Commercial Parasols
Perfect for shading smaller outside seating areas.
Design
Often found in outside café seating areas or beer gardens, these umbrella-style products come in an extensive range of sizes, shapes, materials and finishes. The fabrics used tend to be acrylic as this is suitable for external use. The fabric is treated to make it resistant to UV, water, stains and fading. Branding designs can also be incorporated.
Traditional wooden parasols can typically cover an area of about two metres in diameter. Parasols using an aluminium or stainless steel construction can cover almost double this area.
Given the overall size of these parasols, the installation is an important consideration. Weighted bases can be used but it is also possible to have the parasol permanently fixed into the ground.
Operation
Parasols can be operated with pulley cords, a gearbox or with an electric motor.
Comfort and energy saving
External shading is more effective at reducing summer heat gains than internal shading in most circumstances. For more information contact your local BBSA member.