Monday, June 28, 2010

Sunbrella Fabric – Highest Grade Fabric for Patio Umbrella and Cushions

Sunbrella is the leader in performance fabrics. For over 45 years, they have earned a reputation in leading the performance fabric industry. To keep up with today’s demanding lifestyle they consistently come up with new fabric innovation. Manufacturing on demand with the latest fabric technology, they’ve made high quality performance fabrics with sophisticated styling and best-in-class warranties. Major furniture manufacturers and designers trust Sunbrella for their fabric needs.

Through the years of being consistent in providing the world's best quality fabrics, they have earned various prestigious recommendations and certifications. By providing fabric that has ability to filter out sun’s harmful rays they’ve earned the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation. They also received the Green Guard Children and Schools Certification for its contribution to clean and green environment and very low emitting products. It is the most trusted brand when it comes to modern performance fabric. Sunbrella fabrics present ultimate beauty creations and clean living.

Why Sunbrella fabric?
Why not? It’s the number one performance fabric around. Sunbrella fabrics are durable and tough enough to stand even on harsh conditions. They are built to last and will endure any season. They are manufactured with special weaving techniques to strengthen the fabrics against tearing by stretching and corrosion. Using this leading-edge technology and specialized technique, exquisite, durable, and worry-free fabrics are produced. Ultimately stain resistant, perfect even for rainy outdoors and the risk of mildew is very low. It is a cleanable fabric wherever you use it. When used as Patio Umbrella shade or outdoor shade sails, you can just hose it with water. You may apply mild detergent to remove stain without affecting the colors. With sophisticated finishing techniques, the fabric color is locked in to the core so it retains its colors. Great for outdoor cushions due to its resistance against stain, can be easily cleaned.

Sunbrella fabrics can be used to a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications. They are made to have an exceptional beauty and usability to answer today’s needs. These fine fabrics are decorative, you can choose from numerous fabric colors and type that suits your decoration needs. These fabrics are used as cushions, curtains, outdoor umbrella canopy or shade, and shade sails. In fact they are used by major outdoor product manufacturers and selected by major outdoor furniture shops. If you want to buy the best product that uses fabric, ask for Sunbrella, most shops have them.

Aside from being durable and beautiful, they are also good as sunlight protection during sunny days. We know these days that sun’s rays are very harmful and dangerous to our skin. Especially the UV rays can cause damages to our skin and may lead to cancer. Good thing Sunbrella’s innovation has offered fabrics that can protect us. These fabrics, especially those use used in Outdoor umbrellas and outdoor shade sails can repel most of the sun’s heat and block harmful UV rays.

As a pioneer in revolutionizing of performance fabric, Sunbrella offers countless advantages to make life easier and liveable. Live in elegance, comfort, and safety of Sunbrella.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Different Types of Fabrics for Outdoor Umbrella

An umbrella cannot be an umbrella without its canopy or shade, of course. It is one of the most important aspects to consider when buying an outdoor umbrella. The sunlight protection level and the fabric durability will depend on the fabric types used.

There are numerous types of fabrics used in umbrella manufacturing. We will discuss only those that are commonly used in outdoor umbrella manufacturing. All these types are good to use depending on how and where you use it. They have advantages and disadvantages.

Olefin
This fabric is usually solution dyed so it retains its colors to last for several years, good for outdoor decoration. Lightweight but durable! Weather-resistant and stain and mildew resistant, it stands any outdoor conditions. But be careful not build fire and no heat producing elements nearby, exposure to extreme heat can cause it to melt and may shrink the fabric. It is easy to clean and dries faster. It does not hold moisture so this type is good for rainy seasons to shade and cover other outdoor furniture.

Spun Polyester
One of the most widely used fabrics, low shrinkage and retains color for longer years. It is an all weather fabric, great for outdoor use because it is resistant to chemical and abrasion. It is made of strong material that can withstand frequent stretching. Some are made smooth to have a cotton-like texture.

Nylon
Best for wet and rainy season, this fabric is waterproof and does not retain moisture. It is strong, mildew and rot resistant, and abrasion resistant, great for garden shade. Nylon fabric is smooth and more lightweight than any other outdoor or patio umbrella fabrics. Be careful not to dry it using an automatic dryer as it can cause piling. It has a poor resistance to heat.

Polycotton
As the name suggests, it is a combination of polyester and cotton. Polycotton fabric is a nice blend of polyester’s strength and the coolness of cotton. The polyester adds resistance against wrinkle to the fabric so it can last even on prolonged use. The fabric is nice and light but you should give it a proper care. This type may hold moisture which could cause stain, molds and mildew to appear.

Vinyl
If you want a protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays, Vinyl is just right for you. It has an excellent UV protection that can repel most heat from the sun. They are usually made with UV stabilized pigments. Does not retain water and dries quickly, best for outdoors. Easy to clean and resistant to stain and mildew.

Canvass
This type is extremely heavy duty, durable that it lasts for years if with proper care. This fabric is great to use during hot sunny weather, it is usually made from cotton so it is cooler than any fabrics. You just need to use it with proper care, cotton is usually water absorbent which may cause stain and mildew to appear, so keep it dry always before storing. Here’s the good news, for less worry, modern canvass fabrics are made with water resistant element.

