Umbrellas Maintenance Tips – Should You Cover It When It’s Closed?
A high-quality patio umbrella will serve for many years, provided you take good care of it. The following umbrella maintenance tips will help you to keep your outdoor umbrellas in excellent condition. In particular, we address questions about when to close your umbrellas and why, and whether you need to keep them covered when not in use.
Taking care of your outdoor umbrella
Outdoor umbrellas are designed to withstand the elements, but there are limits to what they can stand. Patio umbrellas are primarily intended to shade you and your guests or patrons from the heat of the sun. When the weather turns, bringing rain and heavy winds, your umbrellas can sustain serious damage. Powerful winds can also knock them over, causing damage to other property. Aside from following a regular cleaning routine, you should also take a careful, systematic approach to storing and maintaining your umbrellas when it is not in use.
Close your patio umbrella when it’s not in use
Because of the risks of bad weather, it is best to close your umbrella into the deadlock position when you are not using it. If you operate a restaurant with an outdoor eating area or pool deck, close the umbrellas at the end of your business day. You might even want to remove the umbrellas from the seating area and store them indoors until the following day. Ideally, umbrellas should be covered when closed for a longer period of time. Many businesses choose to close them at night and re-open them in the morning. In those cases, there is no need to use the cover.