Author: skyspanshade

While our umbrellas are built for long term performance, we also understand there may come a time, especially in the commercial space when you want to refresh your the look of your establishment. To accommodate this we’ve modified the design of our umbrellas so that they can be “reskinned” with a new canopy, and your old canopy can be recycled.

Over the years we’ve tested dozens of fabrics in a multitude of commercial and industrial
environments, so for us and architectural grade PVC, was an easy choice.

We use a high tensile PVC that is purposefully designed for umbrellas, and has been to be pretensioned in manufacture, so it is not compromised by the constant deploying and retraction of the canopy, extending the life of your umbrella.

High tensile and dimensionally stable the fabric actually adds strength to the frame contributing to the achievement of the desired wind rating.

Waterproof extends the use of umbrella as shelter we with many commercial models being compatible with rain channels and guttering.

Extensive options of translucent and block out, to account for any natural shade you may have surrounding the site, and prevent your cover from being too dark. Quality fabrics will provide levels of solar reflection and transference impact of light and temperature under cover.

Low maintenance, mould resistant and flame retardant it’s ideal in a commercial environment, and the translucent canopy creates an airy elevation and ambient light that is a pleasure to be under. 100% waterproof, heat reflective, and UV stabilised for pro-longed exposure to the sun, an architectural grade PVC canopy keeps your customers comfortable and protected from the elements.

With the larger freestanding commercial umbrellas providing coverage around a phenomenal 20-25 SQM, an appropriate retraction system is crucial for safety and ease of use. If you’re deploying your umbrellas everyday, it’s worth investigating functionality, as larger umbrellas will often require the fitting of additional heavy equipment and more than one person to operate them, This can the make operating the umbrella difficult in changing weather, and an extremely time consuming task for staff to manage everyday.

As with anything you leave outdoors permanently, sun, wind, and rain, impact on the integrity of the product over time. To combat this a good commercial umbrella will not only be constructed of corrosion resistant, all weather materials, but if it’s built to last, it will have a properly tensioned canopy.

Tensioning systems help preserve the structural integrity of the canopy via a series of taut cables that
run the perimeter seams and arms of the canopy, secured in place with anti-creep fixings.
A properly tensioned umbrella will reinforce your canopy, helping it to retain it’s shape and continue to withstand the weather.

A true commercial umbrella will always incorporate tensioning in some form, but internalised tensioning is optimal, as it is protected from the weather and has the added advantage of delivering a cleaner design, eliminating the visible support cables under the canopy.

An Umbrella wind rated to 150kph is rated for winds in a category one hurricane – That’s wide spread devastation. An umbrella rated to 60kph is where you’ll be having difficulty walking into a strong head wind.

If you want to leave your umbrella open permanently, a
higher wind rating will deliver you a better long term product regardless of your weather conditions.

While no one wants to sit poolside in a storm, they don’t want to be hit by a flying umbrella either. There is a degree of comfort in knowing that your umbrella has been engineered to be secure and safe in harsh weather, and will continue to do it’s job after the event.

But not all the customers that purchase our highest rated umbrellas are on the coast or feeling at risk of hurricane exposure, it is simply that the EWR is also a reflection of the quality and likely long term performance of the product.

To achieve a wind rating over 100kph, along with a good design, you’ll know that the umbrella has been made from the heavy duty structural materials needed to ensure the frame and canopy can perform and endure outdoors. Usually weighing between 150 to 400 kg these type of umbrellas are serious shelter options that will be chemically anchored and bolted to a footing, offering the convenience of being permanently outdoors, secure and ready for use, and just as prepared for what it is likely to exposed to when you’re not using it.

For the more lightweight portable commercial umbrella, an EWR is an indicator of the likely performance in the conditions where it was intended to be used, and for most that’s in winds
of 0-30pkh.

The lower your umbrella’s wind rating, the sooner the umbrella will be shaking, flapping and generally unpleasant to sit under, and well before it reaches it’s rated limits.

We engineered our cafe portable umbrella to 60 kph because that’s what we think is required for stability and comfort on the windiest day that you’re likely to out be using it, and you’ll have ample time to retract your umbrella in changing conditions, well before any damage can be done.