These fabrics are good to use with its advantages. With proper selection of fabric types for a specific environment or outdoor settings, the beauty and durability of your outdoor umbrella can last for longer years.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Safe and Sound Outdoor Recreation with an Outdoor Umbrella

First thing in mind when it comes to unwinding is to go outdoors. You can do it in groups or your own solitary way. But you cannot get the best relaxation without the perfect setup. You would not want to get burned under the sun just to relax. It would be disappointing to see your skin burnt after a few hours of spending outdoors especially in beaches. To get an optimum relaxation without getting burn scars, you could use an outdoor umbrella to protect you and your family from skin-burning sunshine. If you are a health conscious person, you know that harmful UV rays would still pass through in an ordinary shade. Well, you shouldn’t be worried anymore because with the latest fabric manufacturing technology, UV protective umbrella and shade fabrics are available and being used on specialized outdoor umbrellas today.

Some beach resorts provide beach umbrellas and there are also outdoor umbrellas for rent. But you are not guaranteed to be satisfied with what they provide. Some outdoor umbrellas may not have UV ray protection, some my not match the color, size or style you want, some may not be durable and are dangerous to use. To be safe and get the outdoor recreation you want, it is nicer if you can customize the setup the way you want it and the way you like it. You can buy your own outdoor umbrella and other outdoor furniture you want. Of course, it will be easy if you buy those that are portable but it will still depend on your preferences. It is better to have your own outdoor needs because it will come handy whenever you want to go out.

Sometimes, carrying an outdoor umbrella can be so hassle especially if you want to go to places where you need heavy umbrella stand. Well, if you don’t want the hassle of carrying an outdoor umbrella, maybe carrying outdoor shade sails would be the best option. Like outdoor umbrellas, there are shade sails that can protect you from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Modern shade sails comes in various shape, colors, and materials that suits everybody’s needs. Shade sails are very light, portable and easy to setup, you just need to choose a location where you can set it up. But if you want to experience a luxurious and delightful outdoor leisure it is a wise choice to use an outdoor umbrella.

Always remember that the careful selection of an outdoor umbrella and stand is important. Keep in mind that outdoors especially in beaches often experience gusty wind blows. Surely, an umbrella would catch a blow and without proper installation it will be lifted and may hit other things around that would cause damage to other outdoor furniture and properties. It would be a frustrating outdoor leisure if you only get trouble with your umbrella. I have known an umbrella related beach incident once where it creates severe problem that caused tension. You wouldn’t want that to happen right? Please read the “Simple Rules to Keep You and You Outdoor Umbrella Safe”.

When all is setup and secured, you can have a great and relaxing outdoor relaxation leaning on a relax chair covered and protected with a fashionable umbrella with a side table and a glass of fruit juice and a fresh dessert - recipe by Martha Stewart. Cheers!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Simple Rules to Keep You and Your Outdoor Umbrella Safe

Do you think outdoor umbrellas always keep you safe sound? Yes they are, but you need to be careful on using and setting them up. They can sometimes cause damage that costs much money and loss of property. Here are some simple rules to keep a safe umbrella usage.

The Wise Choice!
The choice of outdoor umbrella is very important. To choose between patio umbrella and market umbrella depends on how you use it and where you use it. If you are to use a patio umbrella for your lovely garden be sure select one that is stable and safe. Because garden will always be wet, the best choice for garden would be aluminum and other waterproof types. Do not use iron and wood type as these would be rotten and as time goes by these types would break and fall that would cause damage to your outdoor furniture and plants. For windy areas especially at the beaches, the wind resistant umbrellas are the best choice. It may not be necessary to buy expensive umbrellas, but it would be nice if we can avoid serious troubles in the public places that costs greater. Wood market umbrellas are best for patios or decks because they are very flexible and looks more appealing to the eyes, they are great for outdoor decoration. Wood or Market umbrellas today are built with metal support to make it more durable, but not necessary if you only use it in your patio or decks.

Without proper selection, you may wake up one day seeing your umbrella broken and create lots of damage around.

Safety Setup!
You should not depend on your umbrella strength alone. Set it up with safety measure. If you set it up as a freestanding umbrella, use a durable umbrella stand or base. Keep in mind that the heavier outdoor umbrella the heavier and wider the base too. Select a base with hole that best fit with the umbrella pole to keep it tightly attached to the stand. If you use it in gusty places such as beaches, use a heavier base to avoid the umbrella being lifted by a sudden wind blow. You may use those that have mounting holes to mount it securely to the ground. It would be best if you can mount it to a table because it has greater strength.

Proper Care!
Umbrella strength will not last forever, but with proper care it would last longer. Taking care of you umbrella is just as simple as ABC. You clean it and store or keep it in you garage when not in use. Most umbrella canopy fabrics are made of vinyl, polyester, and other non-water-retaining materials so they are very easy to clean. And because normally they only accumulate dust, you can just spray or hose it with water and let it dry. On heavy dirt, you can simply use mild soaps and rinse it. Be sure to always keep it dry before closing and keeping it to your garage to avoid stain and mildew to the fabric and to the pole. This simple caring will lengthen the durability of your outdoor umbrella.

Keeping these simple rules can help to avoid damages not only to your outdoor umbrella but to all of your outdoor furniture and appliances.