How do you choose a parasol? What style, what material is best? It is best to start by asking yourself what the parasol going to be used for.

For example, if you wish to shade a large table, you might consider a cantilever parasol, which has a side pole, thus leaving the main shaded area clear of obstruction. or perhaps a contemporary aluminium or stainless steel model. Once you have decided this, two main factors, you will quickly be able to narrow down the choice to just a few models.

The next “layer” of details is items such as heated parasols and lighting, not all models are able to take this kind of equipment. Parasol bases: Is the parasol to be fairly permanent, in which case an “in ground” anchor (concreted into the ground) will be required. Or, if you must clear the area at the end of each day, then a free standing base will be required. Some are available with wheels.

It is also important to consider the environment where the parasol or parasols are to be placed. If it is a particularly windy or exposed area, then a high strength model may be preferred.

The choosing of the parasol fabric is very important. There are essentially two main fabric types available: Polyester canopies, which are cheaper, but are quite thin, so do not last very long in the vagaries of the British weather. Overall, a poor investment.

The second and by far the best option is a thick acrylic, which has a much longer life expectancy and looks better too, along with a wider choice of colours. These are also solution dyed, which prevents colours fading. An often unused fabric option is PVC. If your parasol is sited under a large tree and or the favourite haunt of the local bird population, PVC parasol canopies can be a great option as it is the easiest of all fabrics to clean.

Wow, our first ever blog. Into the 21^st century!

Owning a high end parasol is great and is always good for your business, indeed a sound investment. But what many people overlook, is once you have the parasol or parasols in place, is maintenance and taking care of your investment. Care for your parasol largely revolves around fabric care, but the hardware should also be considered.

In an ideal world, you will always use the protection cover bag that is normally supplied with a high quality commercial parasol. This protects the fabric from dirty rainwater, bird droppings, sap etc. If used, this can extend the life of your fabric by up to 50%. However, in the busy commercial world you operate in, protection cover bags often remain unused. So how to clean a dirty fabric? Well, the use of warm soapy water is good, but is extremely laborious.

A good short-cut, is to use a pressure washer, such as a Karcher. But be careful to set the machine on a lower pressure than you would normally use, and keep the nozzle at a good distance from the fabric as there is a danger of lifting the protective Teflon coating as you clean. The ideal environment for such cleaning is on a dry day, preferably with some sun so as to aid the drying process. Don’t close the canopy until it is dry.

In some instances, your cover could be removed and sent away for professional cleaning. However, this often brings unsatisfactory results, apart from the expense and there is always the possibility that the Teflon coating may have inadvertently been removed.

The hardware of your parasol, pole, spokes etc. can be cleaned with a damp cloth. It is wise to periodically check that existing fixings, bolts etc. remain tight and that there are no loose fixings anywhere, particularly on fixings and bolts that hold heaters in place.