Choosing the right patio umbrella

A patio umbrella may not be something you really want to squeeze into the budget on top of all of your other springtime expenses to spruce up your landscaping but you may be surprised to discover how much more time you spend in your outdoor living space if you have one. It can be tempting to simply buy a small inexpensive round umbrella, which may be find if you have nice shade tree as well however, you may want to splurge just a bit more for a larger one.

• Determine the size of the area that you want to receive shade. This could be the entire seating area or just a small section. You might even want to consider a swivel umbrella so that you can change its position as the sun moves, without fussing with moving the entire stand.

• Grab some painter’s tape, yarn, a few dog leashes or something you can use to outline the area with that you want shaded and lay them around the desired perimeter.

• Use your measuring tape to measure across from side of the area to another to determine the size of the umbrella you need and you’re ready to go shopping either in store or online.

A quality patio umbrella that is properly taken care of can last quite a long time so think of it as an investment. You will also find solar lights and even heaters that attach to some umbrellas so you can enjoy your outdoor living space even later on those cool evenings.