Last Updated on August 13, 2024 by Ali Hamza
The sun’s rays have their own benefits and disadvantages. The sun provides us with the majority of our body’s vitamin D needs while it also has positive effects on our psychology and plays a vital role in developing our immune system. But we must also take care to not overexpose ourselves to its harmful rays. While hats, sunglasses and sunscreens are our most preferred solutions to stay guarded, we can also use cantilever or patio umbrellas to shield ourselves from UV rays.
With the Australian summer almost here, you can always buy an outdoor umbrella that you can install at your residential property like in your backyard, patio, garden, or by the pool. You can also use it for commercial purposes and erect it in restaurants, cafes or hotels.
However, you must be mindful of choosing a heavy base with your restaurant umbrella or pool umbrella. We don’t want you to find yourself stranded with only an umbrella and not having anything to hold it upright.
The base might not add any aesthetic value but not having it might make your umbrella vulnerable. This is because a strong gust of wind can easily flip over or blow away your umbrella and make you feel embarrassed in front of your customers or friends or family. Worse, the flying umbrella can get damaged or hurt someone.
So it is essential that you choose a strong base that can help secure your umbrella. Here are a few things that you must consider to find the right base:
Pole diameter: Each and every umbrella will have a different pole diameter. So you should check the size of your pole before buying a base. We don’t want you coming home with a pole that won’t fit your base.
Tables with umbrellas: If you are going to use your restaurant umbrella with a table, you must take measurements of the area where the base will be placed so that it fits correctly. You must also ensure that the hole in the table is of the correct diameter for your umbrella. With the table offering some resistance, you can also opt for a lighter base. Using a heavier base will mean less strain on your table and a lesser chance of your table getting flipped by your umbrella.
Weight of umbrella: If you want your base to weigh down your umbrella, you must buy one that will hold your patio or cantilever umbrella steady. Typically, two to three times the weight of your umbrella is ideal for a base. However, you may want a heavier base if the wind is strong in your area.
Material: Bases can be made of different kinds of materials like metal, wood, cement, or stone. At times, a few pool umbrella bases might also be hollow so that they can be filled with water or sand. But the key is that bases need to be heavy and wide enough to prevent your umbrella from toppling over.
Weight of base: The weight of a base depends on the size of your umbrella.
- If your umbrella is 2 m or smaller, we suggest opting for a base weight of anything between 50-69lbs.
- If your umbrella is 2.5 m or smaller, the recommended base weight is anything between 70-89lbs.
- If your umbrella is 3m or smaller, the base weight should be above 90+ lbs.
- If your umbrella is 4m, the ideal base weight is anything from 120+ lbs.
Umbrella Stand: If you do not want to use a table with an umbrella base, you might require a stand to stabilise your restaurant umbrella. It is quite common to confuse an umbrella base with an umbrella stand. The difference is rather simple:
- An umbrella base is typically used with a table. The base is placed underneath the table with the umbrella fixed through the table and set into the base.
- An umbrella stand is a heavy and free-standing object in which you can fix or mount your umbrella.
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Must the stand be mounted?
It depends on several factors like what you use your umbrella for, how large it is, and where you locate it. We would suggest you mount the stand because it will provide a lot of support and stability, regardless of the umbrella’s size.
Do you need additional weight for the stand?
It depends on the stand you select. While a few stands are only empty shells, others are pre-filled or made of metal.
- An empty shell stand might be filled with heavy substances like gravel, sand, or concrete to make it stable.
- A pre-filled umbrella stand doesn’t require any additional weights. However, it will cost more than empty shell umbrella stands.
Conclusion
To prevent a strong gust of wind from flying away or toppling over your restaurant umbrella, make sure you use umbrellas with the right base. You must also choose a base depending on the size of your umbrella. Keep in mind that umbrellas require only half the base weight support than freestanding ones of the same size.
We would leave you with one last thought. Always buy a good quality base. If you compromise on quality, the base will not last long and you will be again in the market hunting for a new base. And we don’t want you to do that.
