8 feet square outdoor umbrella refers to a square canopy with 8 feet long sides. The area of such a canopy comes to 64 square feet. Quite clearly a square canopy will give you more shade than an octagonal canopy of the same “size”.
Tip: Your outdoor umbrella canopy should ideally extend up to two feet on all sides beyond the outer edge of your seating area. This ensures that you get optimum shade in rain or shine.
Measuring The Frame
The frame is the sturdy structure that holds your umbrella together. It is made of metal, fibreglass or wood. You need to consider two things for the frame size – pole or mast thickness and height. Let’s understand how these measurements are done.
The thickness of the pole or mast of an outdoor umbrella refers to its diameter. The most common pole diameter is 11/2 inches, although in some cases the diameter can go up to 21/2 inches. This gives your umbrella a sturdy spine and keeps it erect even in strong winds.
When it comes to measuring the height of your outdoor umbrella, here are a few things you need to know.
Brim height refers to the distance between the umbrella base and the brim of the canopy. Make sure there is ample head-room for tall people so that they don’t have to bend down every time they want to enter the shade of your lounge. A decent space between your table-top and the brim is an added advantage for those really tall guests you love to host.
With centre-pole café umbrellas that have a cranking mechanism for opening and closing the canopy, the crank-height needs to be greater than the height of the table. What is crank-height? It’s the distance between the base of the outdoor umbrella and the cranking mechanism when the café umbrella is closed.
Tip: Use the side-post cantilever umbrellas if you have a sprawling furniture setup with modern décor. The centre-pole outdoor umbrella works well with traditional garden furniture and a classic décor.
What’s The Right Measurement for You?
Before you decide on the perfect size for your printed outdoor umbrella look at your outdoor space carefully. Is it a garden or a poolside? What are its dimensions? How many people are you planning to host in your outdoor area? The answers to all these questions can give you a clear idea as to the perfect size for your outdoor umbrella.
Make sure not to cram an oversized commercial umbrella in a relatively small space. If you are lucky enough to have a decently big outdoor space, you can go for large outdoor umbrellas.
Remember your outdoor umbrella isn’t just a drab shade solution. It is an extension of your décor and your fashion-statement to the world!
