How to stop a patio umbrella from blowing away is a problem that all too many of us have. After all, these umbrellas are like large sails and relatively lightweight. They can easily catch a strong wind and fall over, blow away, or suffer some serious damage.
If you’re wondering “why does my patio umbrella keep blowing over?” the answer is because you haven’t taken the appropriate steps to stop it from doing so. Let’s get to it and figure out how to keep your patio umbrella from blowing over.
1. Weigh Down the Base
One of the easiest things you can do to stop your patio umbrella from blowing away is to weigh down the base. This can be done in a number of ways. First there are those patio umbrellas that allow you to fill the base with sand or water. If you have one, but it’s empty, then fill it to capacity.
If you don’t have one of these, buying one is recommended. However, you can also use special patio umbrella weights to keep your umbrella from blowing over. Realistically, if you don’t want to spend any money, anything heavy will do just fine, even some dumbbells if need be.
2. Anchor the Base Into the Ground
If you want a more permanent solution to keep your patio umbrella from blowing over, anchoring it into the ground is by far your best bet.
There are a number of ways to anchor the patio umbrella into the ground, with simply digging a hole and placing the pole below the surface being one of them.
That said, if you don’t mind this being very permanent, using a concrete base is another option. Dig a hole, fill it with concrete, and insert the patio umbrella. Rest assured that it will never blow away again if you choose this method!
3. Get a Larger Base
If you are in the process of buying a new patio umbrella, one of the best ways to prevent it from blowing away in a strong wind is to buy one with a heavy and large base.
There are patio umbrellas specially designed to be wind resistant, as they come with weighted bases. If you already have a patio umbrella with a lightweight base, if you are lucky, you may have a model that allows you to replace the base with something heavier and more suited to this purpose.
4. Close the Umbrella When Not in Use
Okay, so this one might seem like an obvious point, but it’s something that all too many people forget. The only reason why patio umbrellas blow away in the wind is because they are left open.
When they are open, they act as sails that catch the wind. However, if they are closed, then there is no real way for the wind to affect them. If you aren’t using it currently, then there is no point in having it open anyway. This is the simplest and most cost-effective solution of all.
5. Get a Heavier Patio Table
If you have a patio umbrella that is directly inserted into a patio table, then things look a little different. If this is the case, you’ll need to find a way to weigh the table down more, with getting a much heavier table right from the beginning being one of the easiest solutions.
However, if you already have the table, you can tie it down, anchor it with screws and bolts, or even add some weight into the bottom of the table to create more of a stable base.
6. Purchase an Umbrella with Air Vents
Another great way to prevent your patio umbrella from catching in the wind is to get one that has air vents. These are little slits that are found in the canopy or fabric of the umbrella. These slits allow air to pass through them.
Therefore, instead of the wind forcing the umbrella up or to fall over, the wind simply passes through it. That said, umbrellas with air vents might not always keep you dry when it is raining, so this is something to consider.
7. Take the Umbrella Down When it is Windy
Yet another super simple solution to prevent your patio umbrella from falling over in the wind is to just take it down. Sure, closing the umbrella so that it does not catch in the wind is one option, but taking it down altogether is another.
If there is bad weather in the forecast, or summer is coming to an end, you may as well put it away for storage. There is no point in leaving it outside to get damaged due to rain, wind, and snow, when you could store it in a safe place.
8. Stay Away from Plastic andWooden Patio Umbrella Frames
Some materials are heavier than others, and if you plan on your umbrella staying put when it is windy, it is the heavier materials that you need to go for. What this means is that you absolutely need to stay away from cheap plastic and lightweight wooden patio umbrellas.
Not only are they lightweight and will easily catch in the wind, but they generally aren’t all that durable either, especially plastic. When it comes down to it, there is really nothing better than metal.
9. Tie The Umbrella Down
Although it might not be the most aesthetically appealing, tying your patio umbrella down is an option.
If you happen to have some ropes or bungee cords on hand, you can use them to tie the umbrella down to a railing, a table, or anything else that can act as a secure anchor.
The only issue here is that it doesn’t look to good, plus how stable your umbrella will be will depend on how well you tie it down.
10. Sandbags Can Help Too
If you live in an area where flooding is common, you may have some sandbags on hand. Sandbags are great for keeping water out, but they also act as great weights.
If you happen to have sand bags, fill them up with sand, dirt, gravel, or anything else, and use them to weigh down the umbrella.
11. Find the Right Location
What can also help here is if you find the right location to place the patio umbrella in the first place. Obviously, you only have so many choices when it comes to your backyard, but if possible, placing the umbrella in a corner where there is minimal wind is a good idea.
Walk around your yard and patio on a windy day to see if there is a corner or area that is consistently less windy. This is where the umbrella should go.
12. Use a Cantilever Umbrella
The other option that you have at your disposal is to use what is known as a cantilever umbrella. This is a special type of umbrella where the support pole is located on the side, with the canopy hanging down from a post.
This type of patio umbrella is inherently more stable than a regular patio umbrella. Due to its design, it is much less likely to be blown over on a windy day.
Conclusion
The bottom line here is that there are many different ways to stop your patio umbrella from blowing away. All of the above methods work just fine, but for the best results, you may want to combine more than one method.
