A New Market Umbrella for the Deck

It's that time of year--the time when we go outside, look around and take stock. Mother Nature has a way of taking her toll on our outdoor furniture and my green market umbrella had definitely seen better days.

When I first bought this huge, 9-ft umbrella for my patio furniture, I was so proud of it I never left it outside. Back then the deck wasn't a very fun place to entertain or to spend any time. The flooring was a wreck as I showed in THIS post, boards were popping up and the afternoon sun was absolutely brutal. The old, "you could fry an egg out there" would have definitely applied.

So I'd drag the umbrella out for the rare forays on to the deck, then once we went back inside, I'd take it back in and store it in what is now my dish closet. It wasn't easy hauling it in and out because it's very tall, very heavy and extremely awkward to put into and out of the center hole of the patio table.

Once I added the screened-in porch, I quit bringing the umbrella back in. I was worried I'd accidently punch a hole in the screening of the door or porch if I continued that practice. At one time, the cording that's used to raise and lower the umbrella began to disintegrate. I bought some new rope/cording and re-roped it and it worked great . Well that was then...


And this is now. Time and weather have taken their toll.




I removed the canvas cover to see if I could wash it and repair a large hole that appeared a while back. I have no idea what that white looking stuff is. Up close, it looks a lot like a fungus. Ewww! It's probably either a cure for cancer or the beginnings of a flesh-eating bacteria for which there is no cure. Take your pick.



The large tear/hole is at one of the points where one of the wooden stays/spokes fits in.



I thought maybe sneaky Monsieur Ecureuil who raids my bird feeder every day had chewed on it or something.



I figured out how to take the cover off and I think I know now what happened. It appears at some point, one of the wooden spokes warped upward (see arrow below) and in so doing, ripped the big hole.



It was torn in this photo I shared on the blog when I cleaned and stained the decks last summer, but I just turned the bad side around when I took the picture for THIS post. Ok, don't tell me you don't do stuff like that?! ;)



I had thoughts of sanding down the wood spokes, re-staining them and purchasing a new cover. But once I saw the badly warped wood and how brittle the fabric had become, I knew it was time to consider purchasing a new umbrella. Also, I couldn't find a new canopy cover online. (Update: I found replacement Umbrella Canopies HERE, but they cost $59.99 for a market umbrella which isn't that much less than a new umbrella. Plus, it says they are a "universal size" and may or may not fit your umbrella.)

If you've been reading BNOTP very long, you know I have this very bad habit of searching and searching for just the right thing for my home before I take the leap and buy. I'm obsessive stubborn that way. So when I have to replace something, I always dread it. I worry I won't be able to find something similar or something I like as well. Do you have this problem or is it just me? If it's just me, don't answer. ;)

I bought this market umbrella at a Home Depot Expo for $99 at least six to seven years ago...maybe longer. The Expos have all closed, now. (Insert frowny face.) The HD near my home didn't have any of the wooden, pulley-operated market umbrellas. So, today I Googled them and guess what...Home Depot has them online! And here's the real shocker...they are still just $99 and shipping is only $9.99. Excellent! Plus, they still have it in green. Score!




As I was shopping around on their site today, I discovered they also have it in red. Ummm, what to do? The green blends in with the trees, but the red is kind of jazzy. It would work well with the cushions I use on the deck and with the pillows and chair cushions on the screened-in porch. So, guess what I did? I ordered both.

Sounds crazy, right? Well, since I couldn't decide what color to go with, I'm going to try them both to see which I like best. Then I'll just return the one I least like to the local HD store, which according to their return policy will be fine.



I was so stunned to find the same umbrella still available and for the same price! I love this umbrella because it's nice and big, the fabric is really heavy and durable and the color has stayed true. I don't think it's faded much, if any. It also has a neat tilt feature which really came in handy when we were roasting on our sun-scorched deck prior to the addition of the porch.

I think what I need to do this time around is to bring it in during the wintertime. I have a feeling the warped-wood-spoke-thing happened during one of those bitter cold winters we've had in the last few years.

And now I know the heavy, canvas-like fabric canopy can actually be removed for washing. I never knew that until today when I took it down and took it apart. You just screw off the top ball and the fabric comes right off. Cool! I may invest in one of those umbrella covers...but I think I'd rather just bring it in during the winter months and store it in the basement.

So, tell me, do you bring your umbrella in during the winter or, do you leave it out all year? Do you leave it out full time during the summer months? What's the longest you've had a patio umbrella last?