A cantilever umbrella comes with several benefits, particularly in shielding you, your family and friends from the sun and rain. However, the sun, rain, and other adverse weather conditions can often wear down the umbrellas. In fact, overexposure to the sun can fade an umbrella, with the fading being more noticeable in some colours than others.
Although fading doesn’t affect the performance of a commercial outdoor umbrella, it does change the look of your outdoor décor and spoil the aesthetic appeal of the area. So we suggest that you select a colour that can resist the fade.
In this post, we’ll provide you with some suggestions for taking care of your large cantilever umbrella so the colour stays vibrant and won’t fade away easily!
Why do cantilever umbrellas fade?
One of the most common reasons café umbrellas fade is because they’ve been left out in the sun too long. The constant exposure to sunlight discolours and fades the umbrellas. As a result, the umbrellas no longer look vibrant or appealing. In addition to being exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time, other factors that can cause umbrellas to fade prematurely are wind and rain.
Excessive exposure to either of these weather elements can lead to rust, water spots and even tears in the fabric of the umbrella. To help prevent cantilever umbrellas from fading, it’s crucial that you clean the umbrellas off and store them in a dry place when not in use.
Light vs dark colours
You can also choose colours that will continue to look vibrant even after the sun takes its toll on your café umbrellas.
It has been seen that some colours, like red or blue, will fade and look washed out more quickly than orange or yellow. A few experts also say that lighter colours repel the sun’s rays better than darker colours while others feel that black umbrellas tend to last longer than other colours as they fade less quickly. This is because the pigment used to create black dye is more stable than other colours, meaning it’s less likely to change or fade over time.
However, we want to take this opportunity to tell you that even black umbrellas will eventually fade if they’re not properly taken care of.
Neutral and natural colours
Some experts ask you to choose neutral and natural colours like tan, khaki, or ivory, etc. This is because these colours tend to retain their hues longer than brighter colours and can also blend in with the surroundings. Therefore, you will be getting a good fade-resistant colour for your commercial outdoor umbrella and will not have to worry much about any necessary changes in your accessories or furniture.
How to protect your large cantilever umbrella?
Large cantilever umbrellas are great tools to shade your outdoor area, but they can also be vulnerable to wind and rain. Here are some tips on how to protect your umbrellas:
- You can minimise stains by brushing off fallen leaves or bird droppings
- Wash stains on your umbrellas with warm water, detergent and a soft sponge
- Try to store umbrellas in a dry, shaded place when you are not using them
- Rub the metal frame of an aluminium-framed umbrella with warm water and soap
- You can use a mixture of white vinegar and water to remove water spots from a metal frame
- Don’t use tough detergents on the frame or canopy
- Avoid windy conditions
- Secure the base of your umbrella with weights
- If you have trouble opening or closing your umbrella, don’t force it
Conclusion
Irrespective of how hard we try to preserve them, cantilever umbrellas will eventually fade over time. But a faded umbrella doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be thrown away entirely even though it’s a good practice to buy a new umbrella and replace the faulty or faded one.
But then, you can always treat a faded umbrella and refurbish it, making it look like new again. One of the most common ways to treat a faded umbrella is to spray paint it. Even if the aluminum ribs underneath are faded, they are supposed to still work well. Therefore, there’s no immediate need to replace them even when they’ve been painted.
Another popular option for treating a faded umbrella is dyeing it. There are different types of dye available, including fabric dye and spray dye. However, if you are using spray dye on a faded umbrella, make sure to read all instructions before applying the process.
We must also advise our readers that it’s important to test the dye on a small area of the umbrella first to make sure the colour is what you want and that it won’t damage the fabric further. Once you’ve dyed your umbrella, it’s important to keep it out of the sun and away from rain for the time being to prevent the colour from fading.